A Guide to Strength Training Using Adjustable Dumbbells

When figuring out your routine, you should first assess whether you’re looking to avert the bone loss that comes with aging or build your lower- and upper-body strength, Saladino says. Once you know what you’re training for, you can build a more efficient strength training routine.

If you’re just starting to put together your first at-home routine, there’s a chance you don’t have a pair of adjustable dumbbells to use yet. If that’s the case, we’ve highlighted three sets of adjustable dumbbells that come in a variety of weights, have good handgrip, and are comfortable to rest on your thighs during workouts.

If you’re just getting started, you can create a well-balanced strength training routine that includes five key exercises, Saladino says: a squat (a lower-body push), an upper-body push, an upper-body pull, a hinge (a lower-body pull), and a core exercise. 

Here are some ways to accomplish these exercises with adjustable dumbbells, with a few alternatives to help you build some variety into your routine when you’re ready for that. If your focus is strength and power, you want to aim for a weight you can only lift for a lower number of repetitions (five to eight reps). For endurance, you’ll want to pick a weight you can lift for eight to 12 reps. Both Ronai and Saladino recommend mixing it up, having some days where you lift for strength and power and others for endurance. 

With adjustable dumbbells, you can find your weight by starting low, then finding the right weight for your desired set of reps. But make sure you can do your reps correctly, De Leon says. If your form is struggling as you hit six reps of an exercise, you may need to use less weight, she says.

Warm up first, and then complete three to five sets of each exercise. Start off doing this twice a week, and add in a third day when you feel ready. (Exercise suggestions and descriptions are from Saladino and Ronai, with supplementary information from the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal and the American Council on Exercise’s exercise library.)

Suitcase squat: Hold dumbbells on each side of your body like you’re holding two suitcases. Keep your back straight and activate your core, tightening your abs as you squat down. Keep your knees roughly over your toes and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel with the floor. Don’t let your back curve or your heels lift up. Return to your upright position by pushing your feet against the floor. 

Alternative: Rear foot elevated split squat: While this is a more advanced move, Saladino recommends working to incorporate a split squat into your routine. Stand on one leg and put the other foot, shoelaces down, on a bench or coffee table behind you. Holding dumbbells in each arm (or one with two hands, goblet style), squat down until your thigh is parallel to the floor, keeping your knee roughly over your toes, without it going too far forward, then return to your starting position.

Chest press: Lying flat on your back on a bench or on the floor, hold dumbbells with your elbows bent and your palms facing forward, just above the middle of your chest. Press straight up until your arms are fully extended, then lower the dumbbells back to chest level.

Alternative: Alternating dumbbell press: To engage your core more, Saladino suggests trying an alternating dumbbell press. Lie flat on your back, holding a dumbbell in one hand with your elbow bent and palm forward, above the middle of your chest. Stabilize yourself with your other hand by reaching back to grab your bench or putting your arm to the side if you’re on the floor. Press until your arm is fully extended, then lower to chest level. Complete a set of reps on each side.

Dumbbell row: Stand up and hold the dumbbells at your side, one in each hand, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward, bending at the waist while keeping your back straight. Start with your arms extended fully toward the ground, then pull the dumbbells straight back, bending your elbows and engaging your lats. This exercise should help counteract some of the effects of leaning into a desk for much of the day, Ronai says.

Alternative: Reverse dumbbell fly: Try lying chest down on top of a training bench or stability ball, keeping your chest and back straight, and letting your arms hang down. Then pull the dumbbells out to the side, as if you’re creating a letter T. Try pausing for a second before slowly lowering your dumbbells again.

Romanian deadlift: Start in a standing position, holding dumbbells in each hand. Hinge forward from your hips, lowering the dumbbells to the front of your shins. Keep your back straight and spine neutral; don’t tilt your head up or down. You’ll feel a pull in your hamstrings. To raise the weights back up, push your feet into the floor as you hinge back to your starting position.

Alternative: One-legged Romanian deadlift: Begin with both feet on the ground, with a dumbbell in your right hand. Hinge forward from your hips, and raise your right leg off the ground behind you, keeping it in line with your spine to help you balance. As you stand back up, put your right foot back onto the floor. Complete your set, and repeat on the other side. You can also try this with dumbbells in both hands.

Plank: You don’t need dumbbells to do this, but you should include a core exercise in your routine, Saladino says. Lie down on your stomach, with your toes toward the floor. Stiffen your core and abs and lift your body off the ground, with your shoulders over your elbows. Resting on your elbows, keep your entire body in a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold for as long as you can in a straight line, without raising or lowering your hips (and don’t forget to breathe). 

Alternative: Plank row: This is a good move, Saladino says, but it’s a hard one to do correctly. Raise yourself into a plank position, but position yourself on your hands instead of your elbows, as if you’re about to start a push-up. With your body in that plank position, take one arm and pick up a dumbbell that’s by your hip. Lift the dumbbell from the floor to your hip, but be sure not to move your hips as you do so.

To make sure you’re working other major muscle groups, include an overhead push and overhead pull—though you may need a pull-up bar or some resistance bands for that pull—and a pushing and pulling movement with your arms that forces you to bend or extend your elbow.

Shoulder press: Seated or standing, hold dumbbells just above your shoulders. (Standing will require more work from your core.) Brace your core and squeeze your abs while keeping your back straight, and press the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.

Pull-up: This is one where you’ll need additional equipment. The simplest move for an overhead pull is a pull-up or chin-up. If you can’t do a pull-up, you can use a resistance band to make it easier and develop the skill. To do so, loop a large resistance band—sometimes called a super-band—around each side of a pull-up bar, so the band rests in a U-shape below the bar. Place your knees or feet inside the loop, so your body weight pulls the band down. The band should make it easier to lift your body.

Bicep curl: Seated or standing, hold dumbbells to your side. You can do this with a neutral grip, palms inward, or with your palms facing forward. Without moving your elbows, bring the weights up. Keep your wrists neutral and don’t shrug your shoulders.

Dumbbell kickback: This move is meant to help you work your triceps, the muscles in the back of your upper arm. Hold a dumbbell in one arm and step forward with your opposite foot. Hinge forward, bending at the waist, keeping your back straight and your abs tight. You can hold onto something, even your own leg, with the hand not holding the dumbbell, if you need the additional stability.

Keep the upper arm of your dumbbell hand parallel with your bent-forward torso, but let your elbow bend at about a 90-degree angle, so your fist holding the dumbbell is pointed toward the ground. Use your triceps to push the dumbbell backward and straighten your arm so it becomes parallel to your torso. Lower it back to the starting position—all without moving your elbow at all—and repeat.

Varying your workouts is essential to help your body adapt and get stronger, Ronai says. This is why both he and Saladino recommend training at certain times with a focus on endurance and at other times using heavier weights with a focus on strength and power. Increasing the amount of weight you lift over time is important because it’ll help you avoid a plateau and continue to improve bone and muscle health, De Leon says. That’s why you should continue to challenge your muscles to get stronger by adding weight once you can do your workouts with excellent form.

The American College of Sports Medicine often recommends adding weight using what’s called the “two for two” rule, Ronai says. If you are doing three sets of 12 repetitions of one exercise, and on your last set you’re able to do two extra reps, try doing so again during your next workout. If you again can do two extra reps on your last set, you should be able to add some extra weight the next time you do that exercise.

Another thing to consider is the amount of weight you can add. If you are using adjustable dumbbells, it will vary—it may be 2.5 pounds, but it may be 5 pounds. Adding 5 pounds can be a lot for certain exercises, so if you need to do a few more reps at a lower weight before adding, do so. 

With adjustable dumbbells, you can also run into a problem when there’s no more weight to add once you’re using the full amount of weight on your set. One way to add more weight is to use a resistance band to add additional resistance, Ronai says. But don’t simply add the resistance band to the heaviest weight because it can be hard to quantify how the additional resistance will make an exercise harder, he says.

Instead, use a little less weight than you normally would when you first try adding in a band. Even at lighter weights, adding a band might be worthwhile, Saladino says, because it can force you to focus on correct form and add challenge throughout every movement in an exercise. You can also make an exercise more challenging without adding weight by decreasing rest time or performing lifts very slowly, De Leon says.