The dumbbell is one of the oldest pieces of strength training equipment — and it has endured for good reason. With one dumbbell or a pair, you can build a full-body workout that challenges your balance, stability and coordination.
Because they are hand-held, you can add resistance to any exercise while still moving freely.
“I find that when clients first use dumbbells, they’re often surprised at how connected they feel to their movements,” said Chloe Bardos, a trainer based in Vancouver, Canada.
To maintain control throughout a dumbbell movement, you have to engage your core and the muscles that stabilize your body. Learning to do this during a workout can improve your body’s ability to control its position as you move in everyday life, which is increasingly important as you age, said Ms. Bardos.
To perform most dumbbell movements, your limbs have to work independently. That can help you spot if one side of your body is weaker or less mobile than the other. You can begin to correct those imbalances by exercising with a weight that you can handle on your weaker side, said Priscilla Del Moral, a trainer in New York.
To build a full-body dumbbell workout, the Times asked Ms. Bardos and Ms. Del Moral to recommend exercises that are beginner-friendly and can easily be scaled up in difficulty as your strength improves.
Overview
What You’ll Need
How often
Twice a week, working up to three days, with a recovery day in between.
Adjust for you
Start with light weights. “You can always build up in weight” during your workout, Ms. Del Moral said, “but it’s harder to drop down because you’ve already stressed your body and you’ll be going into the next set fatigued.”
If the last two or three reps start to feel challenging but you can still move with proper form, that’s an appropriate working weight, said Ms. Bardos. You can make any of these movements more advanced by adding weight, slowing down the movement or adding a pause at the top or the bottom.
Floor press
Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent. Your upper arms should be on the floor, with your elbows out to the sides, dumbbells held horizontally above your chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slowly press the dumbbells overhead. Pause and lower until your elbows touch the floor.
Supported single-arm row
Stand facing a chair or a weight bench with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hinge at your hips, sending your butt back and maintaining a flat back, and place the palm of your left hand on the chair. With your right hand, grip the handle of a dumbbell and pull your right shoulder blade back. Slowly bend your elbow as you pull the dumbbell up. Pause at the top before slowly lowering, keeping your shoulder engaged throughout the exercise. Perform all repetitions for one set on this side before switching sides.
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, keeping a soft bend in your knees. Lift one leg and flex your foot as you hinge at the hips and extend your leg behind you, slowly lowering your torso toward parallel with the floor. Maintain a flat back and avoid twisting your torso. Pause and return to standing. If controlling the lowering phase of this movement feels unstable, or if you feel discomfort in your lower back, try this movement without weights at first.
Goblet squat
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest, gripping the top head of the weight with both hands. Push your hips back and bend your knees to slowly lower into the squat position, keeping your core engaged and your torso upright. Pause at the bottom before engaging your legs and glutes, rising back to standing.
Split squat
Stand with your feet slightly narrower than hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Take a big step back with your left leg, then move your right leg one small step further forward. Slowly lower your left knee toward the floor, keeping your torso upright. Pause, then rise back to standing, keeping your legs in the split stance until you complete all reps on this side.
Kneeling wood chop
Begin in a kneeling position on the floor with a dumbbell on your left side. Step forward with your right foot and bend your knee so your legs are at 90-degree angles. Grab the handle of the dumbbell with both hands. With a slight bend in your elbows, twist your body toward the right side, bringing the dumbbell across your body and up above your right shoulder. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position. Pause before starting the next rep. Complete all reps for one set on this side before switching sides.
