Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Get Fit with Dumbbell Home Workouts

Has your gym closed due to the coronavirus? Is your gym open but you’re not really feeling going back to an overcrowded room with poor ventilation? Or maybe you’re new to fitness and you want to start slow by learning the fundamentals from the comfort of your home.

One of the best pieces of weightlifting equipment that you can buy for a home gym is a pair of dumbbells.

Let’s review the benefits of dumbbells for home workouts along with the best exercises for you to work out at home with dumbbells. We’ll even throw in two full body dumbbell workouts to get you on your way.

dumbbell lunge home workout

Benefits of Dumbbells for Home Workouts

If you’re building a home gym and you had to go with one piece of fitness equipment, we would suggest dumbbells. Here are a few of the benefits for home workouts.

Convenience

Imagine walking out to your spare room, basement, or garage, and immediately starting your workout. No long drive to the gym, battling your way through traffic. No waiting to use machines or equipment. Just you and a pair of dumbbells getting in one hell of a workout.

Dumbbells make working out at home easy and convenient. Barbells are another option but most people don’t have the space for a 7-foot barbell with stacks of weight plates.

Cost Effective

The upfront cost might give you sticker shock but buying a set of dumbbells is a long-term fitness investment that will pay for itself several times over.

Think about how much you pay each month for a gym membership. The average gym membership costs around $50. That’s $600 per year. If you get a set of dumbbells that costs the same, the dumbbells will pay for themselves after only one year. Splurge a bit and it’ll take you two years.

That time will fly by and you won’t be throwing away money on a membership you might not be using in the first place.

Elite-quality dumbbells are going to last a looooong time. We’re talking decades. That means you are investing in equipment for your home gym that is going to help you stay in shape for years to come. Dumbbells are worth every penny they save you.

Proven Results

Did you know that dumbbells can be traced back to the ancient Greeks? This classic piece of fitness equipment has been building muscle and burning fat for a long time (a very long time).

Science has caught up to what people have known all along and there’s a ton of research to back up the benefits of dumbbells in physical fitness. But even without the studies, all you need to do is walk into a gym to see how dumbbells can help you build your ideal physique.

dumbbell total body exercise

Best Dumbbell Exercises for Home Workouts

The following dumbbell exercises will ONLY require a pair of dumbbells. You won’t need any other special equipment.

Dumbbell Chest Exercises

Dumbbell Back Exercises

Dumbbell Shoulders Exercises

Dumbbell Leg Exercises

Dumbbell Arm Exercises

Dumbbell Core Exercises

workout at home with dumbbells

Workout at Home with Dumbbells

Below, we’ve provided you with two types of dumbbell home workouts. Again, you don’t need any fancy equipment. Just make sure you have enough space to move about and change the dumbbells if need be.

Dumbbell Upper-Lower Body Split Workout

The first is your basic upper and lower split program. You’ll perform two upper body workouts and two lower body workouts each week. This workout is going to be ideal for beginners and intermediate-level lifters.

While it builds muscle, burns fat, and increases strength, this first home workout also improves your neuromuscular connections and capacity. In other words, if you’re new to lifting, highly technical exercises like the squat can feel awkward. By strengthening neuromuscular connections, you’ll notice that these types of exercises become easier and you can perform them with better form.

MONDAY

Floor Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
Standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 4 x 8 – 12
Arnold Press: 4 x 8 – 12
Cross Body Hammer Curl: 4 x 8 – 15
Triceps Kickbacks: 4 x 8 – 15

TUESDAY

Single-Leg Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
Dumbbell Hack Squats: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Lunges: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell V-Up: 4 x 10 – 15
Lying Dumbbell Crunch: 4 x 10 – 15

WEDNESDAY

Recovery and cardiovascular exercise

THURSDAY

Upright Front Chest Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
Dumbbell Rows: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Front Raise: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 4 x 8 – 12
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension: 4 x 8 – 12

FRIDAY

Single-Leg Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions
Goblet Squat: 4 x 8 – 12
Side Lunge / Lateral Lunge: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Bird Dog: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Side Bend: 4 x 8 – 12

SATURDAY

Recovery and cardiovascular exercise

SUNDAY

Recovery

Dumbbell Classic Bodybuilding Workout

The second workout we’ve provided is better suited for more advanced lifters who specifically want to increase muscle hypertrophy (growth). It is a classic bodybuilding-style workout that focuses on one muscle group each day as opposed to pairing muscle groups together. Again, we wouldn’t recommend this workout for those who are new to the lifting game.

MONDAY: CHEST

Floor Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Upright Front Chest Raises: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Push-ups: 4 x 8 – 15
Reverse Grip Press: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Floor Fly: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell V-Up: 4 x 10 – 15

TUESDAY: LEGS

Single-Leg Raises: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Dumbbell Hack Squats: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Lunges: 4 x 8 – 15
Goblet Squat: 4 x 8 – 15
Side Lunge / Lateral Lunge: 4 x 8 – 15
Lying Dumbbell Crunch: 4 x 8 – 15

WEDNESDAY: BACK

Dumbbell Bent-Over Rows: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Dumbbell Rows: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Good Mornings: 4 x 8 – 12
Dumbbell Bent-Over Wide Rows: 4 x 8 – 12
Standing Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Bird Dog: 4 x 10 – 15

THURSDAY: SHOULDERS

Arnold Press: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Dumbbell Front Raise: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 x 12 – 15
Dumbbell Shrugs: 4 x 12 – 15
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Side Bend: 4 x 10 – 15

FRIDAY: ARMS

Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 4 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions
Cross Body Hammer Curl: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Drag Curl: 4 x 8 – 15
Tricep Kickbacks: 4 x 8 – 15
Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 4 x 8 – 15
Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 x 8 – 15

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: RECOVERY

Recovery and light cardio

Dumbbell Home Workout: Get Fit in the Comfort of Your Home

Life is stressful enough. Why add the hassle of getting to and from the gym during a time when social distancing is the norm? Dumbbells offer you a convenient way to continue your workouts from your home gym, ensuring you’ll be able to achieve your goals of muscle growth, fat loss, or performance enhancement.