Home-friendly equipment

Dumbbells exercises

The most versatile pair of objects in any gym, and the one piece of kit worth owning at home. Each side works independently, which exposes and then fixes side-to-side differences.

What this kit can actually load

68MOVEMENTS

Covering 17 muscle groups as prime movers and 8 of the 9 movement patterns — all of it usable in a front room.

SOURCE·Published exercise references·COVERAGE COUNTED FROM PRIME MOVERS ONLY·REVIEWED JUL 2026

How the dumbbells list is built

Start from the joint action, not the sensation. A muscle is credited when the action it produces is the one being resisted.
Credit exactly one role per exercise: prime mover, or synergist and stabiliser. Nothing is listed twice.
Rank by technical demand on a 1–5 scale — how much practice the movement needs to be done safely, not how hard the set feels.
Credit a movement to a piece of kit only when that kit supplies the resistance — a bench you lie on is not the load.
Attach the published MET category so the energy figure on every card traces back to the same table.

The attribution rules in full →

SOURCE·Published exercise references·ATTRIBUTION BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026

All 68 dumbbells movements

Exercises using dumbbells, easiest first.REVIEWED · JUL 2026
Exercise	Primary muscle	Pattern	Level
Alternating Dumbbell Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Concentration Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Deadlift	Glutes	Hinge	Beginner
Dumbbell Front Raise	Front deltoid	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	Side deltoid	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Shrug	Trapezius	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Side Bend	Obliques	Rotation	Beginner
Dumbbell Squat	Quadriceps	Squat	Beginner
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback	Triceps	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Wrist Curl	Forearms	Isolation	Beginner
Farmer's Walk	Forearms	Carry	Beginner
Goblet Squat	Quadriceps	Squat	Beginner
Hammer Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat	Quadriceps	Squat	Beginner
Reverse Lunge	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Reverse Wrist Curl	Forearms	Isolation	Beginner
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise	Side deltoid	Isolation	Beginner
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise	Calves	Isolation	Beginner
Sumo Squat	അഡക്ടറുകൾ	Squat	Beginner
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row	Upper back	Pull	Beginner
Curtsy Lunge	Glutes	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Decline Dumbbell Fly	Chest	Isolation	Beginner
Decline Dumbbell Press	Chest	Push	Beginner
Dumbbell Bench Press	Chest	Push	Beginner
Dumbbell Floor Press	Chest	Push	Beginner
Dumbbell Fly	Chest	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Hip Thrust	Glutes	Hinge	Beginner
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly	Rear deltoid	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift	Hamstrings	Hinge	Beginner
Dumbbell Skull Crusher	Triceps	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Split Squat	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Dumbbell Step-Up	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Dumbbell Upright Row	Side deltoid	Pull	Beginner
Forward Lunge	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Front Rack Carry	Abs	Carry	Beginner
Incline Dumbbell Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Incline Dumbbell Fly	Chest	Isolation	Beginner
Incline Dumbbell Press	Chest	Push	Beginner
Incline Dumbbell Row	Upper back	Pull	Beginner
Incline Rear Delt Raise	Rear deltoid	Isolation	Beginner
Lateral Lunge	അഡക്ടറുകൾ	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Lying Dumbbell Lateral Raise	Side deltoid	Isolation	Beginner
Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press	Chest	Push	Beginner
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension	Triceps	Isolation	Beginner
Prone Y Raise	Trapezius	Isolation	Beginner
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press	Front deltoid	Push	Beginner
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row	Lats	Pull	Beginner
Single-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension	Triceps	Isolation	Beginner
Spider Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press	Front deltoid	Push	Beginner
Suitcase Carry	Obliques	Carry	Beginner
Walking Lunge	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Beginner
Zottman Curl	Biceps	Isolation	Beginner
Arnold Press	Front deltoid	Push	Intermediate
Bulgarian Split Squat	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Intermediate
Deficit Push-Up	Chest	Push	Intermediate
Dumbbell Pullover	Lats	Isolation	Intermediate
Dumbbell Swing	Glutes	Hinge	Intermediate
Dumbbell Thruster	Quadriceps	Squat	Intermediate
Dumbbell Walking Lunge	Quadriceps	ലഞ്ച്	Intermediate
Overhead Carry	Front deltoid	Carry	Intermediate
Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press	Chest	Push	Intermediate
Single-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press	Front deltoid	Push	Intermediate
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift	Hamstrings	Hinge	Intermediate
Dumbbell Snatch	Glutes	Hinge	Advanced
Renegade Row	Upper back	Pull	Advanced
Z Press	Front deltoid	Push	Advanced

Muscles you can cover with dumbbells

Chest 10 Lats 2 Upper back 3 Trapezius 2 Front deltoid 7 Side deltoid 4 Rear deltoid 2 Biceps 7 Triceps 4 Forearms 3 Quadriceps 11 Hamstrings 2 Glutes 5 Calves 1 Abs 1 Obliques 2 അഡക്ടറുകൾ 2

Not covered: lower back, hip flexors, rotator cuff. That is the honest gap — fill it with another implement or with bodyweight work.

Programmes that run on this alone

Push Pull Legs (PPL)Full gym · 3 days a week (one cycle) or 6 days a week (two cycles). Both work; the six-day version needs the recovery to match.Upper / Lower splitFull gym · 4 days a week — upper, lower, rest, upper, lower, rest, rest.Full-body, 3 days a weekFull gym · 3 non-consecutive days — Monday, Wednesday, Friday or equivalent.Beginner gym plan (first 8 weeks)Full gym — machines and dumbbells · 3 days a week, with at least one rest day between sessions.Bro split (one muscle a day)Full gym · 5 days a week.Home workout, no equipmentNone · 3 days a week, with at least a day between sessions.

Other equipment

Barbell 54 Kettlebell 17 Cable machine 36 Machine 42 Smith machine 8 Resistance band 31 Bodyweight 121Pull-up bar 17 Bench 49 Medicine ball 3 Suspension trainer 5 EZ bar 5 Dip bars 3 Ab wheel 2 Weight plate 11 Box or step 10 Landmine 6

The questions that come up on the floor

What can I train with dumbbells?

68 exercises on this site use dumbbells, covering 17 muscle groups as prime movers and 8 of the 9 movement patterns. 35 of them are compound movements, which is the number that decides whether a piece of equipment can carry a whole programme on its own.

Is dumbbells enough to build muscle?

Yes. With 68 exercises across 17 muscle groups, dumbbells covers enough of the body to run a complete programme. Muscle growth responds to effort, load progression and volume — not to which brand of resistance supplied them.

Can I use dumbbells at home?

Yes — this is home-scale equipment. The most versatile pair of objects in any gym, and the one piece of kit worth owning at home. Each side works independently, which exposes and then fixes side-to-side differences.

How do I make dumbbells exercises harder over time?

Add weight in the smallest increment available whenever you reach the top of the target rep range with clean technique, and keep the range of motion and the tempo identical as the load climbs.

Muscle roles follow standard kinesiology references and are described by joint action rather than by gym convention — see how this site is built. Energy figures are derived from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. Every reference is named and dated on the sources page. General information only — not medical or coaching advice. Load, form and progression should be adjusted to your own experience and any injury history. When in doubt, get coached in person.

SOURCE·Published exercise references·MUSCLE ROLES ASSIGNED BY JOINT ACTION·REVIEWED JUL 2026

The people behind these sites

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This site and nine others like it are built and photographed by two people: Amit Sharma — behind the build; Geeta Patel — the poses, demonstrated. New work goes up on Instagram and Facebook before it reaches a page here.

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