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Workout Summary
Build Muscle
Split
Beginner
10 weeks
3
45 minutes
Dumbbells
Male & Female
Workout Description
Tired of looking for a dumbbell only routine to work out at home with? Don't want to buy any expensive equipment? Then here is a workout for you! All you need is an adjustable bench and some dumbbells. This is beginner - intermediate. If you have a pullup bar I highly suggest adding chinups or wide grip pullups to back day!
Daily Workout Schedule:
| Monday - Chest and Triceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chest | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
| Dumbbell Flys | 3 | 12 |
| Triceps | ||
| Dumbbell Skullcrusher | 3 | 12 |
| Dumbbell Tricep Kickback | 3 | 12 |
| One Arm Seated Dumbbell Extension | 3 | 12 |
Tuesday - Rest Day
| Wednesday - back and Biceps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Back | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 5 | 12,10,10,8,6 |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Row | 5 | 12,10,10,8,6 |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 2 | 12,10 |
| Biceps | ||
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10 |
| Standing Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10 |
| Cross Body Hammer Curl | 2 | 10 |
Thursday - Rest Day
| Friday - Legs and Shoulders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quads | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Dumbbell Lunge | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
| Dumbbell Step Up | 3 | 12 |
| Dumbbell Squat | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
| Hamstrings | ||
| Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
| Calves | ||
| Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise | 2 | 15,12 |
| Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise | 2 | 12,10 |
| Shoulders | ||
| Standing Dumbbell Press | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 12,10,10 |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly | 3 | 12,10,10 |
| Dumbbell Shrug | 4 | 12,10,10,8 |
 Saturday and Sunday - Rest Days
983 Comments+ Post Comment
I'm 17 and only weigh about 140, but I've lifted weights before. However, I had a shoulder injury that kept me out for a few months. What would be a good weight to start with on the first set if I want to increase weight once the number of reps decreases? I don't want to start with a weight too heavy or I won't be able to do 3-4 sets.
Hi DB3,
The answer to this question is going to be highly individualized and I'm not sure someone will be able to provide you an answer over the internet.
Since you are coming off an injury and are unsure about certain aspects of lifting, I'd recommend seeking out the advice of a professional at your gym. By seeing you in person, they'll be able to provide a safer recommendation than someone could blindly do so over the internet.
Hope this helps!
So...I have been doing this for a while and like it, comapred to other splits this is low volume..to increase further (with only dumbbells) should I do:
mondays: chest/tri
tuesdays: back/bis
wed: legs/shoulder
thurds: chest/tri
friday: back/bis
sat: legs
sun: rest
Hi Oliver,
Sure that is one way to make a progression with this workout. You can also start off by adding slightly more volume by increasing the number of sets you do per exercise, number of reps you do per set, or even number of exercises you do with dumbbells in each workout day. If you don't want to increase volume at all you could even increase the amount of weight you use per exercise.
Jumping from 3 days a week to 6 days a week is not only a drastic increase in volume, but requires a lot of time commitment. Personally, I like to take a minimalist approach to fitness, get the most out of doing less in terms of volume. That's why I recommend one of the minor changes listed above.
Smaller changes over time will yield better and consistent results.
Hope this helps!
Should I use the same amount of weight for every rep? Or should I go up on weights with each rep?
Hi Hunter,
As the reps per set decrease, you'll want to increase the weight you use.
Hope this helps!
probably a dumb question, but I'm new to working out so work with me.
When it says sets and reps does that mean I do 12 reps, then 10, then 10, then 8. and then do that whole process 3 more times?
Hi newb,
No such thing as a dumb question (remember from school?) :)
No, you would do 4 sets. 1 set of 12, 1 set of 10, 1 set of 10, 1 set of 8 and then move on to the next exercise.
Hope this helps!
If I only have fix-weight dumbbells, should I replace all the 12-10-10-8 exercises by 12-12-12 ?
Hi Clebz,
Yes, that is one way you could modify the program to fit your needs.
You could also try altering the tempo of the reps as the number of reps decreases by slowing down the tempo. For example, for the 12 rep set perform with a 1 second lowering and raising tempo, 10 sets use a 2 seconds up and 2 second down tempo, 8 rep sets use a 3 sec tempo. This makes each rep tougher without having to purchase more weight.
Of course, the goal at some point is to get strong enough where you need to buy additional dumbbells :)
Hope this helps!
Rest time between sets ?
And can I add more sets for each route ?
Thanks in advance
Just one question. I haven't seen it answered as yet, but at what point do we do about exercises? This plan seems to be missing them out.
Can you please answer that for me. Thanks in advance :)
I am 17 yrs old and skinny... what weights should i start with.. n also i dont have that bench in my home any substitute for that?..
Pls reply soon.
Thanks
Go on Amazon and look up Olympic dumbbell sets. The kind where you also get plates you can add/remove from the sides. That will cost you anywhere from $100-200. You at least need a basic bench since some of the "stances" you take while doing these exercises relies on the shape of the bench itself. Try looking for a cheap, basic one on craigslist. I found a very simple bench for $30. Good luck
Kyle
I started out doing calisthenics then moved to weights. You should do the same
Why is the leg/shoulder day 10 exercises and the two others only have 6 each?
Most likely to keep it to a 3 day workout week. I've seen similar routines at 4 days where the legs and shoulders are split out. The shoulder days also have traps exercises included.
Because theres different parts of the leg you have to work out.
How long should this take per day?
For Cross Body Hammer Curl, is 2 sets a typo? Or should it be 3?
Is 15 pounds ok for me ? I'm 14
Dude, dont do weights until you are 16. Just a friendly advice.
Out of curiosity, why so many reps and sets? Why not 3x10 with max weight?
With the decreasing rep schemes (e.g. 12, 10, 10, 8, 6), are you supposed to increase the weight in between, or keep it the same?
Mike,
Definitely increase the weight.
I have been doing this workout for a few weeks now and I am seeing benefits from it, it states it is a workout for beginners, could you make this same regimen advanced by increasing rep range / weight ??
Paul,
You certainly could. You should always be focused on progressive overload in some form (weight, sets, reps, density, duration, etc.) but you could also increase the difficulty of this split simply by progressing each exercise on a continuum as found here: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/train-like-an-athlete-look-li...
The other question I have is I am looking to gain lean muscle mass, but is training each body part once per week enough to achieve this goal
Paul,
I think there are better options out there, yes.
If you're looking for a 4 day/week option, check out this program I wrote: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dup-muscle-growth-workout
Paul,
That depends on a variety of factors (nutrition, lifestyle factors, sleep, 'supplementation', training age, etc.). However, I would recommend training each body part a minimum of twice per week, if not more.
So this wouldn't be the best regimen to follow on the basis of training each muscle twice per week
Should we be lifting as much as we can with good for or a "manageable" weight that isn't too difficult but is still a challenge? I'm a female btw.
You should be lifting a weight that is tough but controllable. However, over time that weight should be increasing. Adaptation within the body is built on the principle of progressive overload.
Can I workout Sunday-Tuesday-Friday?
no, if you don't do the exercises on the exact days posted they're as good as useless.
I am really enjoying this routine. Solid workout week after week and keep making strength gains. Thanks for such a awesome website.
Is it alright if I change the order of the exercises?
My legs are killing me if I do lunges, squats and then step ups or if I do incline dumbbell curl, standing dumbbell curl and then cross body hammer curl.
But so we train chest on monday then on wedsnday we train chest again with the dumbbell pull over? (And triceps), chest and triceps won't have time to recover... Also, isn't the routine on friday a bit too much for someone who wants to build muscles? That'd last more than an hour with breaks.
Hello there, when doing the above sets (i.e. incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 sets), should they be done one after another? If so, how long to wait before doing another set? Thanks.
Since the above plan is for Mon,Wed and Fri, am i able to do ab workouts on my rest days?
This may sound like an odd question, is it ok to run on my "rest" days? I'm still trying to boost my cardio.
I'd say you can do cardio on rest days but not more than 30 minutes if you're looking to build muscles.
I guess it's because the post is so old, but it appears that the demonstration links are dead. I don't think it's just me, as the demo links on other workouts on this site work just fine (e.g. https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-barbell-mass-workout...)
I have been laid out for a long time because of multiple injury & health problems, but now I'm BACK! I'm looking for a dumbell-based workout to fight off the years of atrophy, but I'm not sure of what weight to work with, especially with the sets that go 12,10,10,8. Is that with the same weight? Increasing? Decreasing? What is the best way to determine what weight to start with? If I do 12 to failure, I'm not gonna be able to follow through with 10,10,8 with just a 2 minute rest.
Thanks for posting this regimen, though. This is exactly what I was looking for.
how much weights of dumbbell for each can i have to build muscle
i'm man 28 years old
What about abs?Which day should be trained?
Hi, I was just wondering which metod is better to do this workout with... is it better to do all sets of one workout with 1 minute of pause in bettween, or to do 1 set of each workout and then repeat?
I am a pretty small guy trying to get into shape. I am 5'10 157lbs. I have been getting a lot of mixed reviews, is working each muscle group once a week going to be enough for a beginner trying to put on weight?
45 years old. 15 years of inactivity. Recently recovering from rib/chest fracture 7 weeks ago... Wednesday Back/Bicept workout took 30 minutes. Used weight that was easy first few sets but ultimately fatigued the muscles to exhaustion by the end of set. Next day was fine. Thursday, 3 am woke up... couldn't straighten arms +pain. Is this normal for starting resistance training? Should I Lift through the pain, or wait another day until the pain/limited motion subsides?
i wonder how much calories can we burn with these exercise. does anybody know?
I have been doing this routine for 60 days now. I am starting to see results already. I am 40 years old this year and this is my first
Time doing extended weight training. I noticed this is a "beginner" routine. Should I look for something intermediate at some point or stay on this one forever. My goals are to build muscle to burn more at
Rest calories and to look better to woman.