Regardless of your fitness goal – fat loss, muscle strength, or hypertrophy – these are some of the best dumbbell exercises for beginners (or every level, really) that are a bulletproof way to success.
Dumbbells are one of the most used pieces of equipment when it comes to resistance training and there are multiple good reasons for that.
Why use dumbbells as a beginner?
There are plenty of reasons why a beginner should start their resistance training journey with dumbbells.
Firstly, they are extremely versatile.
As mentioned above, depending on the weight and your training strategy, there’s no fitness goal unattainable.
Compound dumbbell exercises can help you build strength, improve balance and boost muscle endurance.
Another plus of dumbbells is their ease of use for single-sided exercises such as the single-leg deadlift.
Unilateral exercises are truly one of the best ways to address muscle imbalances, and thus prevent injuries and chronic pain.
Secondly, dumbbells are just SO pragmatic!
They take up very little space and don’t cost a fortune (usually).
You can likely find some second-hand pairs pretty cheaply online.
Honestly, if I had to choose just a single piece of fitness equipment to invest in, it’d be a pair of dumbbells.
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What size dumbbells should a beginner use?
Ideally, you want to have at least 2 to 3 pairs of different weights.
Once you begin exercising, you’ll find that different muscles tolerate different loads.
For example, you might struggle to push a 10kg dumbbell above your head but find it way too light and not challenging enough for lower-body exercises such as squats or lunges.
What you need to aim for is a weight that you can safely perform a given exercise for 10 to 12 repetitions with good form, while still feeling it as a challenge.
You can opt for adjustable dumbbells. They might come a bit pricier but one set will give you the option to train multiple muscle groups.
Is dumbbell training better than bodyweight training?
Bodyweight exercises have their place in every program, especially when we talk about absolute novices.
I’ve even compiled a list of the best 56 bodyweight exercises that are related to the Dumbbell Exercises For Beginners.
While both methods of training have their perks and uses, the more efficient and productive way to increase muscle mass, become stronger, and be more resilient to aging is undoubtedly resistance (weight) training.
As we age, our hormonal profile changes.
Subsequently, we tend to lose muscle mass, become less mobile, and see a decrease in bone density (especially among women).
Fortunately, we can significantly slow this process by implementing a well-designed resistance training program. (1, 2)
Regular strength training will improve your balance, daily function, and body composition.
Check out this selection of dumbbell exercises for beginners below, and implement them in your training schedule.
You’ll undoubtedly see results!
Dumbbell Upper Body Exercises
Dumbbell Arnold Press
The Arnold press is an exercise you can choose to do either standing or sitting. It’s also one of the most iconic dumbbell exercises for beginners or advanced.
What’s unique about this shoulder exercise is that it targets all three heads of the deltoid (shoulder) muscle at once.
Because of that, the Arnold press can help you strengthen your shoulders, improve the stabilization of the joint, and give you a better posture.
Talk about efficiency!
How to perform:
- Start by holding the dumbbells at relatively shoulder height, elbows close to your trunk, and palms facing you.
- Keep your core engaged and your back straight.
- Begin to lift the weight, moving your elbows out and rotating the weight so that at the end position when dumbbells are overhead, your palms face forward.
- Slowly return to starting position by rotating the weight in the same manner.
- Keep the motion slow and controlled.
- Try not to overextend your lower back when you’re in an overhead position.
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Dumbbell Push Press
The push press is yet another great shoulder exercise.
The twist here is that it’s a variation of the overhead press but you bring the legs into play.
This allows you to move more weight and, well, engage even more muscles.
There are many benefits that the push press brings.
For once, the skills from the push press can easily transfer to other overhead movements and functional exercises.
The push press can help you with overhead stabilization and better control of the weight.
At its core, the push press is using your whole body as a power chain to accelerate your movement under load.
Consistent practice will lead to increased neuromuscular efficiency (the ability to recruit muscles to produce force) and better fitness results overall.
How to perform:
- Start with a shoulder-width stance.
- Dumbbells are resting on your shoulders, elbows are slightly in front of the body.
- Dip down from the knees into a quarter squat and rapidly extend your hips and legs.
- Using this momentum, press the dumbbells above your head.
- Try to keep the dumbbells above your feet.
- The movement ends when you complete a full leg, hips, and arms extension.
- To string the next rep, return the dumbbells back to your shoulders.
- Once the dumbbells touch the shoulders, dip into another quarter squat and proceed with the next repetition.
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row
The bend-over dumbbell row is one of the more popular exercises to target your back muscles, more specifically – the upper and mid-back.
You’re also likely to feel it in your upper arms and your traps.
An additional benefit is the strengthening of your grip.
On a whole – a great compound, functional exercise that will help you improve your posture, your strength, and spinal stabilization.
We must not forget that good posture and strong back muscles are the best preventative measure for back and neck pain, especially as we age.
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How to perform:
- Shoulder-width stance.
- Slightly bent knees and hinge at the hips to bend forward.
- Hold the dumbbells at shoulder-width too, palms facing each other.
- Keep your back straight, and engage your core and back muscles.
- While exhaling, pull the dumbbells up towards your core, and lead the movement with your elbows rather than shoulders.
- Keep the elbows close to your torso.
- Inhale and return to starting position in a controlled manner.
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Dumbbell Floor Press
It’s ironic that men would spend countless days in the gym pumping their chest and biceps while neglecting their lower body and women would do just the opposite.
So, let’s not follow those trends and don’t let any muscle group be neglected.
The dumbbell floor press will work mainly on your chest and tricep muscles.
How to perform:
- Start with sitting on the ground, legs straight, and one dumbbell on each side of you.
- Position the dumbbells vertically on your quads and slowly lie back, raising the dumbbells above your head.
- Bent your knees and have your feet on the ground.
- In a controlled manner, slowly bring the dumbbells down until your elbows touch the ground.
- Bring the weight up in a smooth motion and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell High Pull
The dumbbell high pull will target mainly your shoulders and biceps.
How to perform:
- Stand upright with a shoulder-width stance.
- Hold the dumbbells in front of you with straight arms, palms facing you, and dumbbells resting on your thighs.
- Sharply pull the dumbbells up to shoulder height, while pushing your elbows out to the sides and keeping your palms facing you.
- Bring down the dumbbells in a controlled manner and continue with the desired number of repetitions.
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Dumbbell Lower Body Exercises
Dumbbell Front Rack Lunge
The dumbbell front rack lunge is an amazing compound exercise.
Although it is primarily a lower-body exercise, it involves a lot of stabilizer muscles in your trunk and strengthens your core.
Another benefit of the front rack lunge is improving balance and coordination.
How to perform:
- Stand tall with dumbbells resting on your shoulders.
- Keep elbows up and in front throughout the movement.
- Brace your core and step forward.
- Lower your torso down until your knee touches (or almost touches) the ground.
- Maintain a straight back.
- Don’t worry if your front knee goes beyond your toes.
- Push back with your front foot and return to a standing position.
Dumbbell Front Squat
Similar to the front rack lunge, the dumbbell front squat will engage your lower body (glutes, quads, hammies) and your core.
How to perform:
- Find out what’s your most comfortable stance width.
- For most people that would be slightly wider than shoulder-width and toes pointing slightly out.
- Hold the dumbbells on your shoulders, elbows stay high.
- Brace your core and keep your back straight.
- Lower yourself into a squat and let your knees fall in line with your toes.
- At the bottom of your squat, your hips should be lower than your knees.
- Keep your heels down throughout the movement.
- Focus on keeping your torso upright and not letting your knees cave in.
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Dumbbell Goblet Squat
We’re keeping the squat theme going with yet another variation.
The dumbbell goblet squat is another option for you to target the glutes, quads, and core without putting too much stress on your spine.
How to perform:
- The goblet squat is similar to any other squat.
- The main difference is holding the dumbbell vertically in front of your chest, your hands being at shoulder height.
- Keep your torso upright and your abdominal muscles engaged.
- Push through the heels to return to starting position.
Dumbbell Split-Squat
The dumbbell split squat is a unilateral quad and glutes-focused compound exercise.
Although being labeled as a “squat”, this exercise resembles much more a static lunge.
Depending on the width of your stance, you can emphasize either your glutes and hamstrings (wider stance) or your quads (narrower stance).
How to perform:
- Stand tall, holding one dumbbell on each side.
- Take a step forward as you would for a lunge.
- Bending both knees, slowly descend until your back knee touches the ground (or comes very close to it).
- Maintain a neutral back throughout the movement.
- You can lean slightly forward if it feels more comfortable. Drive through your front foot to return to starting position.
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Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian split squat is one of my favorite lower-body exercises.
It’s very similar to the split squat but your hind leg is lifted up on a chair or bench behind you.
Keep in mind that the Bulgarian split squat requires a lot more balance and body control.
If you’re a beginner and you’re struggling with it, focus on mastering the split squat first.
How to perform:
- Stand one step away from a chair or a bench, holding the dumbbells by your sides.
- Keeping your balance, place your right foot on the chair behind you.
- Bent your left knee and descend as low as you can go without losing muscle tension in your upper body.
- Push through your front foot to return to starting position.
- Your right leg should only serve you to keep your balance.
- The focus should be on the front (left) leg.
Dumbbell Step-ups
The step-ups are one of the best dumbbell exercises for beginners and a classic to target your posterior chain.
If your dumbbells are sufficiently heavy, the movement will tax your grip as well.
How to perform:
- Stand in front of a sturdy bench/chair.
- Hold the dumbbells on your sides with straight arms.
- Step up on the chair/bench with your right leg and push through the heel to lift yourself up over it.
- Keep your back straight and your chest up.
- Hinge your hips back and bring your left leg back to the ground.
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Dumbbell Deadlift
The deadlift is one of the most iconic compound exercises.
To do it properly (regardless of which variation – Romanian, straight-leg, etc.), you must first master the hip hinge.
If you have any problems with that, I strongly suggest you check this article on deadlifts and how to execute them with good form.
How to perform:
- Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of you, palms facing your body.
- Hinge your hips back and start lowering the dumbbells, allowing for a slight knee bend.
- Bring the dumbbells as close to the ground as possible without bending your back.
- Return to starting position without overextending your lower back at the top.
- Keep your core tight and back neutral throughout the entire movement.
Full-body Dumbbell Exercises
Dumbbell Renegade Row
The renegade row is basically two exercises in one – a dumbbell row and a plank.
You’ll feel the burn in your core, shoulders, back, and even your biceps.
How to perform:
- Get into a high plank position with your hands each grabbing onto a dumbbell.
- Hands should be a little outside of shoulder width.
- You can have your feet a bit wider than you’d usually have them when doing the plank.
- This will make balancing a lot easier.
- Keep your midline tight and bring one of the dumbbells to your ribs.
- Focus on keeping your elbows tucked and close to your torso.
- Return the dumbbell back to the ground and repeat on the other side.
- Keep alternating for the desired amount of reps.
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Dumbbell Power Snatch
The dumbbell snatch is everything you might want from an exercise – explosiveness, control, strength, endurance, legs, arms, shoulders, and core…Truly a full-body movement!
How to perform:
- Start with a shoulder-width stance, a dumbbell is placed between your feet.
- Hinge your hips back and reach down to grab the dumbbell with one hand, while maintaining a straight back.
- Shoulders go over or slightly ahead of the dumbbell.
- Rapidly extend your legs and hips while pulling the weight up with a straight arm.
- Once the hips extend, shrug your shoulders and pull the dumbbell under.
- Receive the dumbbell with a slight knee dip and then finish with hips, knees, and arm fully extended, and the dumbbell over the middle of the foot.
Dumbbell Thrusters
The dumbbell thruster is another exercise that combines 2 in 1 – squat and shoulder press.
Functional exercises like this are highly effective and improve both your strength and conditioning.
How to perform:
- Start with your regular squat stance and hold the dumbbells on your shoulders, elbows in front of you.
- Descend your hips into a squat, keeping your core tight and your back straight.
- Knees are in line with your feet.
- Don’t lose tension at the bottom of your squat.
- Push up through your heels and using the momentum of the hip extension press the dumbbells above your head.
- The dumbbells always remain above the middle of the foot.
- Return the weight to your shoulders and smoothly descend into your next rep.
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