Written by Tyler DiGiovanni | BSBM
Fact checked by Garett Reid, NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
FACT CHECKED
We've written articles about home gym equipment and how much it costs to build your own state-of-the-art home workout area. But if you are looking to drop some cash on one piece of workout equipment, you'd be hard-pressed to find something better than some dumbbells (adjustable ones are even better if you can afford them).
No matter what your preferred workout style is, a set of dumbbells can get the job done (unless we're talking Strongman, in which case, why are you reading this article?). Since we love you all so much, we're going to give you different types of DB workouts that you can do at home. And yes, they will hit your entire body!
Benefits of Dumbbell Home Workouts
So, why would you choose to go solely with dumbbells for a workout? Here are a couple of reasons why:
Convenience
You can do every single one of these workouts from the comfort of your own home. It doesn't matter if you live in a mansion or a studio apartment; dumbbells take up virtually no room. Roll them next to the couch or stick them in a closet. They are a great way to get a pump in with minimal time, which leads to the next benefit.
Versatility
You can hit everything with the right set of dumbbells. Arms? Check. Back? Yup, row your heart out. Legs? Ever heard of a goblet squat? Having an assortment of dumbbells or a set of adjustable dumbbells will give you the most options, but that's not completely necessary. Although you'll have to adjust tempo, intensity, rep ranges, and so on, it's possible to get through a full-body workout using just one pair of dumbbells.
There are more reasons why having dumbbells at home would be a great idea, but if you're on this page, then you probably already have some and are here for some workout ideas. So, without further ado, let's get into some popular workout splits for home dumbbell workouts.
Push Pull Legs (PPL) Split
The PPL split divides workouts into three distinct movement patterns—pushing, pulling, and leg exercises. It's ideal for balanced strength and hypertrophy. If you want to check out a full 7-day workout, you can do that here.
3-Day PPL Split
Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps per side
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Goblet Squat: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
*Note: You can choose to repeat the Push day immediately after Legs, or you can take an additional day of rest. Figure out what works best for your schedule.
Push Pull Legs (PPL) 5-Day Split
Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps per side
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Day 4: Push
- Dumbbell Incline Bench Press (use an elevated surface): 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Arnold Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Front Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extensions: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 5: Pull
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row (with a slight pause at the top): 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
- Dumbbell Concentration Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps per arm
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
*Note: You can run this straight through or add a rest day in between the workouts of your choice. Make sure to do a Leg day after your second Pull workout, too.
Upper/Lower Split
This split alternates between training the upper and lower body, making it excellent for balanced strength development.
4-Day Upper/Lower Split
Day 1: Upper Body
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell One-Arm Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 2: Lower Body
- Dumbbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Goblet Squat: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Step-Up: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Day 3: Upper Body
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (use pillows/bench): 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 4: Lower Body
- Dumbbell Squat: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lunges: 3 sets of 12-15 reps each leg
- Dumbbell Hip Thrusts: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
5-Day Upper/Lower Split
Day 1: Upper Body (Push Focus)
- Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12 reps
Day 2: Lower Body (Quad Focus)
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Step-Ups (onto a sturdy surface): 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Sumo Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Day 3: Upper Body (Pull Focus)
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets of 8-10 reps per side
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Shrugs: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 4: Lower Body (Hamstring Focus)
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Glute Bridge: 3 sets of 15 reps
Day 5: Upper Body (Balance Focus)
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Plank Rows: 3 sets of 12 reps
"Bro" Split
This split dedicates each day to a specific muscle group, popular among bodybuilders.
4-Day "Bro" Split
Day 1: Chest and Triceps
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 2: Back and Biceps
- Dumbbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 8 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Squat: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Single-Leg Dumbbell RDL: 4 sets of 10 reps each leg
- Dumbbell Calf Raises: 4 sets of 15-20 reps
Day 4: Shoulders and Abs
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Russian Twists: 3 sets of 20 twists
5-Day "Bro" Split
Day 1: Chest
- Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 2: Back
- Dumbbell Deadlifts: 4 sets of 8 reps
- One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Reverse Fly: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Day 3: Legs
- Dumbbell Goblet Squats: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 4: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Arnold Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Day 5: Arms
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls: 4 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Tips for Success
Here are a few ways to get the most out of your home dumbbell workouts.
Progressive Overload
As you get stronger, it becomes imperative to gradually increase the weight, reps, or intensity to make sure you're making progress. While that may sound like common sense, some people get stuck in a rut of just doing the same things over and over, and are surprised when they don't see results.
Rest Periods
We want to make sure you're keeping your rest periods relatively short. Since you most likely don't have 120lb dumbbells in your house, your rest time doesn't need to be all that high. Aim for 60-90 second rest periods for compound exercises (such as squats, overhead press, etc.) and 30-60 seconds of rest for isolation movements (biceps curls, tricep extensions, etc.). By keeping rest times short, you can increase cardiovascular demand and keep your workouts relatively short.
Track Progress
A mistake we see way too often is people not keeping track of what they're doing during their workouts. You may tell yourself, "Oh, I'll remember what I did last week, no problem." Well, guess what? You won't. Keeping a journal of what you did will help you track if you're making improvements, like getting one more rep than you did last week or seeing what you need to make changes on. Seeing positive changes, no matter how small, is a great motivator to keep you going.
Conclusion
Dumbbell home workouts are a perfect way for anyone to get fit without having to commute or commit to a gym. We gave you blueprints for several different training splits that you can choose from and customize to your preference. No matter your fitness level, schedule, or goals, dumbbell workouts are a great way to help improve your physique! Grab a pair and get lifting!
Tyler DiGiovanni
Author