Dumbbell workout at home: full body
A pair of dumbbells turns a home workout into full strength training. With six exercises, squat, hinge, lunge, row, press and curl, you train every major muscle group in about 30 minutes. Pick a weight you can lift for the target reps with 1–2 reps to spare, and go up when that gets easy.
By the MuscleOG team · Updated October 28, 2026
How heavy should the dumbbells be?
Heavy enough that the last 2 reps of each set are hard but your form stays clean. Most beginners do well with two pairs: a lighter pair for presses and curls and a heavier pair for squats, deadlifts and rows. Adjustable dumbbells save space and money.
The workout
Warm up for 5 minutes (see our 5-minute warm-up). Then do 3 sets of each exercise, resting 60–90 seconds between sets.
| Exercise | Reps | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 10–12 | Hold one dumbbell upright at your chest, sit down between your heels, chest up |
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 10 | Dumbbells in front of your thighs, soft knees, push your hips back with a flat back, stand up by squeezing your glutes |
| Dumbbell row | 10–12 per arm | Hinge at the hips with a flat back, pull your elbow toward your hip, lower slowly |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 8–10 | Dumbbells at shoulder height, press straight up, keep your ribs down |
| Dumbbell reverse lunge | 8–10 per leg | Dumbbells at your sides, step back and lower the back knee, push through the front heel |
| Dumbbell biceps curl | 10–12 | Elbows tucked at your sides, curl up, lower slowly, no swinging |
No bench? Do push-ups or knee push-ups for your chest, and finish with a Plank for 30–45 seconds.
How to progress
- When you hit the top of the rep range on all 3 sets, add 1–2 reps next session.
- When that gets easy too, move to heavier dumbbells and drop back to the lower end of the range.
- No heavier dumbbells yet? Slow the lowering to 3 seconds, pause at the bottom, or move to harder single-leg versions like the Bulgarian split squat holding the dumbbells.
How often
Two or three times a week on non-consecutive days. Stay with the same workout for 4–6 weeks so you can see your numbers go up.
Safety
- Keep your back flat on deadlifts and rows; if it rounds, the weight is too heavy.
- Put dumbbells down with control, close to your body.
- Pain in a joint means stop that exercise and check your form or lower the weight.
General fitness information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting if you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant, and stop if an exercise causes pain.