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How to do a beginner-friendly dumbbell workout at home, step-by-step
A longer workout isn’t more effective — here’s how to strength-train in an hour or less.
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Weights are the most important piece of equipment for dumbbell workouts, but a few other accessories can be helpful. For example, adding resistance bands and sliders to exercises can make them more challenging, says Polzak, and using an adjustable bench or an inflatable ball can support your body in certain positions, says Romney. He also recommends covering your floor in a rubber mat while using dumbbells to protect it from potential damage. A yoga mat works well if you already own one, and brands also make specialized rubber flooring if you want to make an area of your home a dedicated gym.
Frequently using dumbbells can cause calluses to form on your palms and the skin around your knuckles to get thicker, says Romney. Wearing weight lifting gloves can help prevent rough skin and make lifting more comfortable. If you advance in your training and start lifting heavier dumbbells, you may also want to invest in a pair of lifting straps, which help you hold onto weights as your forearms start running out of strength, he says.
Your shoes are the most important part of your outfit to think about while using dumbbells. Wear training shoes with a flat base that help you grip the floor, stabilize and equally distribute your weight across both feet, says Ezekh. Never use dumbbells while barefoot or just wearing socks — the last thing you want to do is drop one on uncovered toes.
As for clothing, choose leggings, shorts, shirts or other pieces that are comfortable, easy to move in and not restrictive, says Polzak.
Your workout should consist of three parts: a warmup, weightlifting and a cool down. Weightlifting is the main event, while the warmup helps your mind and body prepare for a workout and the cool down begins the recovery phase, says Polzak.
The purpose of a warmup is to get your blood pumping so your body is loose and prepared to lift weights, says Ezekh. It’s best to do a dynamic warmup, which engages your muscles through movement, says Romney. For example, you can do exercises like jumping jacks, leg swings and arm circles, or add some cardio by walking or using an elliptical machine, stairmaster or rowing machine. Fleshing out your muscles with a foam roller or massage gun is also helpful.
There are three ways to organize a weightlifting session, says Polzak. They’re all beneficial, so you can do each one within a week, or choose the style you find most challenging and engaging.
Regardless of which style workout you do, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Some exercises are compound movements, which involve multiple muscle groups — squats, deadlifts and overhead presses are a few examples. Others are isolation exercises, which target one muscle group, like bicep curls, tricep kickbacks and hamstring curls, says Romney. Compound movements tend to be more efficient, so he suggests prioritizing them during workouts and saving isolation exercises for the end of a session if you want to focus on one specific area.
To learn a few foundational strength training exercises, experts recommend doing a session or two with a personal trainer, either virtually or in-person, watching videos online or doing programs through fitness apps. I also put together an example of a superset below to help you understand how they come together.
This superset consists of two exercises: split squats, a compound movement, and biceps curls, an isolation exercise. You’d do eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise with little to no rest in between, using the appropriate weight for your body. Experts recommend repeating the superset three times with 30 to 90 seconds of rest in between.
Split squats
Begin by kneeling on one knee with both legs bent at 90 degrees. Keep your front foot flat and prop your back foot up on your toes. Either hold one dumbbell with both hands at your chest, or hold one dumbbell in each arm by your sides. Pull your abdomen toward your spine and exhale as you press through your feet to stand up, keeping your feet planted where they are. Inhale as you lower back down to the starting kneeling position. Repeat.
From a seated or standing position, hold your dumbbells at your sides. Gently squeeze your glutes and pull your abdomen towards your spine. Exhale as you bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells toward your chest, keeping your elbows at your sides. Inhale as you lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat.
After using weights, do a static cool down for 5 to 10 minutes, which involves stretching without movement, says Romney. Focus on stretching the parts of your body you targeted with your weight work, like chest and shoulder stretches for the upper body, and hamstring, calf and hip stretches for the lower body. Hold each stretch for about 20 to 30 seconds before moving on to a new one, says Ezekh.
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who has covered health and fitness since 2020, including topics like sports bras, women’s walking shoes, training shoes, wrist weights and exercise mats. To write this article, I interviewed three experts about how to plan a dumbbell workout for beginners, and what equipment you need to do a dumbbell workout at home.
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