Exercises · Equipment · Updated
Dumbbell exercises
With dumbbells you train your whole body, and each arm does its own work. The range of motion is freer than with a barbell, so your wrists and shoulders find their own position and side-to-side differences show up. Adjustable dumbbells and a bench cover almost everything at home.
- Exercises
- 71 exercise pages
- Muscle groups
- Shoulders, Abs, Chest
- Most logged exercise
- Seated Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell or barbell
With dumbbells the range of motion is longer, for example in a bench press the weights travel below chest level, and each side has to do its own work. With a barbell you lift heavier, and increasing the weight in small steps is easier.
Dumbbell increments are often 2–2.5 kg per dumbbell, so 4–5 kg in total. In light exercises such as lateral raises that is a big jump, so adding reps before adding weight works better. SisuLift takes your gym's weight increments into account when it suggests the next weight.
Most-logged dumbbell exercises among SisuLift users
The order comes from how many SisuLift users have logged sets of each exercise. It includes exercises that have a guide page in the exercise library, and it updates as people log their workouts.
How to train with dumbbells
Five exercises are enough for a full-body dumbbell workout: a goblet squat or lunge, a Romanian deadlift, a bench press, a one-arm row and an overhead press. When every set reaches the top of the rep range, move up to the next weight.
Example workout from the most-logged exercises
A full-body workout with one piece of equipment: the most-logged exercise for each muscle group. Sets, reps and rest are the same ones SisuLift uses for a general fitness goal.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 3–4 | 8–12 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3–4 | 8–12 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell RDL | 3–4 | 8–12 | 3 min |
| Dumbbell One Arm Row | 3–4 | 8–12 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell Biceps Curl | 3 | 10–15 | 1.5 min |
Done twice a week, this adds up to 30–38 sets per week. The rep ranges are those for general fitness and fat loss.
Main exercises and their variations
These exercises have their own page with variations, sets and reps and the most common questions in one place.
All dumbbell exercises (71)
Every exercise with a guide page in the exercise library, grouped by muscle group. The muscle group heading takes you to all of its exercises.
Shoulders13 exercises
- Seated Dumbbell PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lateral RaiseDumbbell
- Arnold PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell Overhead PressDumbbell
- Lateral Raise 1.5 RepsDumbbell
- Lateral Raise HoldDumbbell
- Dumbbell Front RaiseDumbbell
- Dumbbell Rear Delt FlyDumbbell
- Dumbbell Alternate Shoulder PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lying One Arm Rear Lateral RaiseDumbbell
- Dumbbell Bent Over Reverse Fly to Hammer CurlDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lateral to Front RaiseDumbbell
- Dumbbell Bent Over Reverse Raise (skier)Dumbbell
Abs11 exercises
- Russian TwistDumbbell
- Dumbbell Overhead Sit-upDumbbell
- Dumbbell Side BendDumbbell
- Dumbbell RolloutDumbbell
- Dumbbell Suitcase CarryDumbbell
- Dumbbell Decline Overhead Sit-upDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lying WoodchopDumbbell
- Dumbbell SpinDumbbell
- Spell CasterDumbbell
- Dumbbell Wood Chop SquatDumbbell
- Dumbbell V-up (VERSION 3)Dumbbell
Chest10 exercises
- Dumbbell Bench PressDumbbell
- Low Incline Dumbbell PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lying Hammer PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell Incline Low FlyDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lying on Floor Chest PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell PulloverDumbbell
- Dumbbell Low FlyDumbbell
- Hyght Dumbbell FlyDumbbell
- Dumbbell Alternative FlyDumbbell
- Dumbbell Incline Alternate FlyDumbbell
Biceps8 exercises
Hamstrings5 exercises
Quadriceps5 exercises
Triceps5 exercises
Back4 exercises
Glutes4 exercises
Forearm4 exercises
Neck1 exercise
Frequently asked
What weight dumbbells should a beginner use?
It depends on the exercise. Lateral raises often suit 3–6 kg, curls and overhead presses 6–12 kg, and squats, deadlifts and rows clearly heavier. Choose a weight that lets you hit the bottom of the rep range cleanly with a couple of reps in reserve. SisuLift suggests starting weights for each exercise.
Are dumbbells alone enough to build muscle?
They are, as long as you have enough weight. In studies, muscle grows the same way from dumbbells, barbells and machines, as long as sets get close to failure. For the legs dumbbells may become too light, and then single-leg exercises such as Bulgarian split squats increase the load.
Dumbbell or barbell?
Both work. With a barbell you lift heavier and progress more evenly, with dumbbells the range of motion is freer and side-to-side differences even out. Many programs do the heavy main lift with a barbell and the accessories with dumbbells. The most-logged dumbbell exercise among SisuLift users is Seated Dumbbell Press.
How do you do a full-body workout with dumbbells?
Pick one exercise for each: legs (goblet squat or lunge), posterior chain (Romanian deadlift), chest (bench press), back (one-arm row) and shoulders (overhead press). Do 2–4 sets of each two or three times a week. The example workout above is built from the exercises users log most.
Should I buy adjustable dumbbells?
For home, yes, because they replace a whole set of dumbbells in a small space. Choose a model whose maximum weight is enough for leg exercises too and whose increments are small. The adjustment mechanism must lock securely, and a bench doubles the number of exercises you can do.