Dumbbell-only home workouts that build real strength

A pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench can build an impressive body. You lose some of the heavy loading a barbell gives, but you gain range of motion, balance and the ability to train one side at a time.

The exercises

• Dumbbell bench pressChest
• Incline dumbbell pressChest, Front delts
• One-arm dumbbell rowLats, Upper back
• Seated dumbbell pressFront delts
• Goblet squatQuads, Glutes
• Bulgarian split squatQuads, Glutes
• Dumbbell Romanian deadliftHamstrings, Glutes
• Dumbbell lateral raiseSide delts
• Dumbbell curlBiceps
• Overhead dumbbell extensionTriceps

A three-day plan

Day 1: dumbbell bench press, one-arm row, goblet squat, lateral raise, curl. Day 2: Bulgarian split squat, Romanian deadlift, incline press, rear delt fly. Day 3: seated press, chest-supported row, walking lunge, overhead extension, hammer curl. Three or four sets each, 8 to 15 reps.

Progressing when the dumbbells top out

Heavy legs are the hard part with dumbbells. When goblet squats get easy, move to one-leg work: Bulgarian split squats double the load on each leg. Other tricks:

• Add reps up to about 20, then make the exercise harder rather than heavier.
• Slow the lowering to three or four seconds.
• Pause at the hardest point, like the bottom of a squat.
• Go one side at a time: one-arm rows, one-leg RDLs, one-arm presses.

Tip: Buy the next pair of dumbbells you'll actually run out of first. For most people that's a heavier pair for legs and rows.

Plan around exactly what you own

Pick "Home gym" in Liftsmith, tell it which dumbbells you own, and every weight it suggests is one you can actually pick up. The Gyms screen also suggests what to buy next: the plates or equipment that would unlock the most new exercises or smaller weight jumps, with no shop links or sponsored picks.