24 Ways to Use a Dumbbell in Your Workouts

Dumbbells are a versatile piece of functional-training equipment. You only need a few sets of dumbbells to get a total-body workout. They can be used for cardiovascular, strength and power moves, and they can heat up core exercises. Body control and coordination are improved because dumbbells allow training both sides of the body equally so the stronger arm doesn’t dominate the movement. You can train your body through different planes of motion and allow for cross-body movements while improving your shoulder mobility through various exercises.

Here are some of the major benefits of adding dumbbells to your training:

CardioRecommendation: Use light dumbbells such as 5, 8, 10 or 15 pounds.

Dumbbell Seated Rower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMEbxRT9PuA

  1. Begin in a seated position with your legs extended, knees slightly bent.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in an upright position with both hands, dumbbell at chest height.
  3. Lean forward and drive the dumbbell toward your ankles, keeping your back flat. Row the dumbbell and lean back toward your right side.
  4. Return to drive the dumbbell forward toward your ankles.
  5. Row the dumbbell and lean back toward your left side.
  6. Keep alternating between sides in a rowing motion for 30 to 45 seconds.

Dumbbell Snow Shovel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nex6t5cCqIk

  1. Take a wide, comfortable stance.
  2. Hold a dumbbell with both hands at about waist height.
  3. Rotate to your right side and pull the dumbbell toward your right as you bend your left knee in a lunge position.
  4. Rotate to the front as the dumbbell swings to chest height.
  5. Rotate to your left side and pull the dumbbell toward your left as you bend your right knee in a lunge position.
  6. Rotate to the front as the dumbbell swings to chest height.
  7. Continue alternating between sides in a shoveling motion for 30 to 45 seconds.

Dumbbell Skier

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLQXEFKKSVM

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Bend your knees in a half-squat position. Lean your torso forward as you swing the dumbbells behind you.
  3. Swing the dumbbells forward to shoulder height, legs are straight (knees are soft).
  4. Return to swing the dumbbells behind you in a half-squat position. Lean your torso forward (in a skiing position).
  5. Continue swinging forward and backward like an Alpine skier for 30 to 45 seconds.

Dumbbell Walking Lunge Swing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyJt8hS1v6o

  1. Stand tall and hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
  2. Lunge forward with your left leg as you simultaneously switch the dumbbell to your left hand.
  3. Lunge forward with your right leg as you simultaneously switch the dumbbell to your right hand.
  4. Continue lunging in a fluid motion while switching dumbbells between each hand for 30 to 45 seconds.

Dumbbell Loaded Bear Crawl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpYlVaNFz3w

  1. Get in a prone bear-crawl position, knees about 1 inch off the ground.
  2. Place a dumbbell in each hand, directly underneath your shoulders.
  3. Begin crawling forward in a bear-crawl manner using opposite arm and opposite leg and taking the dumbbells with you.
  4. Continue to bear-crawl while picking up the dumbbells in each hand as you bear-crawl on the ground for 30 to 45 seconds.

Dumbbell Loaded Lateral Bear Crawl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX2DhG_Cg00

  1. Get in a prone bear-crawl position, knees about 1 inch off the ground.
  2. Place a dumbbell in each hand, directly underneath your shoulders.
  3. Begin crawling laterally to your right in a bear-crawl manner using your opposite arm and opposite leg as you take the dumbbells with you in each hand.
  4. Laterally bear-crawl to the right for 30 to 45 seconds. Repeat on the left side.

Dumbbell Cross-Body Punch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmJzhCWALKg

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Punch your right arm across your body to your left side. (Remember to release your right heel off the ground as you twist through your torso.)
  3. Punch your left arm across your body to your right side. (Remember to pick up your left heel off the ground).
  4. Repeat for 30 to 45 seconds.

CoreRecommendation: Use very light dumbbells such as 2, 3 or 5 pounds.

Dumbbell Lateral Bird Dog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yxt4ZffpRM

  1. Get on the ground on your hands and knees. Maintain a flat back.
  2. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
  3. Extend your left leg behind you to hip height as you simultaneously abduct/extend your right arm to your side at shoulder height.
  4. Repeat with the opposite side, extending your right leg behind you to hip height as you simultaneously abduct/extend your left arm to your side at shoulder height.
  5. Continue alternating sides for 10 to 16 reps total.

Dumbbell Double Backstroke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fj4Add1K34

  1. Lie in a supine position on a Swiss stability ball with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Make sure your head and neck are properly supported on the Swiss ball (a reverse tabletop position).
  2. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
  3. Extend both arms up toward the ceiling, keeping your arms as close to your ears as possible, then circle them behind you to return them to the starting position.
  4. Continue in a double-backstroke manner for 10 reps.

Dumbbell Side-Plank Push

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh1JGpXsmjw

  1. Get in a side-plank position (either elbows or hands underneath your shoulders, bottom knee down or legs in a scissor position).
  2. Hold a dumbbell with your top hand, elbows bent at your waist, palm facing forward.
  3. Push your hips down toward the ground.
  4. Push your hips up to a neutral side-plank position as you simultaneously push the dumbbell up toward the ceiling, keeping your wrist stacked above your shoulders.
  5. Continue for 10 reps.

Dumbbell Corkscrew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71HMoi_zXdw

  1. Get in a plank position, elbows or hands underneath your shoulders.
  2. Place a dumbbell close to your left armpit.
  3. While in a plank position, grab the dumbbell with your right hand and pull it toward your right armpit.
  4. Continue to rotate your body into a side-plank position and push the dumbbell up toward the ceiling.
  5. Return the dumbbell down toward your armpit and back underneath your left armpit to a plank position.
  6. Perform eight to 10 repetitions per side.

Dumbbell Airplane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUBmPGzV8FY

  1. Stand in a staggered stance with your left leg behind you, right leg slightly forward. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Hinge forward while placing 90 percent of your weight on your right leg as you simultaneously extend both arms out into a T-position to shoulder height, keeping your back flat.
  3. Rotate your body to your left as you simultaneously move the right dumbbell toward your right ankle and your left arm moves upward toward the ceiling.
  4. Return the rotation to a hinged position, arms out in a T-position.
  5. Return to a staggered standing stance.
  6. Repeat five reps per side.

Power/Strength

Dumbbell Single-Arm Arnold Push Press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZC2hPnLy80

  1. Stand in a staggered stance with your right leg behind you, left leg slightly forward, holding a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing your body.
  2. Squat about two-thirds, keeping 90 percent of your weight on your right leg.
  3. Stand upright in a staggered stance as you simultaneously rotate your palm away and push the dumbbell toward the ceiling in a fluid motion.
  4. Repeat for eight to 10 reps. Repeat on the opposite side.

Dumbbell Skater Lunge to Snatch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hbSFq7rNyc

  1. Stand with a dumbbell in your right hand.
  2. Skater-lunge to your right while the dumbbell hangs down toward your ankle.
  3. In a fluid motion, return to a standing position as you upright-row the dumbbell and extend the dumbbell toward the ceiling.
  4. Continue for eight to 10 reps. Repeat on the opposite side.

Dumbbell Burpee Thrust

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nyrGXbm9BM

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Squat down while simultaneously curling the dumbbells to chest height.
  3. Place the dumbbells on the ground underneath your shoulders.
  4. Jump (or walk) your feet back into a plank position.
  5. Jump your feet forward underneath your hips and squat to pick up the dumbbells into a standing position.
  6. Repeat for eight to 10 reps.

Dumbbell Dead Shift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVkrSLXyVOY

  1. Stand with your feet as wide as possible.
  2. Place a heavy dumbbell on the ground close to your right foot.
  3. Bend your right knee while you shift your weight onto your right leg and rotate your torso and pick up the dumbbell off the ground with both hands.
  4. Pull the dumbbell in toward your body in a rowing fashion as you stand upright.
  5. Bend your left knee while you shift your weight onto your left leg and rotate your torso and place the heavy dumbbell on the ground.
  6. Repeat the above movement from left to right, making sure you set the dumbbell on the ground before picking it up again.
  7. Repeat the movement, alternating sides for eight reps.

Dumbbell Single-Arm Romanian Deadlift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spyJ8fgDONE

  1. Stand on your right leg and place a heavier dumbbell in your right hand.
  2. Hinge forward with your weight on your right leg and lower the dumbbell toward the ground.
  3. Keep your back flat and hips square to the ground as you lower and pick up the dumbbell. Your left leg comes straight out behind you, or keep the knee bent to make this move easier.
  4. Repeat for eight to 10 reps per side.

Dumbbell Lat Pullover

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg0LasSvaDI

  1. Lie on a Swiss stability ball with your knees bent, feet planted firmly on the ground, and your head and neck supported.
  2. Hold the dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest.
  3. Push the dumbbell up over your head, keeping your arms straight, then pull the dumbbell back to the starting position above your chest.
  4. Repeat for eight to 10 reps.

Dumbbell Crab Row

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dez8KMncUT0

  1. Get on your hands and knees on the ground, and keep your back flat.
  2. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand.
  3. Row the dumbbell toward your body and rotate your body into a one-hand crab position, left hand is on the ground, while keeping your right elbow bent at your side.
  4. Rotate your body back toward the ground to your starting position.
  5. Repeat for eight to 10 reps, then switch sides.

Dumbbell Triceps Push-Up to Triceps Kickback

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGWeQPDeK1E

  1. Get in a plank position (on your knees or your toes).
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, placed underneath your shoulders.
  3. Perform a triceps push-up, then extend your right elbow behind you to a triceps kickback.
  4. Perform another triceps push-up, then extended your left elbow behind you to a triceps kickback.
  5. Repeat for eight to 10 triceps push-ups.

Dumbbell Alternating Cross-Body Shoulder Press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2lutup9o-s

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place a dumbbell in each hand and hold them at shoulder height.
  2. Push the left dumbbell up toward the ceiling, diagonally to the right. (Remember to pick up your left heel.)
  3. Repeat with the left side.
  4. Repeat for 10 reps, alternating sides.

Dumbbell Half-Kneeling Shift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5n9W1jae0Xs

  1. Kneel down on the ground with your right leg forward. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
  2. Push the dumbbell up toward the ceiling and keep holding it up while you shift your right hip to the side and simultaneously touch the ground with your left hand for a two-second count.
  3. Return to a half-kneeling position as you bring the dumbbell back to chest height.
  4. Repeat eight to 10 reps per side.

Dumbbell Batwing Row

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaBod-2hb44

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Hinge forward slightly and bend your knees.
  3. Row both dumbbells to your armpits, squeeze your shoulder blades in and down, then push the dumbbells out to the sides (like spreading your wings).
  4. Repeat for six to eight reps.

Dumbbell Single-Arm Triceps Rotational Press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP2kcJZYbA4

  1. Lie on your back on the ground with your knees bent.
  2. Place a dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing inward, elbow bent at your waistline.
  3. Push the dumbbell to the ceiling while simultaneously rotating your palms outward.
  4. Bend your elbow and return the dumbbell to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for eight to 10 reps.

Photo and video credit: Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Model: Vinh Duong, 24 Hour Fitness