Dumbbell Exercises
Dumbbells are the most versatile weights in the gym and the easiest to use at home. Each arm works on its own, so your stronger side can't take over, and your hands are free to find a comfortable path, which many people find easier on the wrists and shoulders than a fixed bar.
7 exercises, each animated in 3D. Drag to see them from any angle and watch which muscles do the work.
Dumbbell Bench Press
A flat-bench chest press with a dumbbell in each hand. Each arm works on its own, and the hands can travel a little further than with a barbell.
View in 3D →Incline Dumbbell Press
A chest press on a bench set to a low incline, which shifts more of the work to the upper chest and front of the shoulders.
View in 3D →Dumbbell Fly
A chest isolation move on a flat bench. With a slight, fixed bend in your elbows, you open your arms in a wide arc and hug the dumbbells back together over your chest.
View in 3D →One-Arm Dumbbell Row
A single-arm back exercise braced on a bench. With your torso flat, you row a dumbbell from arm's length up beside your waist.
View in 3D →Dumbbell Biceps Curl
The classic arm builder. Standing tall with your elbows at your sides, you bend at the elbow to lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
View in 3D →Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
A single-arm isolation move for the triceps. With your upper arm pinned alongside your torso, you straighten the elbow against the dumbbell's weight.
View in 3D →Dumbbell Lunge
A split-stance leg exercise for the quads and glutes. Holding dumbbells at your sides, you lower your back knee toward the floor and drive back up through your front foot. This is the stationary version, with your feet planted.
View in 3D →Training with dumbbells
You'll usually lift a little less with two dumbbells than with a barbell, because each arm also has to keep its weight steady. Start light enough to control the weights through the whole rep.
Get the weights into position and set them down safely: for a bench press, rest them on your thighs, then lie back with them, and at the end of the set bring them to your chest before sitting up rather than dropping them out to the sides.
The animations show general technique, not advice for your body. If you have an injury or are new to lifting, check your form with a qualified coach. See the Disclaimer.
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