# Can anyone recommend a dumbbell-only workout routine?



## Ganmo (Aug 4, 2009)

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## always starting over (Mar 15, 2013)

I'm also looking for a dumbbell only workout. I found this site and it's pretty simple but handy

http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/

Breaks it down by muscle group with animated gifs for all the exercises


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## Ganmo (Aug 4, 2009)

Wow, thank you man. I'll check it out. i tried bodybuilding.com but felt like it was information overload :|

I wonder how often one should workout, I'll check the site now.


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Do handstand press for shoulders you should be light enough. Get so good at it so you can walk on your hands that would be insane. Then learn break danacing you will be sick. 

Do partial pushups for your chest that will increase mad strength bang out a 100 or 140 reps. Start with something like 40 for warm up then do 60 take a 10 second break then drop down do another 20. SET 3 try and do 80 take a 10 sec break do another 20 drop down to your knees and keep on doing them, these are girl push ups good for finishing up to the end of the set. Do a couple more set like that if you want don't over do it. Partials are just the upper half of the pushup don't go down to low that the weakest range of motion. 

Take like a 5 minute break between sets or something do this once a week on sundays that's all you will need. You will be benching 300lbs in no time.


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## Ganmo (Aug 4, 2009)

I found this online- it said that these are the best muscle groupings to workout together-

CHEST with BICEPS/FOREARMS
BACK with TRICEPS
SHOULDERS with TRAPS
LEGS with CORE

So I'm gonna try and pick different exercises now and put a routine together.


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## savage (May 28, 2013)

You can check out Vicsnatural on youtube, he is a great menthor and tries to explain in detail what most people do wrong and how to do an exercise..that is why he is called the PROFESSOR

It is not all dumbbells but i think that Vic is a great teacher compared to others who just like to show off their bodies

http://m.youtube.com/user/vicsnatural


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## WhatWentWrong (Oct 25, 2010)

dumbell press, dumbell flys, dumbell squats and dumbell deadlifts.


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## KTguitarist (Oct 19, 2012)

30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. 20 minute work out only using dumbbells and your body..there's 3 levels. you can start out on the first and move your way up as you get stronger..Buy the dvd or just download it or youtube it..I think I have seen it up on there. good luck


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## savage (May 28, 2013)

Ganmo said:


> I've come up with this:
> 
> *Monday*
> *Chest & Biceps*
> ...


You should definitely not do a SPLITTED workout if you are a beginner

A split work out should come when you are a lil more experienced

Usually beginners start out with a workout that pretty much incorporates every muscle group ....and the exercises are not too heavy 
Squats are for instance a good exercise to give you an overall strength in the beginning


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## ForeverStallone (Apr 4, 2011)

You said you wanted to focus on compounds but you've got a lot of isolation exercises there and you haven't got any posterior chain/hamstring/deadlift movement. And savage above is right that as a beginner you'd be better off doing a higher frequency full body workout than a once a week body part split.

Here's a Stronglifts dumbbell version - http://www.jefit.com/routines/workout-routine-database.php?id=4280

The only thing I'd change to that program is add dips to workout A and pulls ups to B. And if you still want to keep the the curls/tricep extensions do them 3x10-12. And add some of your ab work to each day.

Or there's this one -

__
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/zc0uy

Here's another but the rep ranges are higher - http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html

There's a few more on that website but they're body part splits.


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## max87 (Aug 7, 2010)

Check this one out: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pri...es&firstname=&name=Tuesday's+Dumbbell+Workout
This one's for wednesday, but they have the whole week routine.


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## GotAnxiety (Oct 14, 2011)

Ganmo said:


> I've come up with this:
> 
> *Monday*
> *Chest & Biceps*
> ...


Sounds boring. Stick to compound exercises and cardio. Along with situps n crap keep it simple. Stick to one upper and one lower body workout a week.


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## Ganmo (Aug 4, 2009)

Ok, I've tried to follow everyone's advice and created a more compound workout- Workout A on Mondays, Workout B on Wednesdays, Workout A on Fridays, Workout B on Mondays and so on and on... for the time being!

*Workout A*
Quads-Squats	
Chest-Bench press 
Middle back-Incline row 
Biceps-Hammer curls 
Abs-Ab roller

*Workout B*
Hamstrings-Deadlift
Shoulders-Shoulder press 
Lats-Pull-ups
Triceps-Bench dips
Traps-Upright rows
Abs-Ab roller

3 sets of each with 12, 10, 8 reps. Whatcha all think?


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## ForeverStallone (Apr 4, 2011)

Looks decent. Maybe add calf raises to A. High rep 15+, slow on the concentric and eccentric portions of the lift.

It looks pretty much like this program - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/ - workout 2

Instead of upright rows maybe do seated power cleans - 



 - or DB snatches.

What program did you previously do that you found difficult?


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

Ganmo said:


> Ok, I've tried to follow everyone's advice and created a more compound workout- Workout A on Mondays, Workout B on Wednesdays, Workout A on Fridays, Workout B on Mondays and so on and on... for the time being!
> 
> *Workout A*
> Quads-Squats
> ...


Ganmo, I'm a certified personal trainer and a certfied oly coach. Let's start from square one. We need tangible goals that can be measured in numbers. I want to gain 30lbs is a good goal. I want to do 15 pull-ups is a good goal. Here is what I'd write for you.

Goblett squats 3 by 5-8 *** below your knees
Dumbell bench 3 by 5-8
Chin-ups 3 by 8 (start adding weight when you stop progressing
Dumbell Romanian deadlift

workout B
Turkish get-ups 3by3
Dumbbell overhead press standing
pull-ups
hammer curls cheating

3 sets of 5-8 on everything

consider bw exercises too. Pseudo planche push-ups. Lower rep ranges will increase size the best. Especially for beginners. As for diet, drink a lot of milk and eat a lot of protein.This is the most important part. Bodyfat will go up but you can deal with that. If you are not gaining then you are not eatting.

start working out three times a week then move up to 4 times a week and then onto 4 times a week twice a day.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

evrything needs to be full range of motion. All the way up all the way down. Look up full range of motion on all the lifts you do.


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## ion max86 (Jun 23, 2013)

the key things to understand before hand is what do you want? big muscles or just toned muscles? the approach to big muscles is to mainly do very slow repetitions till it hurts big. to get toned do very fast repetitions till it hurts big.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

ion max86 said:


> the key things to understand before hand is what do you want? big muscles or just toned muscles? the approach to big muscles is to mainly do very slow repetitions till it hurts big. to get toned do very fast repetitions till it hurts big.


 everything you just said, while well intended, was wrong


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## Ganmo (Aug 4, 2009)

Hey, OP here. Thanks for all the help guys. Think I'll stick with the workout til August and see where I am then. I wanna get bigger!!


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## rogersam (Jun 8, 2016)

Ganmo said:


> Can anyone recommend a dumbbell-only workout routine?
> 
> I've tried doing a routine with compound and isolation exercises but found it too difficult and exhausting. I read that it would be better for someone like me to just focus on compound exercises til I get stronger.
> 
> ...


Everything that we do has something really beneficial kept within in if we do it in a right way.

You can checkout Top Dumbbell Workout that you can perform : http://www.musclestyles.com/top-10-home-dumbbell-workout/

# Follow Proper Diet
# Follow Proper Workout Routine.
# Rest is main for recovery.
# To get build more as Muscular Body then you need have protein supplement

Be Fit - Stay Fit :wink2:


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## unemployment simulator (Oct 18, 2015)

interesting necrobump...

you selling something?..:get

my workouts are entirely dumbell based and I hit all the body parts. this is 3 years old so I assume op has probably found a routine.. if anyone else is interested I can write it all out, its kind of disorganised and only really makes sense to me, so I have to make it a bit more understandable.


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## Wirt (Jan 16, 2009)

unemploymentsimulator2016 said:


> interesting necrobump...
> 
> you selling something?..:get
> 
> my workouts are entirely dumbell based and I hit all the body parts. this is 3 years old so I assume op has probably found a routine.. if anyone else is interested I can write it all out, its kind of disorganised and only really makes sense to me, so I have to make it a bit more understandable.


I'd be interested in it. All i have are dumbells and a bench.

Part of me wants to go to a gym but sa is kind of strong for me and that topic..between being weak, and not knowing what a good routine would be i usually end up psyching myself out from ever signing up. I also know how lazy i get, the liklihood of flaking is pretty high. I'll be mid exercise and have zero desire to try hard and give up


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## unemployment simulator (Oct 18, 2015)

Wirt said:


> I'd be interested in it. All i have are dumbells and a bench.
> 
> Part of me wants to go to a gym but sa is kind of strong for me and that topic..between being weak, and not knowing what a good routine would be i usually end up psyching myself out from ever signing up. I also know how lazy i get, the liklihood of flaking is pretty high. I'll be mid exercise and have zero desire to try hard and give up


ok cool, what I normally do is a 3 day split, back and biceps ,chest and triceps, and shoulders legs. the shoulders and leg day is a big day! you might want to split it so that its just shoulders and work on legs with perhaps abs and obliques on a separate day. reps are whatever you can do the most of, some people say keep reps low, i've been mixing it up between low and high reps with different weights. its colour coded what I find easiest and can do higher weights and reps with are green, the ones in red are the ones I find I need to drop down in weight for or lower reps. you'd need adjustable weights like a powerblock or a set that are different weights.

back and biceps;
bent over row x 4 sets
one arm dumbell row x 4 sets
alternating hammer curls x 4 sets
concentration curls x 4 sets
standing dumb bell curls x 4 sets
zottman curls x 4 sets

optional; if you have a pull up bar you can throw some exercises with that this will help work your back too.

chest and triceps;
warm up with regular pushups, then chair dips (use a bench or chair), then diamond pushups, then chair dips, then repeat regular pushups and dips and finish with a second set of diamond pushups.

dumb bell chest press x 4 sets
dumb bell fly x 4 sets
dumb bell kickbacks x 3 sets
double handed kickback/tricep extension x 3 sets
single handed chest press x 4 sets (each set is reps on both arms)

shoulders, legs;

dumb bell shrug/hold - basically it's holding the weights for as long as you can shrugging shoulders up more will increase the tension. try 3 positions; one with the weights either side of you, one with them in front of you with your knuckles facing out forwards infront of you and lastly one with them positioned slightly behind you gripped so your palms face forward but behind your glutes. 
this should work all of your upper traps. do 3 sets of the 3 variations.

standing upright row x 4 sets
seated bent over rear delt raise/ rear delt fly x 4 sets
standing over head press x 4 sets
alternating over head press x 4 sets
standing dumb bell fly x 4 sets
front dumb bell raise x 4 sets

calf raises x4 sets
reverse calf raises x4 sets
farmer squats x 4 sets
single leg rdls x 4 sets
twisting lunges x 4 sets.

as you can see I mainly work in 4 sets, I just find it easier to maintain consistency like that, certain ones are 3 sets mainly as I find doing 4 on that particular exercise induces too much fatigue which compromises the workout.


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## Wirt (Jan 16, 2009)

unemploymentsimulator2016 said:


> ok cool, what I normally do is a 3 day split, back and biceps ,chest and triceps, and shoulders legs. the shoulders and leg day is a big day! you might want to split it so that its just shoulders and work on legs with perhaps abs and obliques on a separate day. reps are whatever you can do the most of, some people say keep reps low, i've been mixing it up between low and high reps with different weights. its colour coded what I find easiest and can do higher weights and reps with are green, the ones in red are the ones I find I need to drop down in weight for or lower reps. you'd need adjustable weights like a powerblock or a set that are different weights.
> 
> back and biceps;
> bent over row x 4 sets
> ...


awesome, man. thanks. Going to put that in a word doc


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## unemployment simulator (Oct 18, 2015)

Wirt said:


> awesome, man. thanks. Going to put that in a word doc


yw, if you need anymore help, send me a pm.


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