Workout Summary
- Main GoalBuild Muscle
- Workout TypeFull Body
- Training LevelBeginner
- Program Duration8 weeks
- Days Per Week3
- Time Per Workout45 minutes
- Equipment RequiredDumbbells
- Target Gender Male & Female
- Recommended Supps
- Workout PDF Download Workout
Workout Description
The following workout is designed for those who only have access to a set of dumbbells.
It’s perfect for those who work out at home, travel and are on the road a lot, or beginners who are new to weight lifting.
It can be performed as a complete workout program for up to 8 weeks. At that point you may want to consider increasing the volume of the workouts or change up your routine to include more of a variety of equipment.
This program calls for you to work out 3 times a week. Since these workouts are full body workouts, it is best to have a rest day in between your work out days.
For example, you could perform this program on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This will give your body enough rest to recover in between workouts.
Be sure to track your rest periods during your workouts. The rest time in between sets for this program should be between 60 seconds.
Feel free to add cardio and ab specific training as you see fit. I’d recommend HIIT after your workouts on your work out days and a lower intensity form of cardio on your off/recovery days.
If you have any questions about this program, please feel free to ask in the comments section below!
After you've finished this workout program, move on to this 4 day dumbbell only workout program.
Recommended: Need help building muscle? Take our Free Muscle Building Course
3 Day Full Body Dumbbell Workout
Day 1
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Squat | 3 | 10 |
| 2. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| 3. Bent Over Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 |
| 4. Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 10 |
| 5. Lateral Raises | 2 | 8 |
| 6. Standing Dumbbell Curl | 2 | 8 |
| 7. Lying Dumbbell Extension | 2 | 8 |
Day 2
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Lunge | 3 | 10 |
| 2. Dumbbell Hamstring Curl | 3 | 10 |
| 3. Dumbbell Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| 4. Dumbbell Military Press | 3 | 10 |
| 5. Dumbbell Flys | 2 | 8 |
| 6. Hammer Curl | 2 | 8 |
| 7. Seated Dumbbell Extension | 2 | 8 |
Day 3
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Step Up | 3 | 10 |
| 2. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| 3. One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10 |
| 4. Reverse Grip Dumbbell Press | 3 | 10 |
| 5. Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly | 2 | 8 |
| 6. Zottman Curl | 2 | 8 |
| 7. Close Grip Dumbbell Press | 2 | 8 |
1.9K Comments
I have never done weight training before so this is a really beginner question. Do I do 3 sets of 10 of the squats, rest, and then move onto the next exercise or do I do one set of each exercise, rest, and then do all the exercises again. Or does it even matter as long as I do all the exercises for the suggested sets?
Glad you are here, Terra! Thank you for reading M&S. So, you would do one set, rest, then your second, rest, then your third, then rest and change exercises. That is the same pattern for all exercises on this program. If you have extra questions, please let us know because we want to support you as you start this program and lifestyle.
The printed version differs from the online version. Day three, third exercise. One arm dumbbell row (online) vs one arm dumbbell press (print).
Thank you for letting us know, Eric. The workout on the article is the correct one. I will advise my editor.
I’m 53 and have lifted most of my adult life up until about 8 years ago and haven’t much since then (on and off). I’m
Just getting back into prioritizing my health and wanting to eventually get im shape. Will this program be challenging enough and can I increase the sets to 4-5? Thanks for your time with this. I appreciate it.
Hi John, this one can serve you well. I don't suggest going up to 4-5 sets since you're getting back into it. Stick with what is here for a while before considering any additions or changes. I hope this helps!
Hello, i have some questions.
1. Can I combine this workout with progressive overload?
2. What abs exercises could you recommend (so far I've been doing 3x60s plank)
3. What can be considered as lower intensity cardio. Bike 60minutes for example.
Hello, Johny. Let's go through them one at a time.
1. You can, and I think you should. That could be more reps, an extra set, increasing weight, or even doing rest-pause to take sets beyond failure. I like that idea.
2. I prefer lying leg raises myself with windshield wipers. Start by lying flat on the floor. Raise your legs straight up until your feet are over your hips. While keeping the legs straight, take them to the left as close to the floor as you can until your hip starts to come off the floor. Come back up and take them to the right. Bring them back to the center, then lower them down to the floor again. That is one rep.
3. Bike for 60 minutes, walking, moderate bag work, as long as you can maintain a conversation and aren't breathing heavy, you should be fine.
I hope this helps!
How do I determine the right starting weight for an exercise? Is it purely trial and error, or is there a more systematic approach?
Hi Michael, the way I used to help my clients with this was that I would ask them what weight they would bet money they could perform all the reps with without compromising form. From there, we would go trial and error until we found a weight that resulted in failure around the target rep range. Once they could do two reps over the recommended rep range, they would go up in weight. I hope that can help!
Hello, starting at home workout this week as it seems perfect given my equipment (boxflex adjustable dumbbells & bench). Is there a prime rep tempo for this workout? I haven’t lifted consistently in years so it probably doesn’t matter for me but figured I would pose the question. Thanks!
As long as you are using control, Matt, you should be fine. I personally like a 2-second negative, brief pause, then 1-second positive with a brief hold in the contracted position.
If I keep increasing weight as I go, is it still effective to continue this routine past 8 weeks? I have been tracking the weights and increasing as needed per each individual exercise
Yes it can still be effective, Rick. As long as you're still seeing progress and having to change weight, you can keep going. Once you are stuck at the same weights for more than a couple weeks, it would be time to make a change.
Hi there, is this program supposed to be around 12-13 minutes working time and 29-30min total time to account for 60 second rest between sets?
It seems quick so thought I'd ask - thank you!
Hi Anthony, the time at the top says 45 minutes, but my guess is that is counting warmups and time to change stations. That does seem quick, but if you did it by the numbers, I guess this was mistimed.
How did you like the workout?
Hi Roger,
The workouts are great. They seem to average 11-12min working time with 3 second reps. I've come back to the gym after injury so I consider this a great recovery base and look forward to moving on to the 4 day training once the 8 weeks are complete. Really appreciate the workouts and the interaction. Thanks!
Thanks for this program. It is super straightforward and very effective. I am doing this for the second time through. This is a silly question but can I separate the upper body exercises and the lower body exercises into two sessions on the same day? I like working out at home but have outgrown my home set-up for the lower body, so I would like to do those exercises at the gym. If this is okay, does the order of the sessions matter? I will still preserve the order of exercises within each session.
Hi Radhika, thank you for reading M&S! I believe you can change the order without any issues. If you do, what order are you thinking? Your plan may help someone else.
If my shoulders pop, but don’t hurt, while doing the zottman curl, should I keep with doing them? Or is it more likely to be a problem with my form while doing them?
Hey there, thanks for reading M&S! It could be a form issue, but it would be hard to determine. As long as you use control and it is not painful, I think you would be okay to keep doing them. A little extra warm-up may also help with the popping as well.
Any suggestion on a replacement for hamstring curl on day 2?
You can try elevated lunges or single-leg stiff-legged deadlifts, Rick. I found both of those could work.
Hi! I don’t have a bench to lay on for the bench exercises. Can I modify these and do them on the floor instead? Only reason I ask is because in the videos the weights are going down to be parallel with the body but if I’m
On the floor that’s not possible.
Hi Kayleigh, floor is fine. If you want some slight extra range of motion, lie folded blankets on the floor and use that as if it were a flat bench. I hope this helps!
Are the sets designed to be done in the order you posted or can I do them however I want?
Hi Paddy, they should be performed as listed for best results, but if you find that changing the order suits you best, nothing is stopping you from doing so.
What type of stretches should I do before exercising like this?
Hi Jaiden, as long as you have stretched out the entire body, you can do a variety of stretches that you feel comfortable doing.
Hi, are you recommending HIIT after the workouts for core work or should you do core work and HIIT?
Hi Jay, core work AND HIIT. Train abs first, then do HIIT for cardio. I hope this helps!
Heya! Thanks for the great workout plan. On my 7th week now and have been steadily increasing my weights.
On to my question: can I do this together with the 100 pushups a day challenge? Or should I aim to do the 100 pushups thrice a week in the same days as I do these workouts?
Hi Am, I see no issues with doing the 100 pushups a day challenge on top of this. I say go for it!
My knees hurt as my leg gets closer to 90 degrees during a squat. Should I just never do squats or is there a modification or alternative?
Hi Dave, if you haven't tried this yet, see if you can wear knee sleeves while you train. That along with extra warming up has helped my knees tremendously. If that still doesn't help, you can do box squats to a higher box so you can reap the quad benefits without having to go down as far.
Seriously, try the knee sleeves first if you can. It's a game changer for me.
Use something to elevate your heels like the smallest dumbbell plates or even books
Could you offer a replacement for the step up on day 3? My height combined with basement ceilings are making this difficult to get enough height. Thanks, loving the program so far!
Hi Rick, go with goblet pause squats. The link I am attaching shows a box squat version, but you don't need the box. Just go down into the hole, pause for a two or three count, then come up. I hope this helps!
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/dumbbell-goblet-box-squat
Perfect! Thanks
I'm one month into this program with 10 lbs dumbbells, and I was wondering once I've reached the 8th week mark, should I increase the weight and keep doing this or should I move on to the 4-day program using the same weight?
Hi Liam, that is up to you and your goals. If strength is a focus, stick with this one and go up in weight. If you are trying to get leaner, shift to the four-day. I hope this helps!
First off, thank you so much for creating this workout. I travel a fair bit, and can easily take this to the hotel gym when away from home. Quick question on the reps for both the step-ups and lunges. Are we to do a total of ten reps, 5 for each leg, or a total of 20 reps for 10 reps for each leg? Thanks again!
Glad you like it, Ash. Reps are for each leg. I hope this helps!
Hi I just completed this 8 week program 36 year old female havent done any gym prevously. I was able to increase the weight about midway as well. I'm moving on to the 4 day a week dumbbell now. Only thing I would say is the hamstring curl is difficult to set up solo, I swapped for nordics.
I am a senior currently having back and hip issues. Would it be ok to just do the upper body dumbbell exercises until the lower body pain goes away?
Hi Hal, doing upper body only is certainly understandable in your case. I would suggest finding ways you could something for the lower body so they aren't being completely ignored. I also hope you can go to a doctor and find out what your issues are so you can get better. In the meantime, crush those upper body sessions. Thank you for reading M&S!
How long to rest between sets, and different exercises for optimum performance
Hi, Eric. If you have the time, then two minutes between sets and exercises would be great. I don't recommend less than one minute, but two would be optimal. I hope this helps!
I know this is a beginners routine but I just hit my 12 month mark doing it every week. I started with 20 lb dumbbells and currently using 40 lb weights. Legit changed my life. I’m 40 and I went from 240 lbs and sedentary lifestyle to 197 lbs with 155 Lbs of muscle mass - not amazing but I feel great. I’m looking to move to a new, five day a week routine in the near future but wanted to say thank you for changing my life with this one! Any suggestions for a 5 day dumbbell only workout is appreciated.
Hi Frank, congratulations on your incredible progress, and thank you for allowing M&S to be a small part of your fitness journey. We have plenty of workouts at the link below that could include a program like what you are looking for. If not, let us know and we will see what we can come up with.
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/how-to-choose-your-next-train...