This 3-Day Dumbbell Workout Plan Hits Every Major Muscle Group

Published on Aug 26, 2024 at 2:30 PM

PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn

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Bodyweight workouts deserve a spot in everyone's fitness routine. Widely accessible and perfect for on-the-go training, they can challenge your muscular endurance if you power through enough reps and get your heart pumping if you're moving with enough speed. But if you have your sights set on gaining muscle or building strength in the movement patterns you practice every day, you'll want to prioritize dumbbell workouts, too.

As a whole, resistance training with external loads (e.g., free weights, weight machines) has been found to improve joint range of motion (per a 2023 study in the journal Sports Medicine), enhance strength and muscle mass (according to a 2019 review of 30 studies), the latter of which begins to decline as early as age 30, and support bone health (as reported in the journal Endocrinology and Metabolism). And dumbbell training is particularly valuable; the equipment is versatile enough to use for most exercises in your routine, including moves that challenge your body in multiple planes of motion — laterally, forward, backward, and rotationally. In other words, a dumbbell workout can easily be a functional workout.

Not sure how to make the most of your free weights? Try this three-day dumbbell workout plan, designed to encourage muscle growth (aka hypertrophy) with challenging-but-doable loads, less than a dozen reps, and just enough rest time.

Each session hits your upper- and lower-body muscles in "push" and "pull" movement patterns, so the exercises mimic the motions your body goes through in real life. Many of the moves included are compound exercises, meaning they target multiple muscle groups and call on multiple joints at once, so you can get all the benefits of dumbbell workouts in less time. To help you build a strong foundation, each session starts with a dedicated core exercise.

Here's how it works.

The 3-Day Dumbbell Workout Plan That Hits Every Major Muscle Group

Before you dive into the dumbbell workout plan each day, spend five to 10 minutes warming up your muscles and joints with a few rounds of dynamic moves like cat-cow, thread the needle, hip and shoulder CARs, bodyweight squats, and ankle rocks.

When you're feeling ready to go, perform the daily workout circuit-style, doing one set of all five exercises before repeating it from the top. Do the entire circuit three times.

For each set, aim to complete 8 to 12 reps of the exercise using a moderate weight; your effort level (aka rating of perceived exertion) should feel like a 6.5 to 8 out of 10. In between moves, rest for 30 to 90 seconds — this should feel like enough time to shake off any fatigue without letting your muscles fully recover.

Make sure to space out the three workouts to allow for 24 to 48 hours of recovery in between sessions. As the weeks go on, do a little check-in. If you're able to bang out 12 reps with no problem after three weeks of following the dumbbell workout plan, take that as a sign to try a slightly heavier set of weights. We like the PS Neoprene Dumbbell ($7-20), available in 3 to 10 pounds.

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Here, the three-day dumbbell workout plan, including an in-depth breakdown of how to perform each move, along with images to help you check your form.

Day 1

Day one of this dumbbell workout plan takes your body through a handful of fundamental movement patterns — push, pull, squat, and hinge. It also challenges the muscles on the front and back sides of your body, which helps to prevent muscle imbalances that can contribute to discomfort or, ultimately, injury.

Plank Row

Start in a high plank position on the floor with your wrists and shoulders stacked, your feet hip-width apart, and a dumbbell under each side of your ribcage. Gaze down at the floor in front of you.
Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
Keeping your hips stable and square with the floor, lift your right hand off the floor and grab onto the dumbbell under your right side. Your palm is facing inward. On an exhale, pull the dumbbell up toward your ribcage, allowing your right elbow to shoot straight back behind you.
On an inhale, slowly straighten your arm and lower the dumbbell back to the floor. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Bridge Chest Press

Lie face-up on the floor with your feet resting flat on the ground, your heels a few inches away from your glutes. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms roughly 45 degrees away from your ribcage and your knuckles pointed toward the ceiling. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach.
Press into your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up toward the ceiling. You should form a straight line from knee to chin. This is the starting position
Hold the bridge. On an exhale, press the dumbbells up toward the ceiling above your chest. Continue pressing until your arms are fully straight but not locked.
On an inhale, slowly bend at the elbow and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Reverse Fly

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing toward one another. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach.
Hinge forward from the hips, lowering your chest until it's roughly parallel to the floor. Your legs should be straight but not locked, your back flat, and your arms hanging beneath your chest. Bend your elbows slightly so your arms form a soft "C" shape. This is the starting position.
On an exhale, lift the dumbbells out to the sides and up toward the ceiling until they're aligned with your ribcage. Avoid swinging your upper body and using momentum to thrust the dumbbells up.
On an inhale, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Dumbbell Thruster

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand racked on your shoulders. Your palms are facing in toward each other. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an inhale, sit back into your hips (as if you're sitting in a chair) and then bend your knees to lower into a squat. Continue lowering until your knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees or as low as is comfortable.
On an exhale, quickly press into all four corners of your feet to explode up to standing. Simultaneously, allow the dumbbells to float up toward the ceiling. Your lower body should be doing most of the work to thrust the dumbbells upward.
On an inhale, lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Kickstand Deadlift

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand in front of your thigh. Take a small step back with your left foot, resting your toes on the ground like a kickstand. The majority of your body weight is in your right foot, and your left foot is providing some balance support.
Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
Keep your chin tucked, back flat, and weight in your right foot. On an inhale, hinge forward from the hips to lower the dumbbell to the floor. Keep the dumbbell close to your body, as if you're shaving your leg. Continue lowering until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, your chest is parallel with the floor, or your back starts to round.
On an exhale, slowly shoot the hips forward to return to standing, pulling the dumbbell up your leg. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Day 2

On Day 2 of this dumbbell workout plan, you'll practice single-leg and -arm exercises that mimic real-life actions: you quickly step out to the side to step around a massive puddle (aka a lateral lunge), and you hinge forward to grab a sweater out of the laundry basket as you brush your teeth (aka a single-arm row). The core exercise — a superman — targets the muscles on the backside of your body, including the erector spinae, which stabilize and mobilize the lower spine and help keep you upright as you walk or jog.

Superman

Lie face-down on the floor with your legs extended, feet hip-width apart, and arms raised above your head, your biceps in line with your ears. Gaze down at the floor in front of you.
On an exhale, engage your core, back, and glutes to slowly lift your arms, head, chest, and legs off the floor about three to four inches, or as far as range of motion allows. Pause at the top for one to two seconds.
On an inhale, slowly lower your arms, head, chest, and legs back to the floor. Relax body. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Standing Alternating Shoulder Press

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand racked on your shoulders. Your palms should be facing away from you, so your upper body looks like a goalpost.
Bring your elbows in front of your body slightly to protect the shoulder joint. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an exhale, press the dumbbell in your right hand up toward the ceiling, straightening but not locking your right arm. Keep your core engaged to avoid overextending the lower back.
On an inhale, slowly bend your right elbow and lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. That's one rep.
Repeat with your left arm.

Do 8 to 12 reps each, alternating sides.

Single-Arm Row

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand with your palm facing inward. Take a small step back with your right foot and plant it on the ground. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach.
Hinge forward from the hips, allowing your chest to lower until it's roughly parallel to the floor and your left knee to bend. Your right leg should be straight but not locked and your back flat. Your right arm is hanging beneath your chest, and your left arm or hand is gently resting on your thigh. This is the starting position.
On an exhale, pull the dumbbell up toward your ribcage, your right elbow shooting straight back behind you. Keep your arm tucked into your side by imagining you're holding a piece of paper underneath your armpit.
On an inhale, slowly straighten your right arm and lower the dumbbell back toward the floor. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Lateral Lunge

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your side. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an inhale, take a big step out to the left, then send your hips back behind you and bend your left knee as if you're sitting in a chair. Simultaneously, shift your body weight into your left foot. As you sink into your lunge, the dumbbells should frame your left knee. Continue lowering into your lunge until your left knee is bent at roughly 90 degrees, or as low as is comfortable.
On an exhale, press into all four corners of your left foot to rise up out of the lunge, straighten your left leg, and bring it back to meet your right leg. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Sumo Deadlift

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned out to the sides at roughly 45-degree angles. Hold one dumbbell with both hands in between your thighs. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an inhale, hinge forward from the hips, allowing the dumbbell to slowly lower toward the floor, keeping your back flat and chin tucked. Continue lowering until your chest is roughly parallel with the floor, you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, or your back begins to round.
On an exhale, slowly shoot the hips forward to return to standing, pulling the dumbbell up between your legs. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Day 3

Day 3 of the dumbbell workout plan includes moves that require a little coordination. You'll simultaneously curl your set of dumbbells as you lunge, training your biceps and your legs. And the wood chop — a rotational core exercise — will require your upper and lower body to move in sync.

Wood Chop

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell in both hands, your arms reaching up toward the ceiling above your right shoulder. Bend your knees softly. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an exhale, pivot on your right foot and rotate through the core to "chop" the dumbbell down toward the outside of your left hip. Allow your gaze to follow and your right leg to bend slightly.
On an inhale, pivot on your right foot and rotate through the core to "toss" the dumbbell back up toward your right shoulder. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Triceps Push-Up

Start in a high plank position on the floor with your wrists and shoulders stacked and your feet hip-width apart. Gaze down at the floor in front of you. Your elbows should be tucked into your sides, your biceps in line with your ribcage.
Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an inhale, bend the elbows to slowly lower your body toward the floor until you're hovering about three inches above the ground. Avoid "snaking" your body down; you should form a straight line from head to heel.
On an exhale, press into all four corners of your hands to straighten your arms and return to the starting position. Keep your arms tucked in close to your sides throughout the movement, imagining you're squeezing a lemon under your armpits. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Upright Row

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, your palms facing toward you. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an exhale, pull the dumbbells straight up your body until they're in line with your collarbones, allowing your elbows to bend out to the sides. Keep the dumbbells close to your body throughout the movement.
On an inhale, slowly straighten your arms and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Goblet Squat

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an inhale, sit back into your hips (as if you're sitting in a chair) and then bend your knees to lower into a squat. Continue lowering until your knees are bent at roughly 90 degrees or as low as is comfortable.
On an exhale, press into all four corners of your feet to straighten your legs and return to standing. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps.

Lunge to Biceps Curl

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Engage your core by bracing as if someone is about to punch you in the stomach. This is the starting position.
On an inhale, take a big step forward with your right foot, then bend your right knee to about 90 degrees and lower into your lunge. Simultaneously, curl both dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
On an exhale, straighten your arms, returning the dumbbells to your sides, and simultaneously press into all four corners of your right foot to straighten your leg and return to standing. That's one rep.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Megan Falk is an experienced health and wellness journalist and editor whose work has been published by PS, Shape, Livestrong, Women's Health, Well+Good, mindbodygreen, Wide Open Spaces, and other outlets. She has served as an editor on Equinox's content team and at Shape, where she primarily covered exercise tips, fitness modalities, workout trends, and more.