Upper-body dumbbell workout you can do at home

A pair of dumbbells and a bench can train your whole upper body. This workout covers the chest, back, shoulders and arms, and it works with adjustable dumbbells or a small fixed set.

The workout

1. Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 to 12
2. One-arm dumbbell row: 3 sets of 8 to 12 a side
3. Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 3 sets of 8 to 12
4. Chest-supported dumbbell row: 2 sets of 10 to 15
5. Lateral raise: 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 20
6. Dumbbell curl and overhead extension: 2 sets of 10 to 15 each, as a superset

• Dumbbell bench pressChest
• One-arm dumbbell rowLats, Upper back
• Seated dumbbell pressFront delts
• Chest-supported dumbbell rowUpper back, Lats
• Dumbbell lateral raiseSide delts
• Dumbbell curlBiceps
• Overhead dumbbell extensionTriceps

When your dumbbells feel too light

• More reps. Up to about 20 to 30 still builds muscle if the set is hard.
• Slower lowering. Three to four seconds down makes every rep harder.
• Pauses. Hold the bottom of a press or the top of a row for two seconds.
• One arm at a time on presses, which also works your core.

Pair it with a lower-body day

Do this twice a week with a lower-body day in between, or see the full home dumbbell workout for a full-body version. Setting up a space? Start with home gym on a budget.

In Liftsmith, set up a home gym with the dumbbells you own and every workout is planned around that equipment.