Whether you prefer to use dumbbells or are stuck at home with just a set of dumbbells and want to train.
Either way, you can still build muscle while just using a set of dumbbells. In fact, you can build a ton of muscle with dumbbells.
Dumbbell exercises are great for targeting individual muscles. This is good if you want to focus on a lagging body part.
It’s also good for people who want to train with a friend or training partner, as you can move around and target different areas more easily.
Best Dumbbell Exercises That Build Muscle
Here are the best dumbbell exercises for muscle building in no particular order:
Dumbbell Bench Press/Incline Press
Of course, the barbell bench press is supposedly the king of upper body exercises, according to some people, but the dumbbell bench press can actually be superior to the barbell version.
Why? For one thing, the dumbbell bench press and incline press is much easier on your shoulder joints than the barbell version. It also allows for a greater range of motion than the barbell version does.
Muscles Worked
Chest
Triceps
Shoulders
Lats
How To Perform
Lie down on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
Start with the weights at chest level and press them up until your arms are fully extended.
Lower the weights back down to starting position and repeat.
*You can rotate the dumbbells on the way up to work the muscle differently if you choose.
Goblet Squat
The goblet squat is an underrated and underappreciated exercise that hammers your legs, particularly the quads. Goblet squats also strengthen the anterior core and upper back and create tension with lighter loads than a barbell back squat.
Goblet squats are also a lot easier on your back than barbell back squats which is a massive bonus.
You can perform these with a kettlebell or a dumbbell; either works equally as well.
Muscle Worked:
Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
How To Perform:
Place a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest level and hold it with both hands.
Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Drive up through your heels to return to the starting position
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions
Farmer’s Carry
Next up, we have an excellent full-body exercise with the farmer’s carry. This is a great exercise for building grip strength and working your whole body.
You can perform this exercise with the dumbbell in both hands or just one hand, which hits the core even harder. There are other variations as well where you carry the dumbbell over your head which is known as the overhead carry. Choose whichever version you like best and get started. There is no wrong way to carry.
Muscles Worked:
Forearms
Shoulders
Traps
Core
Legs
How To Perform:
Pick up a heavy dumbbell in each hand.
Keeping your shoulders down and your core engaged, walk forward.
Keep walking until you reach the desired distance or time.
Put the dumbbells down and rest for a few moments before repeating.
Looking for a good dumbbell exercise to hit the back muscles?
The dumbbell row has everything you need. This exercise hits the muscles in the upper back but is much easier on the lower back than traditional bent-over barbell rows.
You can go pretty heavy with this exercise, just be sure to keep good form.
Muscles Worked:
Traps
Lats
Shoulders
Biceps
Forearms
How To Perform:
Place a dumbbell on the ground and Bend over to pick it up.
Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, row the weight up to your chest.
Lower the weight slowly back to the starting position and repeat.
Switch arms after the desired number of repetitions has been completed.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Another great exercise to hit the upper body is the shoulder press. This exercise is excellent for building shoulder and tricep strength.
It may also help to improve posture due to the fact that it strengthens your upper back muscles, which are used when you sit or stand up straight.
Muscles Worked:
Shoulders
Triceps
Traps
Upper Back
How to Perform:
Grab two dumbbells and sit on a weight bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees
Lift your legs slightly and lift the dumbbells up to your shoulder one at a time
Push the weights up towards the ceiling until your arms are fully extended and your palms facing forward
Lower them back down to starting position and repeat
Bulgarian Split Squats
Another great leg exercise you can do with dumbbells is the Bulgarian Split Squat.
Bulgarian Split Squats are a great way to build leg strength and fight muscular imbalances.
They are great for athletes because when you are playing a sport, you are usually pushing off with one leg when changing directions and the like, rather than two legs like the barbell back squat.
This dumbbell exercise also works your stabilizer muscles while you try to keep your balance. Not to mention the fact that split squats are much easier on your back than back squats. Overall the Bulgarian Split Squat I something all lifters and athletes should be doing.
Muscle Worked:
Quads
Glutes
Hamstrings
How to Perform:
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand about 2 feet away from a bench
Rest the top of your right foot on the bench behind you and lower yourself down until your left thigh is parallel to the ground
Extend your legs and return to the starting position
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides
Hammer Curls
If you want big guns, hammer curls are easily one of the best dumbbell exercises for building up bicep and arm size.
This exercise works both heads of the biceps muscles along with the brachialis and is excellent for pumping some blood into your arms.
Hammer curls also take a lot of stress off your wrists, so if you have any wrist or elbow problems, this may be a good option.
You can do them across your body or straightforward, both work equally well it’s just a matter of personal preference.
Muscles Worked:
Biceps
Brachialis
Core
How to Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at your sides with your arms straight, palms facing each other
Curl the weights up to your shoulders, keeping your wrists straight and core engaged
Lower the weights back down to starting position and repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Dumbbell Pullovers
The dumbbell pullover is a bit of an old-school exercise. It is also a great muscle builder that more people should be doing.
This exercise targets the lats, chest and tricep muscles.
Because of its multi-joint nature, you can go pretty heavy with this exercise but be sure to keep your form in check when increasing weight.
In addition to muscle building, pullovers are also great for shoulder health. It will help to improve shoulder mobility and possibly even reduce your risk of shoulder injuries.
Muscles Worked:
Lats
Chest
Triceps
Shoulders
Core
How to Perform:
Grab a single dumbbell and lay down on a bench with it held straight above your chest
While keeping your arms straight, lower the weight behind your head until you feel a stretch
Pull the weight back up towards your chest with control and repeat for desired reps.
Lying Triceps Extensions
Lying triceps extensions are a bread-and-butter triceps exercise that is typically done with a cambered bar but doing this exercise with dumbbells works just as well, if not better.
This exercise targets the triceps muscles responsible for elbow extension.
It is a great way to build up the size of your tri’s and when done with proper form, it can also help build strength.
Dumbbells are ideal for this exercise because you can adjust each arm independently, which helps to fight muscular imbalances in the upper arms and is easier on the wrists and elbows.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps
Core
Shoulders
How to Perform:
Lie on a flat bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other
Extend your arms and press the weights above you until they are just about touching.
Slowly lower the weights back down towards your ears until they touch your triceps.
Extend your arms again and repeat for desired reps.
Romanian Deadlifts With Dumbbells
Of course, there has to be some form of the deadlift on any muscle-building lifts article. After all, they are the king of muscle building.
Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells are a great way to get the deadlift movement pattern down while still building muscle.
They are a great way to blast your posterior chain, which is essential for overall strength and muscle development.
Muscles Worked:
Hamstrings
Glutes
Lower back
Core
Traps
Forearms
Shoulders
Lats
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart
With a slight bend in your knees, push the hips back and lower the dumbbells down to just above your ankles
Engage your glutes and core and return to starting position
Repeat
Dumbbell Thrusters
Thrusters, they are a great exercise for muscle growth, but most people hate them, probably because they are exhausting.
But with dumbbells, the exercise becomes much more manageable, and you can still get an awesome muscle-building workout.
Dumbbell thrusters target your quads, glutes, triceps, core and shoulders all at once and are great for developing strength as well as improving conditioning.
If you are really feeling spicy, combine your thrusters with burpees for a workout that you will just love (not really).
Muscles Worked:
Quads
Glutes
Triceps
Core
Shoulders
Lats
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Raise the dumbbells up to your shoulders
Lower into a deep squat position while keeping the weights close to your body, as if you were doing a goblet squat.
Explosively press the weights up above your head and then slowly lower them back down.
Return to starting position and repeat for desired reps.
Lateral Raises
Lateral raises are a great exercise for targeting your shoulders and building shoulder stability.
The beauty of the lateral raise is that it doesn’t require much weight to be effective.
This makes it ideal for those who don’t have access to heavy equipment or want to see results quickly.
It’s a relatively simple move but can be deceptively challenging if done with control.
With dumbbells, you can really focus on each arm independently and make sure you are using proper form.
Muscles Worked:
Shoulders
Lats
Traps
Core
Forearms
How To Perform:
Grab a light pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Raise the weights out to the side until they are at shoulder height, keep your palms facing down the entire time.
Slowly lower the weights back down to starting position and repeat for desired reps.
Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell curls are probably the most common exercises you will see done at the gym. Everyone knows what it is and how to do it.
With dumbbells, you can really focus on isolating each arm and making sure you are using the correct form.
Curls are great for building up your biceps, but they also work your core and forearms as well.
So if you want to add some size to those guns this is a great exercise to add to your routine.
Muscles Worked:
Biceps
Core
Forearms
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
Raise the weights up towards your shoulders and keep your elbows close to your body.
Slowly lower the weights back down to starting position and repeat for desired reps.
I’m not gonna lie. Dumbbell squats can feel kind of clunky and awkward. That said, they are also really good at building muscle and strength.
With dumbbells, you can really focus on keeping your chest up and core engaged while also targeting your glutes, quads and hamstrings.
Perform them with control, and you will reap the rewards in no time.
Muscles Worked:
Quads
Glutes
Hamstrings
Core
Lower Back
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.
Sit back into a deep squat position while keeping the weights close to your body, as if you were doing a goblet squat.
Engage your glutes and drive up through your heels to return to starting position.
Repeat for desired reps.
Single Leg Deadlifts
Single-leg deadlifts are a great way to target your glutes, hamstrings, and core.
This exercise is deceptively challenging and can often be overlooked compared to its two-legged counterpart.
Using dumbbells in this movement not only adds weight but increases the challenge as you have to control each arm independently.
Some guys like to think this exercise is “just for women,” but they are missing out on a great unilateral exercise that works the posterior chain and fights muscle imbalances.
Muscles Worked:
Glutes
Hamstrings
Core
Lower Back
Lats
Obliques
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Hinge at the hips and raise one leg up behind you while keeping your chest up and core tight.
Slowly lower the weights down to the floor and then return to starting position.
Repeat for desired reps before switching sides.
Renegade Rows
Another underrated dumbbell exercise is renegade rows.
This exercise works the entire posterior chain and really engages your core.
The instability of using two dumbbells while maintaining good form makes this a real challenge.
It’s also great for developing strength, stability, and balance.
Muscles Worked:
Shoulders
Lats
Traps
Core
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of light dumbbells and get into a push-up position.
Make sure your wrists are directly under your shoulders, and keep your core engaged the entire time.
Row one weight up towards the ribs while keeping your body still, lower it back down and then repeat on the other side.
Repeat for desired reps.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Rounding out our list of the best dumbbell exercises for building muscle, we have overhead triceps extensions.
This exercise works the triceps in a way that’s hard to replicate with bodyweight movements.
You can really isolate and focus on each arm which is great for building strength, size and definition.
And since it’s a single joint movement, you don’t have to worry about recruiting too many other muscle groups.
This exercise is typically performed with one dumbbell but can be done with two as well.
Muscles Worked:
Triceps
Shoulder muscles
Core
How To Perform:
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, or sit at the end of a weight bench.
Raise the weights up overhead while keeping your elbows close to your ears.
Slowly lower the weights back down behind your head and then press them back up to starting position.
Repeat for desired reps.
Full Body Dumbbell Workout:
If you came here looking for the best dumbbell workouts, this is for you:
Monday:
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 6-12 Reps
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 3×6-12
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows 3×6-12
Renegade Rows 3×10
Tuesday
Goblet Squats 3×10-12
Bulgarian Split Squats 3×10
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3×12
Single Leg Deadlift 3×8
Wednesday
Hammer Curls 3×6-12
Incline Dumbbell Curl 3×12
Overhead Triceps Extensions 3×10
Tricep kickbacks 3×12
Seated Dumbbell Press 3×6-12
Bent Over Lateral Raises 3×6-12
Thursday
Dumbbell Bench Presses 3×6-12
Dumbbell Flyes 3×12
Bent Over Rows with Dumbbells 3×6-12
Single Arm Dumbbell Row 3×6-12
Friday
Dumbbell Thrusters 3×10
Bulgarian Split Squats 3×6-12
Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 3×10
Saturday
Dumbbell Bicep Curl 3×6-12
Concentration Curls 3×6-12
Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extensions 3×6-12
Overhead Extensions 3×6-12
Dumbbell Overhead Press 3×6-12
Lateral Raises 3×6-12
Benefits of Dumbbell Exercises
Using dumbbells definitely has its advantages over a barbell.
Some of the major advantages are:
Increased Core Stability: Dumbbell exercises require more balance and stability, which forces your core to engage throughout the entire movement.
Increased Range of Motion: Since you have two separate weights, you can move through a greater range of motion without having to worry about the bar hitting your body or getting in the way.
More Isolation: Dumbbell exercises allow for a greater range of motion which allows you to target specific muscle fibers and get more isolation.
Increased Strength: Since you don’t have the stability of a bar, it increases the challenge on your stabilizer muscles which can lead to increased strength over time.
Hands Not In a Fixed Position – Having your hands in a fixed position, like when you are lifting with a barbell, can be harder on your elbow joints. When you use dumbbells, your hands can move freely, which is less painful.
Dumbbells vs Barbells: Which Builds More Muscle?
When it comes to building muscle, both barbells and dumbbells have their advantages.
Barbell exercises allow for heavier weights which can help to increase strength and size faster.
However, dumbbell exercises allow for more range of motion which increases the challenge on your stabilizer muscles.
Both methods will build muscle, but it comes down to what works best for your body and goals.
You might even find that mixing up both methods is the most effective way to build muscle.
What Kind of Dumbbells To Use?
If you have a home gym, dumbbells can be a tough one. You don’t want to buy an entire rack of dumbbells, but only buying a set of dumbbels or two usually isn’t enough.
My advice may be to buy some adjustable dumbbells, they are on the expensive side, but they can replace an entire rack of dumbbells and cost a lot less. Plus, they take up a lot less room.
That depends, if you are only going to be using light dumbbells, you can probably get away with buying two or three pairs. After all, lighter dumbbells are cheaper, so this could work.
However, if you are going to be using a wide range of dumbbells, I would say adjustable dumbbells is something to consider. We wrote an entire article on the best adjustable dumbbells. This would be a good place to look to ensure you aren’t wasting money.
They aren’t cheap, but in my opinion, a good set of adjustable dumbbells is the way to go.
Can Dumbbell Workouts Help You Lose Weight?
Yes, dumbbell workouts can absolutely help you lose weight. Strength training helps to build lean muscle while also burning calories. As your body builds more lean muscle, it will burn more calories even when you are at rest.
Plus, since most dumbbell exercises require balance and stability, they force your core to engage throughout the entire movement which can help to burn even more calories.
So if you are looking for an effective way to lose weight, dumbbell workouts can definitely help you achieve your goals.
Of course, you will also have to watch your diet in order to lose weight. Training with dumbbells then stuffing your face with pizza every night won’t work for weight loss.
Can You Build Muscle Just Using Dumbbells?
Yes, you can definitely build muscle using just dumbbells. As long as you are pushing your body to its limits and lifting heavy weights, the muscles will grow.
Lifting weights is lifting weights. Your muscles don’t know if the weight is from a dumbbell, barbell, kettlebell, or anything else. So long as you have time under tension on the muscle, you will build muscle.
Dumbbells build muscle, but they can also help to increase stabilization and range of motion and challenge stabilizer muscles more than barbells.
So yes, you can build muscle with just dumbbells and it might even be more effective than using a barbell.
It all depends on your goals and what works best for your body. So experiment with both and find out which works best for you.
What Are the Most Effective Dumbbell Exercises for Building Muscle?
The most effective dumbbell exercises for building muscle are:
Dumbbell Bench/Incline Press
Dumbbell Thrusters
Farmer’s carries
Overhead Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Rows
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
Dumbbell Squats
How Many Reps of Dumbbells is Good?
The amount of reps you should do depends on your goals. Generally speaking, if your goal is to build muscle, then doing 6-12 reps with heavier weights is the way to go.
If your goal is strength and power, then a rep range of 1-5 is more effective for you.
So there isn’t one right answer here. It is all about figuring out what will work best for you and your individual goals.
But remember if you are trying to build muscle, heavier weights with lower reps is usually the way to go.
No matter what you decide, always make sure that you properly warm up and cool down before each workout session. This will help you to stay safe and injury free.
Final Word
So there you have it—the fifteen best dumbbell exercises for building muscle. Incorporate these into your workout routine and you’ll start seeing results in no time. And remember, always focus on form first and weight second to avoid injury and maximize gains. Now get out there and start getting swole!
Ryan is a former college wrestler and lifelong fitness fanatic. He has run half marathons, done mud runs, placed in body transformation contests, coached wrestling, and now coaches girls’ soccer. Not to mention he has also tried literally hundreds of supplements over the years and has a vast and thorough supplement knowledge. He has written for Muscle & Strength, Testosterone Junkie, The Sport Review and other publications. He is also the editor-in-chief of this website and has over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry. Feel free to connect with him on his LinkedIn page below.
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