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Buff up those biceps, back muscles, and more
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Looking to tone and strengthen your upper body? Well, you’ve come to the right place—we’ve got your back when it comes to building up muscles in your shoulders, arms, and anywhere else in your upper body. By using dumbbells, you can work on your new exercise routine practically anytime and anywhere. To get you started, we spoke to certified personal trainers about the best upper-body dumbbell workouts you can do to build the strongest you.
Dumbbell Exercises for Your Upper Body
- Bicep curls : hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides. Curl the weights toward your shoulders, then return to the starting position. Do 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Dumbbell pullovers : lie face-up, holding a weight vertically over your chest. Extend your arms to lower the dumbbell behind your head, then repeat. Do 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Dumbbell rows : keep your back straight and slightly bend your knees and hips. Lift the dumbbells toward your hips and lower them to complete 1 rep. Do 1-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
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Section 2 of 6:
27 Upper Body Dumbbell Exercises
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Overhead triceps extension Sit on a bench or stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a single dumbbell in both hands, with your hands scooted to one end of the bar. Lift the weight above your head until your arms are fully extended, then slowly bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head. [1] X Research source
- Extend your arms back to the starting position to complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Arms (triceps), shoulders, upper back muscles.
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2Bicep curls Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides and your palms facing forward. On an exhale, curl the dumbbells upward toward your shoulders—move only your forearms and keep your upper arms as still as possible. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- On an inhale, slowly lower the dumbbells back to their starting position. That’s 1 rep!
- Targets: Arms (biceps) and improves grip strength.
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Alternating bicep curls Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms in front of your body, palms facing forward. Curl your right hand toward your shoulder, squeezing your biceps throughout the movement. Keep your elbow held close to the side of your body. [3] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Slowly lower the weight to your starting position.
- Repeat the motion with your left arm to complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Upper arm (biceps). Curling one arm at a time allows for more focus and control.
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4Skull crushers Lie facing the ceiling with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor, and a dumbbell in each hand. Hold your arms on either side of your chest and extend your arm straight up toward the ceiling—this is your starting position. Slowly bend your elbows to lower both weights toward your head. [4] X Research source
- Bend your elbows, but don’t move them or flare them out to the sides.
- Avoid moving your shoulders or upper arms as you complete the skull crusher.
- Lower the dumbbells until they’re on either side of your head with your elbows bent close to your torso.
- Lift your arms back to your starting position to complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Upper arm (triceps), and helps with compound exercises like chest or overhead presses.
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5Zottman curls Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides and palms facing forward. Bend your elbows to curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders. When the dumbbells reach shoulder height, rotate your wrists slightly. [5] X Research source
- Complete 1 rep by slowly lowering the dumbbells to their starting position.
- Targets: Arms (biceps brachii, forearm flexors and extensors).
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Hammer curls Stand or sit with your back straight and feet shoulder-width apart. Hold dumbbells in each hand with a neutral grip. Let your arms rest at your sides, and position the dumbbells at the front of your thighs. Lift one dumbbell toward your shoulder, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to its starting position. [6] X Research source
- Repeat the movement with your other arm to complete 1 set.
- Targets: Arms (upper and forearms), improves strength and resistance in the arm muscles.
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7Shoulder press (or overhead/military press) Sit on a bench that has proper back support and can support your weight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Push your dumbbells upward until your arms are fully extended.
- Using your muscles to control the movement, lower the dumbbells back down to shoulder level.
- Make sure to exhale as you press overhead and inhale as you’re lowering, advises personal trainer Ross Dempsey.
- As Dempsey explains, this breathing pattern supports how “the muscle is going to stretch and your heart is going to expand” throughout the movement.
- Targets: Shoulders (deltoid muscles).
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8Arnold press Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Pick up your set of dumbbells and hold each hand above your collarbone with palms facing inward and elbows bent. Turn your arms slightly so that the dumbbells are above your shoulders and your palms are facing forward. [7] X Research source
- Extend your arms straight above your head and press the dumbbells toward the ceiling.
- Reverse this sequence to return to the starting position and complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Shoulders (deltoids), upper chest, arms (biceps), back (traps).
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Seated Arnold press Sit on a bench with back support and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Position your hands at shoulder height with your palms facing your body. Press the dumbbells upward and rotate your palms outward until your arms are fully extended above your head. [8] X Research source
- Reverse the movement and rotate your palms inward to complete 1 set.
- Targets: Shoulder muscles (front, side, and rear deltoids).
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10Arnold dumbbell curl to press Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your side. Face your palms outward with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbow and move your forearm upward to curl the weights toward your shoulders. [9] X Research source Avoid moving your upper arms—instead, rotate the palms to face them forward.
- Push the dumbbells overhead and extend your arms upward. Keep your upper body straight, but avoid raising your shoulders.
- Slowly bend your elbows to lower your arms, keeping your palms facing forward and parallel to your shoulders.
- Turn your palms to face you and begin straightening your elbows to return the dumbbells to their starting position.
- Targets: Chest (pectorals), shoulders (deltoids, traps), arms (biceps, triceps, forearms). Excellent for achieving strong, defined shoulder muscles .
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11Bent-over rear delt raise Sit on an exercise bench with your feet together or hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and face your palms inward. Hinge at your hips until your torso is bent forward and parallel to the ground. [10] X Research source
- Raise your arms laterally until they align with your shoulders.
- Hold this position for a few seconds before lowering your arms to the starting position—that’s 1 rep!
- Targets: Shoulders (rear deltoids), upper back.
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Dumbbell lateral raise Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back straight. Push your shoulders down, but keep your chest up. Start with your dumbbells at your sides, then laterally raise your arms with a slight bend in your elbow. Keep your pinky fingers pointing upward to activate your middle delt. [11] X Research source
- Pause for a moment once your dumbbells reach shoulder height. Then, slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position to complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Shoulders, back (traps). Crucial for adding width and a 3D look to your shoulders.
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13Dumbbell front raises Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold your arms at your sides with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing toward your legs. With a slight bend in your elbow, lift one dumbbell directly in front of you until it reaches shoulder height. [12] X Research source
- Pause briefly at the top of the movement and then slowly lower the dumbbell back down.
- Targets: Shoulders (deltoid muscles).
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14Alternating front to lateral raise Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and face your palms inward with your arms resting along the front of your legs. Slowly lift your arms upward and forward until they are in line with your shoulders (your body should look like an upside-down letter “L”).
- Slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position—this is the “front” raise.
- Then, raise your arms out to your sides until they’re aligned with your shoulders. Slowly lower them to complete your “lateral” raise and 1 full rep.
- Throughout these movements, keep your arms mostly straight with a slight bend in your elbow.
- Targets: Shoulder joint (rotator cuff). Helps to keep the shoulder stable and prevent injury to the muscles and tendons around it.
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Chest press (or bench/floor press) Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and orient your palms so that they’re facing your legs. Bend your elbows and rest them on the floor so that the dumbbells are held in the air. This position is where you start the exercise. [13] X Research source
- Slowly straighten your elbows and press the weights toward the ceiling while keeping your palms facing toward your legs.
- Pause for 1-2 seconds once your elbows are straightened completely.
- Slowly bend your elbows and lower them to the floor at your sides so that they’re perpendicular to your torso. This completes 1 rep!
- Alternatively, the dumbbell bench press can be performed as a unilateral exercise using one arm at a time.
- Targets: Chest (pectoral muscles), upper arms (triceps), and back (mid traps, rhomboids, lats).
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16Incline bench press Lie on an incline bench with your back against the bench. Hold the dumbbells slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows to bring the weights to your upper chest, then push the dumbbells upward while fully extending your arms. [14] X Research source
- Targets: Chest muscles, as a more challenging alternative to the standard chest press.
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17Dumbbell decline press Lie face-up on a decline bench with your feet secured. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and face your palms forward. Extend your arms above your chest, and then slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest. [15] X Research source
- Push the dumbbells back to their starting position to complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Chest (lower pectoral muscles).
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Dumbbell pullover Lay on your back and “extend your arms over your chest with palms facing and each one grasping a weight,” instructs personal trainer Errol Ismail. As you inhale, Ismail continues, “slowly extend the weights back and over your head. The weight should end up behind you but in line with your head, not below it.”
- Then, “exhale and pull the weight back to the starting position over your chest,” says Ismail.
- As you complete this move, Ismail advises that your elbows should be soft and slightly bent, “your abs should be engaged, and your back should be flattened into the bench (not arching at all).”
- Targets: Shoulder flexibility and mobility. Contributes to creating a V-shaped upper body.
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19Bent-arm dumbbell pullover Lie down perpendicularly on a flat bench or other sturdy piece of furniture—only your upper back and shoulders should be on the bench. Bend your knees and plant your feet firmly on the floor. Hold one dumbbell in both hands and position straight over your chest with your elbows slightly bent. [16] X Research source
- Slowly lower the weight in an arc behind your head, keeping a slight bend in the elbows.
- Repeat the same arc motion to slowly return the dumbbell to its starting position.
- Targets: Back (lats), chest (pecs), shoulders (deltoids), arms (triceps, biceps), and the serratus anterior.
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20Dumbbell chest fly Sit on a bench or other sturdy piece of furniture and hold your dumbbells on your thighs. Lie back and plant your feet on either side of the bench. Extend your arms above your head with a slight bend in your elbow. Turn your palms inward to face each other, holding the dumbbells directly above your chest. [17] X Research source
- Lower your dumbbells in an arc shape to your sides until they’re aligned with your chest.
- Extend your arms out to your sides with a slight elbow bend, but avoid dropping below your shoulders.
- Press the dumbbells back up to your starting position using the same arc motion.
- Targets: Sternal muscle fibers, the strengthening of which contribute to a defined chest. Also targets the arms (triceps, forearms) and shoulders (deltoids).
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Bent-over row (or dumbbell row) Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Rest your arms at your sides with a weight in each hand. Engage your core and bend forward at the hips, pushing your butt back and slightly bending your knees until your back is just about (but not less than) parallel to the floor. If you can’t bend that far, that’s okay—bend as far as you can within this range. [18] X Research source
- Keep your eyes focused on the ground 1–3 inches (2.5–7.6 cm) in front of your feet so that your neck stays relaxed and comfortable.
- Complete a row by pulling the dumbbells toward your chest with your elbows hugged tight to your body.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades for 2-3 seconds at the top of the movement.
- Make sure your elbows move past your back as you bring the weight to your chest.
- Slowly extend your arms toward the floor and lower the weights to complete 1 rep.
- Targets: Back (rhomboid, lats). Strengthens your core, as well.
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22One-arm dumbbell row Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and place your left knee and hand on a bench, kitchen chair, or other sturdy object. Bend over so that your left hand is directly under your shoulder and your knee is directly under your hips. Press into your hand and knee so that they bear the weight of your body. [19] X Research source
- Keep your back straight and your torso tight as you retract your shoulder blades and extend your right arm toward the floor. Keep your shoulder pulled down and back.
- Keeping your arm close to your side, bend your elbow and pull your arm backward to slowly bring the dumbbell upward. Pause to squeeze your shoulder and back muscles for 3-5 seconds.
- Extend your elbow and straighten your arm to lower the dumbbell, completing 1 rep. Complete all your reps on your right hand before switching to the left.
- If you don’t love the one-armed dumbbell row, you can try the bent-over or upright dumbbell rows to work similar muscles.
- Targets: Back (latissimus dorsi, traps, rhomboid), shoulders (posterior deltoid), arms (biceps), and chest (pectoralis).
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23Dumbbell deadlifts Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend at your hips and knees, keeping the dumbbells close to the front of your body. Straighten your hips and knees to lift your body into a standing position. With control, move back into your starting position to complete 1 rep. [20] X Research source
- Targets: Full-body workout, including the legs, back, glutes, and core.
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Reverse fly Stand with your feet hip-width apart or sit up straight with your feet firmly planted. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and rest your arms along the sides of your legs with your palms facing inward. [21] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- Bend your knees slightly and bend over at your hips, keeping your back straight.
- Maintaining your bent position, slowly lift the dumbbells up and out to the side until they’re aligned with your shoulders. You can bend your elbows slightly for this move.
- Using muscle control (not gravity), lower the weights back down to your starting position. This is 1 rep!
- Targets: Shoulder (rear delts), middle back. Excellent for improving your posture.
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25Dumbbell shrugs Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and relax your arms by your sides with your palms facing inward. Lift your shoulders as high as possible, almost to your ears. Pause briefly at the top of this movement, then lower your shoulders back to their starting position. [22] X Research source
- Targets: Back muscles, and helps to improve posture and reduce the look of rounded shoulders.
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26Farmer’s Walk Stand up tall with your arms hanging straight down and a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your back straight with your shoulders pulled back and down. Pull your chest down slightly and tip your pelvis slightly forward.
- Walk forward in quick, short steps. Keep your core tight and your dumbbells at your sides.
- When you run out of room to walk, turn around and retrace your steps.
- Repeat this movement for 30-60 seconds, maintaining good form, to complete 1 set.
- Targets: Upper back, shoulders (rotator cuff), shoulders (deltoids), arms (triceps, biceps, forearms). Works the core and many lower body muscles, making it a great full-body exercise.
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Renegade row Hold a dumbbell in each hand and assume an on-all-fours position with your knees and toes touching the floor. Pull your hips directly over your knees and place the dumbbells slightly wider apart than your shoulders. Straighten your legs and lift your knees to a pushup position.
- Keep your body straight while bending an elbow to pull one dumbbell toward your hip. Retract the shoulder blade and keep your shoulders and hips square to the floor.
- Slowly bring the dumbbell to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
- Targets: Your full body, including back muscles, the front of the shoulder, the biceps, triceps, forearms, and core.
- Ismail recommends starting lighter weights for this difficult move, as “you can always increase weight if it’s too easy.”
- For another beginner tip, “start with your legs wide for a better base of support—you can always go narrow once you nail the wide stance,” says Ismail.
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Section 3 of 6:
How to Complete an Upper Body Dumbbell Workout
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Choose two sets of dumbbells that fit your strength level. Start with weights that you can comfortably lift for 12-15 repetitions. [23] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source Purchase one lighter set of dumbbells and one slightly heavier set. Use the heavier set of weights for exercises that target your bigger muscle groups (e.g., the chest), and use the lighter set for smaller muscle groups (e.g., your biceps).
- If you’re a beginner, start with less weight and gradually work up to heavier dumbbells. [24] X Research source
- If you’re a more experienced lifter, choose a dumbbell weight that just barely enables you to complete the recommended reps and sets.
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Start with an upper-body warm-up. Warm-ups are crucial to loosen up your muscles, improve your blood flow, and prevent risk of injury while exercising. [25] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source Complete a 5-10 minute warm-up routine to either warm up your whole body for lifting or focus solely on your upper body. Search for an upper body workout warm-up on YouTube, or get started quickly with the warm-up exercises below:
- Slowly exhale and bend your body forward until your fingertips reach the floor.
- Jump rope for 2-3 minutes.
- Complete 50 jumping jacks.
- Perform 10-20 pushups.
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Build a routine with compound moves and isolation exercises. Choose 5-6 compound moves that target all of the major muscles in your upper body, including your lower and upper chest, your upper, mid, and lower back, and the front, middle, and back of your shoulders. Some popular examples of upper body compound moves include the bench press, pull-up, and deadlift. [26] X Research source
- For a more comprehensive workout, incorporate 2-3 isolation exercises into your routine. Isolation exercises target smaller muscles like your biceps, triceps, and forearms.
- Common isolation exercises include bicep curls and triceps extensions.
- Depending on the exercises and your strength level, complete 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps for each exercise. Take 30-120 seconds of rest between each set.
- However, it’s completely fine to only do one set of each exercise. For most people, one set of several exercises is enough to fatigue their muscles. [27] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
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Complete the workout twice a week with a few days of rest in between. Perform your upper body dumbbell workout at least twice a week to maximize your muscle-building. However, avoid performing the exercises two days in a row. Take a few days to rest in between each upper body so that your muscles have time to recover. [28] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source
- For example, you might work your upper body on Mondays and Thursdays but schedule a leg day on Tuesday and a rest day on Wednesday.
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Adjust your workout if you want to become more lean or more muscular. If you want a leaner look, build your muscle endurance with slightly lighter weights and higher numbers of reps (i.e., 15-20 reps). Decrease your rest time in between each set to about 30-45 seconds. Combine your weight training with cardio at least two times a week. [29] X Research source
- To build muscle mass, use heavier weights and complete between 8-12 reps of each upper body dumbbell exercise.
Gunnar Peterson, Celebrity Personal TrainerChanging up your workouts will keep you engaged and motivated. "Strike a balance between resistance training, intervals, longer duration cardiovascular work, and flexibility. Don't stick with one approach then flip after a few weeks. Mix it up weekly, daily."
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Keep pushing yourself as your strength and endurance increase. As you continue your dumbbell workouts, the exercises will become easier, so you must increase the difficulty as you progress. When your upper body workouts begin to feel easier, try adding another rep, increasing the weight of your dumbbell, or switching to a unilateral version of the exercise. [30] X Research source
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References
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