Earlier this yr, I modified up my strength training, transitioning from using barbells exclusively to combining them with dumbbells. This was as a consequence of a series of injuries over the past few years. My coach, Matt Reynolds, has done an incredible job accommodating my recent normal and has programmed some great dumbbell-based workouts which have allowed me to remain healthy and powerful while getting a bit more jacked.
While you possibly can’t lift as much weight with dumbbells as you possibly can with barbells, dumbbell training has some advantages.
Dumbbells are versatile, allowing you to do many alternative exercises, each compound and isolation movements.
Dumbbells will also be easier on the joints and tendons, especially once you’re doing pressing or benching movements (this can be a big reason I switched to dumbbells).
Dumbbells are great for doing high-rep hypertrophy workouts so as to add muscle mass, they usually will also be used for conditioning work.
Finally, I’ve noticed that the majority hotel gyms don’t have barbells, but they often have dumbbells. Having a dumbbell workout in your back pocket can assist you to train even once you’re on the road.
As I said above, the largest drawback of dumbbells is that you may’t add as much weight as you possibly can with barbells. This could be a limiting think about adding progressive overload to your workout (which is the way you get stronger), especially on lower body lifts like squats or deadlifts. It’s still possible to progressively overload with dumbbells, though. You simply must add reps and not only weight to every workout.
The way in which Matt does it’s that he’ll start me off doing a weight for 3 sets of eight reps. For the subsequent workout, I’ll keep the load the identical and add a rep. I add a rep each workout and keep the load the identical until I can complete twelve reps. Once that happens, I’ll add five kilos to the dumbbells in the subsequent workout and return to doing three sets of eight. Rinse, wash, repeat.
If you happen to’re searching for a dumbbell strength workout, Matt put together the 2 below: one to your regular life and one for once you’re traveling.
4-Day Split Dumbbell Workout Program
Matt recommends a four-day upper body and lower body split that appears like this:
- Monday: Lower Body Workout #1
- Tuesday: Upper Body Workout #1
- Wednesday: Zone 2 Cardio
- Thursday: Lower Body Workout #2
- Friday: Upper Body Workout #2
If you happen to don’t know how you can do any of the exercises below, there are a boatload of excellent YouTube tutorials on the market to observe.
Lower Body Workout #1
Most important Lifts
Do the next exercises within the designated sets x reps scheme, with a 2-minute rest between each set.
- Goblet Squat: 3×8
- Dumbbell Deadlift: 3×8
Lower Body Conditioning/Hypertrophy Circuit
Do the next exercises within the designated sets x reps scheme, in a circuit (back to back); perform 3 circuits, with a 2-minute rest between each circuit.
- Bulgarian Split Squat: 3×10
- Dumbbell Swing: 3×10
- Single Leg RDL: 3×10
- Sit-ups: 3×10
Upper Body Workout #1
Most important Lifts
Do the next exercises within the designated sets x reps scheme, with a 2-minute rest between each set.
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×8
- Dumbbell Incline Bench Press: 3×8
Upper Body Conditioning/Hypertrophy Circuit
Do the next exercises within the designated sets x reps scheme, in a circuit (back to back); perform 3 circuits, with a 2-minute rest between each circuit.
- Kroc Row: 3×15
- Rolling Dumbbell Extension: 3×10
- Dumbbell Curl: 3×10
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 3×12
Finish the workout with a set of push-ups for as many reps as possible.
Lower Body Workout #2
Do the next exercises within the designated sets x reps scheme, with a 2-minute rest between each set.
- Thruster 3×12
- Good Morning 3×12
Lower Body Conditioning/Hypertrophy Circuit
Do the next exercises in a delegated sets x reps scheme, in a circuit (back to back); perform 3 circuits, with a 2-minute rest between each circuit.
- Walking Lunge: 3×10
- Dumbbell RDL: 3×10
- Body weight Squat: 3×10
- Plank hold for so long as possible
Upper Body Workout #2
Most important Lifts
Do the next sets x reps scheme, with a 2-minute rest between each set.
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×10
- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3×10
Upper Body Conditioning/Hypertrophy Circuit
Do the next exercises within the designated sets x reps scheme, in a circuit (back to back); perform 3 circuits, with a 2-minute rest between each circuit.
- Chin-ups: 3 x AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
- Dips: 3 x AMRAP
- Dumbbell Curl: 3×10
- Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise: 3×10
- Dumbbell Fly: 3×10
Full Body Dumbbell Workout
If you happen to don’t have time to do the four-day split, otherwise you’re traveling and wish to get a full-body dumbbell workout in a single session, Matt recommends doing two of the major lower body lifts and two of the major upper body lifts for a workout. Here’s a sample:
- Goblet Squat: 3×10
- Single Leg RDL: 3×10
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 3×10
- Dumbbell Press: 3×10
If you happen to’re seeking to get some dumbbells to work out at home, and don’t need to buy an enormous set of them in various weights, here’s our pick for the very best adjustable dumbbells.
Also, if you happen to’ve ever wondered why dumbbells are called dumbbells, well, we’ve got intel on that, too.