30 Dumbbell Exercise You Should Be Doing€¦ · 30 Dumbbell Exercises Your Should Be Doing 1 If a...

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30 Dumbbell Exercises Your Should Be Doing

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If a workout consists of popping a squat on the 50-

pound dumbbell to chat it up with friends, it may

be time try something new. Dumbbell exercises

provide a great full-body workout in a compact

amount of space. Yes, we said great workout — not

just a few decent arm exercises. Read on to de-zombify that workout routine with 30 killer new dumbbell exercises.

Ful l Body

1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: This deadlift

variety is sure to please the hamstrings (or punish

them). Standing with feet hip-width apart, toes

facing forward, and dumbbells at your side, shift

the hips back and slightly bend the knees as you

lower the dumbbells toward the floor (keep them

angled on the outside of your legs). Maintain a

neutral spine while lowering the weight just until

you feel a good stretch in the hamstrings. Come

back up to standing, making sure to contract those

glutes and hamstrings on the way up. That’s one!

2. Dumbbell Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift: This

one is tougher than it looks, but worth the effort.

Starting with feet hip-width apart and dumbbells at

your side, place your weight on one foot, and bend

slightly at the knee. Lean forward, lifting the

opposite foot straight up into the air behind you.

B y : James RileyO x f o r d s h i r e P e r s o n a l T r a i n e r

17 February 2015 Th

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As you come forward, move the dumbbells from

your side directly over your planted foot. Return to

standing position by lowering your back leg as you

come up. The dumbbells should return to the sides

of your thighs.

3. Dumbbell Hang Clean and Press: Don’t take

this one to the laundromat! Get down in squat

position and track a dumbbell on each side outside

of your ankles with palms facing your feet. With

vertical shins and a neutral spine, move upward to

a standing position while pulling the dumbbells up.

Next, forcefully drive the dumbbells up toward the

shoulders using the hips and legs. As you come in

for the catch, slightly squat to bring the weight to

your shoulders with a neutral grip (palms facing the

body). Explode the weight off your shoulders

overhead. Lower the weight back down.

4. Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch: In a wide-squat

stance, hold the dumbbell in your right hand in

front of the knees. Drive the weight up, keeping it

close to the body, and thrust it up with your hips.

When the weight reaches chest height, fully extend

the legs. Then squat back down so your body is

underneath the weight. Drive the weight up

overhead into full lockout position. This should be

one quick movement. Think explosively!

5. Russian Dumbbell Swing: The playground’s got

nothing on these. Stand with feet shoulder-width

apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands out in

front of you. Hike the dumbbell back between your

legs, then thrust your hips forward to move the


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dumbbell up and out to about shoulder height.

Though it is called a swing, this exercises is all on

the hips and glutes.

6. Dumbbell High Pull: Time to get up on those

toes! Assume an athletic stance with feet shoulder-

width art and knees slightly bent. Place the weight

straight out in front of your knees with palms facing

in, maintaining a neutral spine with the chest up.

Keeping the arms straight, explode upward, fully

extending the hips, knees, and ankles while

shrugging the shoulders up. Next, pull the

dumbbells up toward the top of your chest close to

your body, keeping the elbows slightly higher than

the wrists.

Legs and Glutes

7. Dumbbell Front Squat: Take some pressure off

that back. Start this one with feet hip-width apart,

holding dumbbells on your shoulders with a neutral

grip and elbows up. Next, hinge back, keeping the

back straight like you’re sitting on an imaginary

bench (come on, work with us here!). Lower the

body until hips are below your knees. Complete

the move by driving through the hips as you come

back up to standing position.

8. Dumbbell Pistol Squat: This exercise isn’t for

the faint of heart (so beginners, try it sans

dumbbells first). Stand with feet hip-width apart

holding a dumbbell sideways in both hands.

Extend the left leg out in front of you and squat

down on the right leg, moving the dumbbell


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straight out. Go all the way down (and we

mean all the way down!) until your butt touches

your ankle. Return to start position and repeat for

reps on both sides.

9. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat: Squat so much

you nearly split your pants. Hold a dumbbell in

each hand. Prop your left foot onto a bench and

plant your right foot on the floor into a wide split

stance. Lunge straight down, keeping your front

leg linear and your spine rigid. Come down until

your knee hovers above the floor, and then push

back up to starting position and repeat for reps on

both sides.

10. Dumbbell Side Lunge: Feeling a little

sideways? Standing with feet shoulder-width apart

and a pair of dumbbells at your side, take a big

step to the side with your left foot, pushing your

hips back and lowering your body into a deep


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lunge position. As you come down, move the

dumbbells straight down to the floor so that your

chest comes over your left knee. Return to starting

position and repeat for reps on both sides.

11. Dumbbell Step-Up/Reverse Lunge Combo: Put a little pep in your step up. Stand 6

inches from a bench with a dumbbell in each hand.

Place your entire left foot onto the bench as you

step up. Drive through the heel on the elevated

leg, bringing the right leg up to hip height. Lower

back down to start position, and step back with

your left foot into a deep lunge. (Be sure to track

your right knee over your ankle at a 90-degree

angle.) Repeat for reps on both sides.

12. Dumbbell 45-degree Hyperextension: The

motto here: Relax the back, recruit the glutes. Find

a GHD machine and from starting position, lean

over with hips flexed as far as they will go. Grab a

dumbbell and position it under your chin so it looks


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like a bowtie. Relax all of the back muscles and pull

up with the glutes. Come up to slightly

hyperextension and return to start position.

Chest and Back

13. Dumbbell Floor Press: Who said presses need

a bench? Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor

and a dumbbell in each hand. Position the

dumbbells at your shoulders with elbows rested on

the floor. Push straight up bringing the dumbbells

directly overhead. Return to starting position.

14. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press: A

challenging twist on the classic, lie on a flat bench

with a dumbbell in each hand. Hold the dumbbells

on the outside of your shoulders and alternately

press the right dumbbell up overhead and back

down, then the left. This exercise also forces you to

engage the core for stability — bonus!

15. Dumbbell Pull-Over: Expand your wings by

working the serratus muscles. Get in a tabletop

position with shoulders planted on a bench and

feet on the floor. Next, hold a dumbbell by one

end with both hands straight overhead, engaging

the glutes and back muscles. Lower the weight in

an arch behind your head until you feel a good

stretch. Bring the dumbbell back to starting

position.

16. Bent-Over Dumbbell Raise: Guaranteed to

unleash the beast, stand with feet shoulder-width

apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the


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hips so your body is positioned just above parallel,

holding dumbbells in both hands, with palm facing

in. Raise the dumbbells straight out up to shoulder

height and lower back down to starting position.

Repeat for reps on both sides.

17. Dumbbell Chest Supported Row: Ready to

dive on in? Lie face down on an incline bench

supporting your weight on your toes. Holding a

pair of dumbbells straight down in front of you so

they are parallel to the floor, pull the weight up

toward your chest, getting a nice squeeze in your

upper back muscles. Lower the weight back down

and continue the stroke.

Shoulder and Arms

18. Bent-Over Dumbbell Reverse Flys: Don’t swat

these away. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart

and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the hips

so the torso is at parallel to the ground, holding a

pair of dumbbells straight down with palms facing

in. Next, with elbows slightly bent, raise the

dumbbells out the side so that the elbows extend

above the shoulders. Return to starting position.

19. Dumbbell Upright Row: These will lead you

back to shore. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart

and place a pair of dumbbells straight down in

front of you. With palms facing your body, pull the

weight straight up the front of your body to the top

of your chest, keeping the elbows slightly above

the shoulders.


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20. Prone Rear Delt Raise: Delta, delta, delta we

can help ya help ya help ya! Lie face down on an

incline bench supporting your weight on your toes.

Stick a pair of dumbbells straight out in front of you

with palms facing in. Raise the dumbbells out the

side and back, bending your arms slightly as they

come up.

21. Incline Lateral Raise: Sit side-saddle on an

incline bench with your left side resting on the

bench. With a dumbbell in your right hand down at

your right side, raise it straight up overhead above

shoulder height. Return to starting position and

repeat for reps on both sides (cake).

22. Dumbbell Shoulder-to-Shoulder Press: Hold a

dumbbell flat in your right hand, resting it on the

top of your shoulder. Press straight up and then

lower your arm. Alternate with the other arm. That's

one rep!


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23. Dumbbell Spider Curls: An exercise good

enough for Peter Parker will certainly put a little

bulge in those biceps. Lie face down on an incline

bench supporting your weight on your toes. Hold a

pair of dumbbells straight out in front of you with

palms facing out. Curl the weight up to full

contraction without rocking back and forth.

(Isolation, baby!) Return the weight to starting

position. Want to change it up a bit? Alternate left

and right for single-arm spider curls.

24. Dumbbell Incline Biceps Curls: Get an extra

squeeze in. Sitting on a 45-degree angled incline


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bench with a dumbbell at each side (palms facing

your thighs), curl both dumbbells up at the same

time to full contraction. Avoid swinging the weight

up for momentum (definitely not as easy as it

sounds!).

25. Dumbbell Skull Crushers: The exercise name

says it all, so be sure to follow closely: Lie face up

on a bench with feet planted on the floor and your

back pressed down. With a dumbbell in each hand,

raise the arms straight up (palms facing each other).

Then, bending only at the elbows, lower the weight

down to your ears, finishing in 90-degree angle.

Return to starting position.

Core

26. Renegade rows: James Dean probably did

these in his sleep. Assume the push-up position

with feet about shoulder-width apart and

dumbbells placed in each hand, positioned below

the chest. Next, pull the right dumbbell toward the

oblique muscles, keeping it close to the torso.


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Lower the dumbbell back down and repeat on your

left side. Continue for reps on each side in an

alternating fashion.

27. Dumbbell Overhead Side Bend: Get a good

stretch in. Hold a dumbbell overhead with both

hands. Without twisting your upper body, bend

toward your right side until you feel a good stretch

on your left side. Return to start position and

repeat for reps on both sides (and consider yourself

spent!).

28. Dumbbell Russian Twist: Sit on a gym mat

with a dumbbell in each hand. Holding the

dumbbells out in front of you, bring them down to

your right side, only moving your arms. (Twisting at

the spine is a big no-no!) Bring them all the way to

the left, keeping your spine rigid. Repeat for reps.

29. Dumbbell Windmills: Ready to feel the air up

there? Stand with feet slightly wider than your


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shoulders and press a dumbbell overhead on your

right side. Rotate the feet to the left side a bit.

Now, lean the torso forward while holding the

weight straight overhead until your bottom hand

touches the floor. Concentrate your gaze on the

weight to stay balanced. Return to start position

and repeat for reps.

30. Dumbbell Wood Chop: Paul Bunyan knew a

thing or two about these. Stand with feet shoulder-

width apart and a dumbbell out in front of you.

Squat down, rotating right to bring the dumbbell

down to your right foot. Bring the dumbbell back

up, keeping you arms out in front of you. Rotate

into left lunge with your arms going overhead to

the left side. Repeat for reps.


30 Dumbbell Exercise You Should Be Doing€¦ · 30 Dumbbell Exercises Your Should Be Doing 1 If a...

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