[Best Home Workout With Dumbbells
Luther Lazaro
Dumbbells offer more diversity than a barbell of the same weight, plus there are no weight plates to fiddle with, so you can get started right away. Unlike their gym machine-based rivals, the best dumbbell workouts target stabilizing muscles and challenge balance and coordination.
In addition to sculpting your back muscles, seated reverse flys reinforce healthy scapular movement (movement of the shoulder blades) through repeated contracting and releasing. Doing the movement seated eliminates pressure on the lower back and hamstrings.
The benefits of any type of squat are many, ranging from hip and ankle mobility to lower body strength and core stability. Front squats in particular require more engagement from the core and upper back.
Crunches specifically train your rectus abdominis, which is the group of muscles responsible for the six-pack so many people desire. The movement pattern is the epitome of spinal flexion, an important skill to maintain for everyday activities.
Few exercises train rotational movement patterns like woodchoppers. This exercise teaches you how to move your body through an extended range of motion without compromising the stability of your spine. It also strengthens your arms, shoulders, core, and upper back.
If you have the room and the budget, a full set of dumbbells in various weights is a great addition to a home gym. Look for dumbbells made of steel that are encased in rubber, as they are less likely to break or damage something if dropped on the floor. I like the Rogue Rubber Hex Dumbbells the best, as they are durable and available in weights of 2.5 to 125 lbs. For more options, check out my complete list of the best dumbbells if the Rogue ones are unavailable or out of your budget.
If you are just starting out, grabbing a set of 15- to 30-pound dumbbells will give you the most versatility when it comes to strengthening different areas of the body. Budget-friendly options like the CAP Cast Iron Hex Dumbbells are a solid choice, and will last you for years.
Bottom line, if you are looking for a good dumbbell workout at home, barbells, kettlebells, and other equipment are all beneficial to your workout and routine, however, dumbbells are an essential part of any home gym. Depending on your goals and budget, they are versatile enough to give you a full body dumbbell workout without the need for any other equipment. They take up minimal space, can be used for almost any area of the body, and will help you build strength with functional movements.
Dumbbell workouts are only as effective as how well you perform them. Using an appropriate weight, proper form, and working until failure will help you build strength, increase range of motion, and prevent injuries.
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If you only have light dumbbells, doing upper body and core exercises will be most effective as you are working smaller muscles of the body. If you have heavier dumbbells on hand, lower body and full-body exercises will give you the most bang for your buck as they work multiple different muscle groups at the same time.
Yes! With the right exercises, you can build muscle using dumbbells alone. The key is to do enough repetitions and use dumbbells that are heavy enough to push your body to its limits. Dumbbells can be used for almost all muscle groups, and are a great way to build strength evenly on both sides of the body.
If you have the room and want the ability to drop the dumbbells on the ground, rubber-encased hex dumbbells are a reliable choice and will last you for years. You may need multiple sets of dumbbells to accommodate different muscle groups or continue to challenge your body as you get stronger.
Get a full-body dumbbell workout in with just one piece of equipment.When the pandemic hit, people were scrambling to purchase a set of dumbbells. Why? Because they are a versatile piece of equipment that can be used at home to build total-body strength. Dumbbells offer more diversity than a barbell of the same weight, plus there are no weight plates to fiddle with, so you can get started right away. Unlike their gym machine-based rivals, Read more about: 19 Best Dumbbell Exercises to Target Every Muscle Group Read more
Our complaints about these dumbbells are minor: The weight increments are 5 pounds (rather than the 2.5 pounds found on some others). And like most adjustable dumbbells we tested, the weights require careful alignment to rerack them. The racks sometimes stick when you pick up these weights fully loaded, but the Core Home Fitness model still offers the best, easiest-to-use experience in its price range, making it a great choice for most home gyms.
The MX Select MX55 Rapid Change Adjustable Dumbbells come with two handles affixed with two permanent plates, starting you off at 10 pounds. Nine additional plates are stored on each side of a cradle, and weight is added to the handles through a distinct process. You press a release button on each side of the handle, which allows you to turn a separate knob on the top of the handle. Choose your desired weight, press down the knob, and lift up the dumbbell for use.
We considered the ergonomics of using each set, particularly in maneuverability during exercises. We took into account the length of each dumbbell at given loads. Longer bars mean that for certain exercises people with smaller frames may need to modify their range of motion, their body positioning, or both. These modifications, though not necessarily harmful, can affect which muscles are engaged and, potentially, the quality of the workout.
Finally, we looked for any safety or durability concerns. We noted the ratio of plastic to metal components and how secure the weights felt in terms of any rattle or movement of the plates, which many models produce to some degree. Most plated adjustable dumbbells run the risk of unselected plates sticking during load selection and potentially falling.
The weight plates are made of steel and are covered in a composite rubber. The cradle is aluminum and sturdy enough. Using the set three times a week, Seth (who is 5-foot-7) found these dumbbells were the easiest to use, and they contorted well for a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups, whether he was standing, sitting, or lying on a bench.
While the Core Home Fitness dumbbells are durable and easy to use, the fact that the cradles tend to stick to the outside of the weights as you pick them up with the more weight you lift is an annoyance. This sometimes happens with weights set to 35 pounds and always happens at the maximum of 50 pounds. Keeping a toe on the cradle or picking the dumbbells up one at a time so you can hold the cradle with your other hand solves the problem.
The weight increments are fixed at 5 pounds. For some people (or certain exercises), a 5-pound jump can be a lot. If you prefer dumbbells that you can adjust in 2.5-pound increments, consider our runner-up or also-great pick.
The MX Select MX55 Rapid Change Adjustable Dumbbells offer variety and may be particularly appealing to more-serious lifters. Each handle comes preloaded at 10 pounds. You can technically lift in 2.5 pound increments, but not in an ideal method for beginners. For example, you can set a dial on one end of the handle to 25 pounds, while the other dial is at 20 pounds. You are then technically lifting 22.5 pounds, but with one end heavier than the other, which can be a bit unwieldy. However, experienced lifters might enjoy stacking one end with 5 to 10 pounds more weight to specifically train certain muscles using uneven loads.
The plates are made of steel and coated with polyamide nylon, which an MX Select representative said lowers noise and prevents rusting. The cradle, made of powder-coated formed steel, is sturdier than any other set we tested. (The company also sells a dumbbell stand for about $170.) The contoured handle provides a good grip.
You can adjust the Merax Deluxe 55 Pounds Adjustable Dumbbells similarly to our top pick: by twisting their handles. But the set goes from 15 pounds to 55 pounds in significant 10-pound increments (our top pick progresses by 5-pound jumps), so we decided not to test it.
The Mtn Gearsmith Adjustable Dumbbells, with their traditional collar-and-weight-plate design, are very similar to the Yes4All Adjustable Cast Iron Dumbbells we tested but typically cost more. We chose not to retest them.
The NordicTrack 55 lb. Select-A-Weight Dumbbells have a unique weight adjustment system, allowing you to change from 10 to 55 pounds, with some 2.5 pound increments. A lever on the innermost plate can be switched to three positions (left, middle, right), which adds 0, 2.5, or 5 pounds to a dumbbell. Then another lever can be pulled and dragged in between the remaining plates to select your overall weight in 10 pound increments. The dumbbells have a grippy, knurled handle and measure at just over 16 inches when fully loaded. The adjustment system takes some time getting used to, and in our testing, the lever to adjust weights occasionally became stuck such that it had to be wiggled loose to be placed in the correct alignment. The dumbbells come with a 30-day trial to iFit, where you can stream dumbbell-centric workouts via an app or browser.
Ingrid Skjong is a supervising editor on the appliance team, focusing on the likes of ranges, refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers. She previously covered fitness for Wirecutter and has been an editor and writer at various lifestyle magazines. She is an avid runner and lives in New York City.
It can be performed as a complete workout program for up to 8 weeks. At that point you may want to consider increasing the volume of the workouts or change up your routine to include more of a variety of equipment.
hi there, ive just gotten into exercising and i wanna start with this plan. will this help build muscle and make me stronger as im skinny and tall and not that strong (16 yrs old 6'2 and around 72 kg) thanks for the workout!
Hi,
Firstly, I cannot thank you enough for these free workouts.
I have just purchased my first complete dumbbell set!
I plan on doing the 3 day full body workout. This may some dumb, but do I do each exercise x 3 or 2 and then go onto the next, or do I do all 7 and then start again?