What’s a good full body dumbbell workout?
Seven moves, twice a week. One for each major muscle group. In studies, light weights built about as much muscle as heavy ones. The catch: every set went on until the lifter had to stop.
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Which dumbbell exercises work your whole body?
Pick one move for each muscle group the NHS lists: legs, hips, back, tummy, chest, shoulders and arms. That’s seven moves and one session for your whole body.
The UK’s chief medical officers say to work these muscles on at least 2 days a week. They name free weights, like dumbbells, alongside machines, bands and bodyweight.
| Muscle group | Dumbbell move | Sets |
|---|---|---|
| Legs | Goblet squat: squat holding one dumbbell at your chest | 2 to 3 |
| Hips | Romanian deadlift: bend at the hips, weights in front of your legs | 2 to 3 |
| Back | One-arm row: one hand on a chair, pull the weight up to your side | 2 to 3 |
| Chest | Floor press: lie on your back and push both weights up | 2 to 3 |
| Shoulders | Overhead press: push both weights up above your head | 2 to 3 |
| Arms | Biceps curl: bend your elbows to lift the weights | 2 to 3 |
| Tummy | Dead bug: on your back, lower one arm and the other leg | 2 to 3 |
Sources: NHS; Krieger 2009
The moves are our pick. Any dumbbell move that works the same muscle does the same job.
Why 2 to 3 sets? A review of 14 studies linked 2 to 3 sets per exercise with 46% bigger strength gains than 1 set.
New to a move? Our guides to leg exercises, chest exercises and back exercises show how. Then do this session twice this week.
How heavy should your dumbbells be?
Heavy enough that each set ends with you needing a rest. The NHS says to do strength moves to the point where you need a short rest before you go again.
Light weights can work. A review of 21 studies compared light loads with heavy ones. Light meant 60% or less of the most a person could lift once.
| What you want | Light weights | Heavy weights |
|---|---|---|
| Bigger muscles | Similar gains | Similar gains |
| A heavier best single lift | Smaller gains | Bigger gains |
| How hard each set was | Until they had to stop | Until they had to stop |
Source: Schoenfeld 2017
That’s the catch from the top. In every study, each set went on until the person couldn’t do another rep (one more lift). Easy reps with light weights weren’t tested.
The studies lasted at least 6 weeks, in people with no injuries or conditions that held back their training.
So test your last reps. If they feel easy, add reps or weight next time. Our progressive overload guide shows how to step up.
How many days a week, and for how long?
At least 2 days a week. The chief medical officers say any strengthening activity is better than none.
They now say strength work is as important as 150 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a week.
How long? Reviews found health benefits from just over 30 and up to 120 minutes of strength work a week. The officers say there’s not enough evidence to set a session length.
- 30 minutes or belowAny strength work beats none.
- Above 30 up to 120 minutesBenefits measured in reviews.
- Above 120 minutesAbove the 120 minutes in the reviews.
Source: UK CMOs
Full body, or a split routine (different muscles on different days)? A review of 25 studies found muscle growth was about the same when the total work each week was the same.
On a weight-loss jab? The officers note that on these drugs both fat and muscle decrease. Our guide to keeping muscle while losing weight covers this.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Can you do a full body dumbbell workout at home?
Yes. The NHS home strength routine uses a pair of light weights, and says filled water bottles will do.
All seven moves fit in the space of a mat. You need a chair for the row.
Your dumbbell week at home
- 1
Session 1
All seven moves, 2 to 3 sets each.
- 2
Days between
Walk or do other activity towards your 150 minutes.
- 3
Session 2
The same seven moves again.
- 4
Next week
Any set that felt easy: add reps or weight.
Put your two sessions in your diary now, such as Monday and Thursday. Our two-day home strength routine helps you set up the space.
Is a dumbbell workout different for women and men?
No. Use the same plan and set the weight to suit you.
A review looked at women and men doing the same programme. They gained similar muscle and lower-body strength. Women’s upper-body strength rose more, relative to where they started.
Most of those studies were short, and in young to middle-aged adults.
Your full body dumbbell plan
- Do all seven moves on at least 2 days a week.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of each move.
- Keep each set going to the point where you need a short rest.
- Start with light weights, or filled water bottles at home.
- If your last reps feel easy, add reps or weight next time.
Sources: UK CMOs; NHS; NHS: strength exercises; Krieger 2009
When to speak to a GP first
The NHS asks some people to speak to a GP before they start. Book an appointment if:
- You haven’t exercised for some time.
- You have medical conditions or health concerns.
- You get chest pain that comes and goes, or that goes away quickly but still worries you.
- You’re pregnant and new to weights. The NHS lists gym strength training in pregnancy if you do this already. Ask your midwife first.
Later in pregnancy, the NHS says to try to avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes. It can make you feel dizzy and is not good for your baby. So drop the floor press and dead bug then.
Call 999 if you get sudden chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away. It can feel like squeezing or pressure inside your chest, burning or indigestion.
The same goes for pain that spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back. Or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.