Topic

Dumbbell Exercises

Browse 39 articles about dumbbell exercises on LiftStrong. Evidence-based training and nutrition advice to help you get stronger and build muscle.

39 articles

Strength Training

10 Best Free Weight Exercises for Beginners

Free weight exercises for beginners: master 10 dumbbell and kettlebell moves like the goblet squat, build real strength, and nail proper form from day one.

5 min·Jeff·Sep 22, 2024

Pull-Up Training

Pull-Up Alternatives: 15 Exercises for Back Strength Without a Bar

Pull-up alternatives: 15 no-bar exercises including inverted rows, dumbbell rows and band pull-aparts to hit your lats, traps and rhomboids from anywhere.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Workouts

15-Minute Morning Routine: Dumbbell Exercises to Start Your Day

15-minute morning dumbbell routine to wake your body, fire up metabolism, and sharpen focus. Hit squats and key muscle groups before the day gets busy.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Bodyweight

The Complete Guide to Dips: Chest and Triceps Builder

Dips are one of the best upper body exercises most people do wrong. Here is how to do them right, progress from zero to weighted, and build a bigger chest and stronger triceps.

6 min·Sam·Mar 28, 2026

Muscle Building

Dumbbell vs Barbell: When to Use Each for Maximum Growth

Barbells let you go heavier. Dumbbells give you more range of motion. Both build muscle, but knowing when to use each makes your training significantly more effective.

8 min·Olivia·Dec 28, 2025

Strength Training

How to Program Accessory Work Around Your Main Lifts

Your main lifts build the foundation. Your accessories fill in the gaps. Here is how to choose, organize, and progress accessory work so it actually supports your big lifts instead of just adding fatigue.

8 min·Olivia·Jan 25, 2026

Strength Training

Sticking Points: Why Your Lift Stalls and How to Fix It

Everyone has a point in the squat, bench, or deadlift where the bar just stops. That sticking point tells you exactly what is weak and how to fix it.

9 min·Jeff·Feb 5, 2026

Muscle Building

Blood Flow Restriction Training: Build Muscle With Lighter Weights

BFR training uses elastic wraps or cuffs to partially restrict blood flow during light-weight exercises, triggering muscle growth at loads as low as 20-30% of your max.

8 min·Sam·Mar 8, 2026

Strength Training

Single-Leg Training: Why Unilateral Work Makes You Stronger

Your dominant leg is doing more work than you think. Single-leg exercises expose and fix imbalances, build real-world stability, and can even increase your bilateral squat and deadlift numbers.

8 min·Olivia·Mar 8, 2026

Muscle Building

The Best Bicep Exercises Ranked by EMG Activation

We ranked the top bicep exercises by muscle activation data. Some of the results will change how you train arms.

8 min·Jeff·Feb 8, 2026

Workout Programs

Dumbbell Only Arm Workout: 30 Minutes to Bigger Arms

No barbell, no cables, no problem. This 30-minute dumbbell arm workout hits biceps, triceps, and forearms with nothing but a pair of dumbbells.

9 min·Jeff·Feb 10, 2026

Training Techniques

How to Do Dips Properly: Chest vs Tricep Variations

Dips are one of the best upper body exercises if you do them right. Here is how to target your chest or triceps and avoid shoulder problems.

10 min·Jeff·Feb 10, 2026

Training Techniques

Overhead Press vs Lateral Raises: Best Shoulder Exercises Compared

Both exercises build shoulders, but they do it in completely different ways. Here is when to prioritize each one and how to program them together.

10 min·Jeff·Feb 10, 2026

Injury Prevention

How to Train with Lower Back Pain Safely

Lower back pain does not mean you have to stop training. Here is how to keep lifting while your back heals, plus exercises that actually help.

11 min·Jeff·Feb 10, 2026

Injury Prevention

Shoulder Impingement: Exercises to Fix and Prevent It

That pinching pain when you raise your arm overhead? Probably shoulder impingement. Here is what causes it and the exercises that actually fix it.

12 min·Jeff·Feb 10, 2026

Strength Training

The Benefits of Compound Exercises in Strength Training

Discover how compound exercises can revolutionize your strength training. Build muscle, burn calories, and boost overall fitness with these efficient workouts.

6 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Recovery

Strength Training for Improved Flexibility and Mobility

Strength training can boost flexibility and mobility by building strength through a full, pain-free range of motion. This guide explains the science and gives exercises and programs you can start today.

9 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Recovery

How to Fix Anterior Pelvic Tilt: Exercises and Stretches

Fix anterior pelvic tilt with targeted exercises and stretches that ease lower back pain, loosen tight hip flexors, and correct your posture over time.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Bodyweight

10 Best Bodyweight Exercises for Total Fitness—No Equipment Needed

Discover the top 10 bodyweight exercises to achieve total fitness without any equipment. Get fit anywhere with these effective, equipment-free workouts.

4 min·Jeff·Sep 12, 2024

Strength Training

Winter Sports Preparation: Strength Training for Skiing and Snowboarding

Transform your skiing performance with our 6-week strength training guide. Learn essential exercises for injury prevention and enhanced mountain performance this winter.

4 min·Jeff·Nov 26, 2024

Strength Training

Building Bigger Biceps Without Weights: The Ultimate Guide

Discover how to build impressive biceps without weights. Learn 6 essential bodyweight exercises, workout routines, and expert tips for maximum arm gains at home.

4 min·Jeff·Oct 2, 2024

Strength Training

4-Week Kettlebell-Only Workout Plan for Total Body Conditioning

Transform your fitness with our 4-week kettlebell workout plan. Build strength, endurance & power with full-body exercises. Get started now!

5 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Pull-Up Training

Zero to 10 Pull-Ups in 30 Days: Beginner's Guide and Workout Plan

A 4-week pull-up program with specific exercises, sets, reps, and progression for going from zero pull-ups to your first 10. Includes dead hangs, negatives, band-assisted work, and inverted rows.

16 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Muscle Building

How to Build Muscle Mass in Specific Body Parts: Targeted Hypertrophy

Targeted hypertrophy: zero in on specific muscle groups with tailored workouts, focused exercises and diet to sculpt a defined, well-proportioned physique.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Muscle Building

Top 20 Compound Exercises for Building Mass

Top 20 compound exercises for building mass: bench press, squats, pull-ups, overhead press and more multi-joint lifts that pack on size and real strength.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Muscle Building

Best Strength Training Exercises for Building Muscle Mass

Build muscle mass with the right lifts. Squats, deadlifts, and presses hit multiple muscle groups and trigger the hormones that drive real, lasting growth.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Strength Training

Functional Strength Training: Exercises for Everyday Life

Functional strength training builds real-world power for carrying bags and climbing stairs. Compound moves boost coordination, balance, and daily strength.

4 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Pull-Up Training

Pull-Up Bar Exercises: Full Body Workout Using Just a Bar

Pull-up bar exercises deliver a full-body workout from one piece of kit. Hit your back, core, and arms while burning more calories than isolation moves.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Pull-Up Training

Rock Climbing and Pull-Up Strength: How They Complement Each Other

Discover how pull-up strength can revolutionize your rock climbing performance. Learn the best exercises and techniques to build power and endurance on the wall.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Muscle Building

50-Minute Upper Body Hypertrophy Workout Using Dumbbells and Cables

Achieving muscle hypertrophy effectively doesn't require hours at the gym or a ton of equipment. With a well-structured plan, you can achieve significant upper body gains in just 50 minutes.

4 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Push-Up Workouts

Push-Up to Row: Combining Push and Pull for a Complete Upper Body Workout

Push-up to row, the renegade row, blends a push-up with a dumbbell row to hit chest, back and core in one rep for balanced, time-saving upper-body work.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Strength Training

Functional Fitness: Exercises That Improve Everyday Life Activities

Functional fitness moves that make daily life easier: squats and multi-muscle exercises that build strength, balance and coordination and cut injury risk.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Muscle Building

Isometric Exercises for Muscle Hypertrophy: Incorporating Static Holds

Isometric exercises for hypertrophy: how planks, wall sits and static holds build tension and muscle, plus how to add them to your training for real gains.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Muscle Building

How to Bulk with Limited Equipment: Home Gym Mass-Building Workouts

Bulk with limited equipment: build real muscle at home using just dumbbells, resistance bands and a pull-up bar with this efficient full-body workout plan.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 20, 2024

Workouts

3-Day Full Body Workout Plan for Men Using Only Dumbbells

3-day full body dumbbell workout plan for men done at home. Hit every muscle group with bench press, rows and squats, no gym membership required here.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Workouts

30-Minute Dumbbell Workout for Men at Home

30-minute dumbbell workout for men at home. Build muscle, strength and endurance with squats and simple moves using just a pair of adjustable dumbbells.

4 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Strength Training

Strength Training Equipment: What You Really Need

Strength training equipment that actually matters: dumbbells, barbells, and weight plates for building muscle at home without wasting money on the rest.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Strength Training

How to Overcome Plateaus in Your Strength Training

Break through strength training plateaus: why muscles stop adapting and how to fix it with new exercises, smarter recovery, and better nutrition fast.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

Bodyweight

Bodyweight Strength Training Exercises for Home Workouts

Bodyweight strength training for home workouts: push-ups, squats, and full-body moves that build muscle and flexibility with zero equipment or gym fees.

3 min·Jeff·Aug 19, 2024

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