Dumbbells are an essential tool for strength training multiple muscle groups. These pieces of workout equipment are inexpensive compared to most strength-training machines. Dumbbells are also portable, meaning they may be used almost anywhere at any time. Work your upper body, lower body and abdominal muscles with only two dumbbells.
Upper Body
When training your upper body with dumbbells, you have numerous exercises to choose from. For your biceps, perform bicep curls, hammer curls and inclined bicep curls on an inclined weight bench. For triceps, try triceps kickbacks and triceps extensions. Perform military presses, lateral raises and front raises to work your shoulders. Work your chest with dumbbell bench presses, dumbbell flies and inclined and declined chest presses. Finish your upper-body dumbbell workout with dumbbell deadlifts, single-arm rows and dumbbell shrugs to work multiple areas of your back. Perform three sets of eight to 10 repetitions of each upper-body exercise.
Abdominals
Use dumbbells to strengthen your abdominal muscles by adding resistance to any ab exercise. This builds stronger, leaner abs in less time than many traditional abdominal exercises. Perform classic crunches while grasping a dumbbell with both hands. Hold the dumbbell to your upper chest as you execute this exercise. Hold a dumbbell between your feet while you perform vertical crunches for an extreme lower-abdominal workout. Finish your dumbbell abdominal workout with standing oblique crunches, holding a dumbbell in one hand and bending at the waist to the side, alternating sides for each set. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions of each dumbbell abdominal exercise.
Lower Body
Train your lower body by performing squats and lunges with dumbbells. Both of these exercises train your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. During squats, hold the dumbbells at shoulder height; during lunges, hold them at your waist. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions of weighted squats and lunges.
Perform leg extensions on the edge of a weight bench by placing a dumbbell between your feet and lifting your legs out in front of you. Move on to leg curls by lying on your stomach with a dumbbell between your feet and curling the weight toward your buttocks.
Finish your lower body workout by performing calf raises on the edge of an aerobic step. Hold a dumbbell in each hand while performing this exercise for maximum calf strengthening. Perform three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of leg extensions, leg curls and calf raises.
Frequency and Consistency
For best results, do strength training at least twice a week. Choose to do total-body strength training two days a week in which you perform all upper-body, lower-body and abdominal exercises in a single workout. If you do not have enough time to devote to a lengthy workout, split your workouts over several days. For example, work your upper body on Monday, your lower body and abdominals on Tuesday and rest on Wednesday. Then work your upper body on Thursday, your lower body and abs on Friday, and take the weekend off.
Upper Body
When training your upper body with dumbbells, you have numerous exercises to choose from. For your biceps, perform bicep curls, hammer curls and inclined bicep curls on an inclined weight bench. For triceps, try triceps kickbacks and triceps extensions. Perform military presses, lateral raises and front raises to work your shoulders. Work your chest with dumbbell bench presses, dumbbell flies and inclined and declined chest presses. Finish your upper-body dumbbell workout with dumbbell deadlifts, single-arm rows and dumbbell shrugs to work multiple areas of your back. Perform three sets of eight to 10 repetitions of each upper-body exercise.
Abdominals
Use dumbbells to strengthen your abdominal muscles by adding resistance to any ab exercise. This builds stronger, leaner abs in less time than many traditional abdominal exercises. Perform classic crunches while grasping a dumbbell with both hands. Hold the dumbbell to your upper chest as you execute this exercise. Hold a dumbbell between your feet while you perform vertical crunches for an extreme lower-abdominal workout. Finish your dumbbell abdominal workout with standing oblique crunches, holding a dumbbell in one hand and bending at the waist to the side, alternating sides for each set. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions of each dumbbell abdominal exercise.
Lower Body
Train your lower body by performing squats and lunges with dumbbells. Both of these exercises train your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. During squats, hold the dumbbells at shoulder height; during lunges, hold them at your waist. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions of weighted squats and lunges.
Perform leg extensions on the edge of a weight bench by placing a dumbbell between your feet and lifting your legs out in front of you. Move on to leg curls by lying on your stomach with a dumbbell between your feet and curling the weight toward your buttocks.
Finish your lower body workout by performing calf raises on the edge of an aerobic step. Hold a dumbbell in each hand while performing this exercise for maximum calf strengthening. Perform three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of leg extensions, leg curls and calf raises.
Frequency and Consistency
For best results, do strength training at least twice a week. Choose to do total-body strength training two days a week in which you perform all upper-body, lower-body and abdominal exercises in a single workout. If you do not have enough time to devote to a lengthy workout, split your workouts over several days. For example, work your upper body on Monday, your lower body and abdominals on Tuesday and rest on Wednesday. Then work your upper body on Thursday, your lower body and abs on Friday, and take the weekend off.
