I'm a Trainer, and These Are My 15 Favorite Dumbbell Exercises For Building Muscle

Updated on 1/16/2019 at 7:30 PM

POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

What I'm about to tell you is no secret: lifting weights will help you decrease your fat mass and increase your lean muscle mass. There are many ways to build muscle, and the consensus is that lifting weights and incorporating compound exercises — moves that work multiple muscle groups at once — into your routine is the way to go.

As a trainer, I completely agree with this method, and I wanted to share some of my favorite dumbbell exercises with you. Some are specific to muscle groups, like the triceps extension, and others are compound exercises, like the 3-in-1 squat, curl, and press.

This is not a workout — you can find a bunch of them here. Instead, let these exercises inspire your next workout. Select three to five moves and add them into an existing program, or create a new workout with these moves.

Dumbbell Squat

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.
Slowly bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping all the weight in your heels. Don't let your knees move beyond your toes, and don't let the knees roll out or in. Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted, your spine long, and your shoulders relaxed.
Press through your heels, and slowly straighten your legs to stand up. Make sure to keep your spine neutral. Do not round your back.

Goblet Squat

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width with your toes pointed slightly out. Hold your dumbbell at chest level with both hands. Keeping your back flat, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
With your weight focused on your heels, push yourself up to the starting position to complete one rep.

Squat to Overhead Press

Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing. This counts as one rep.

Squat, Curl, and Press

Stand with your feet directly under your hips holding a dumbbell in each hand. Sit back into your squat, keeping the weight in your heels, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor without letting your knees go beyond your toes.
Push through your heels to return to standing while bringing the weights to your shoulders, performing a bicep curl.
Stabilize your torso and keep your arms moving upward performing an overhead press with the palms facing out.
Lower your arms back to your side to complete one rep.

Walking Dumbbell Lunges

Stand upright, feet together, with 10-pound dumbbells at your side. Take a controlled step forward with your left leg, lowering your hips toward the floor by bending both knees to 90-degree angles. Your back knee should point toward but not touch the ground, and your front knee should be directly over your ankle.
Press your left heel into the ground, and push off with your right foot to bring your right leg forward, stepping with control into a lunge on the other side. This completes one repetition.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with straight arms, and have a slight bend in your knees.
Lower the dumbbells toward the floor. Keep your back straight, not curved or arched. Your chest should be parallel with the floor.
Straighten your torso so you have a straight body alignment. This counts as one rep.

Single-Leg Deadlift With Row

Stand up straight and hold two dumbbells with palms facing each other.
Lift your left foot up a bit and balance on your right leg. Keeping your back neutral, lean your entire torso forward while raising your left leg, which should stay in line with your body.
Holding this position, perform a row by bending your elbows back so that the dumbbells meet the sides of your chest while squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower weights back toward the floor.
With your back straight, return upright, coming to your starting position, to complete one rep.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Grab a pair of 10-pound dumbbells. Begin by placing the toes of your left foot on a bench, box, stair, or chair, with your right leg straight.
Make sure your right foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle.
Bend your right knee, squeeze your left glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground.
Press your right heel into the ground to straighten your right knee. This completes one rep.

Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
Hold one dumbbell (go for your heavier weight) with both hands, bending the elbows behind your head.
Straighten your arms to lift the dumbbell into the air, then slowly bend the arms to lower. This counts as one rep.

Shoulder Press

Hold a dumbbell in each hand just above the shoulders, palms facing in.
Straighten the arms above you.
Bend the elbows coming back to the starting position to complete one rep.

Single-Arm Chest Press

Lie on your back with your heels about a foot away from your butt. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and bring both hands to the ceiling.
Bend your left elbow, lowering your upper arm to the floor. Exhale and straighten your elbow, pressing the weight back to the ceiling to complete a rep.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Grab a set of dumbbells, and sit on a flat workout bench.
With one dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs, lie back onto the bench.
Hold the dumbbells above your chest, shoulder-width apart, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. Palms should be facing forward.
Exhale as you push the dumbbells up, fully extending your arms. Hold for one second.
Inhale and lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with control.
This counts as one rep.

Bent-Over Row

Lean forward and bend both knees, remembering to keep a flat back.
Extend your arms so they are straight. Lift the dumbbells straight up to chest level, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do. Be sure to keep your elbows in and pointed upward. Don't arch your back.
Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position to complete one rep.

Renegade Row

Start in high plank, each hand holding onto a dumbbell that is resting on the floor. Move feet wider than shoulders.
Pull right elbow back, raising dumbbell toward chest, keeping right elbow close to torso, abs tight, and hips facing down.
Lower weight for one rep; repeat on the opposite side.

Plank With Triceps Kickback

Start in a plank position holding a weight in each hand. Bend your left elbow and pull it up so it's in line with your shoulder.
Pull your navel toward your spine to engage your abs, which will help you stay balanced.
Exhale as you do a triceps kickback by extending your left hand behind you. Inhale to bend your elbow. This counts as one rep. Perform exercise on both sides of the body.