Building a full body workout with just one dumbbell

Why one dumbbell is plenty

Most guys think they need a full set to make progress, but that is not really true when you are just starting out or training at home a few times a week. One moderately heavy dumbbell lets you load almost every major movement pattern: squat, hinge, push, pull, carry and press.

The trick is using tempo, unilateral work and higher reps to make a single weight feel harder. A goblet squat with one dumbbell at 15 reps burns just as much as a heavier barbell squat at 8, especially if you slow the lowering part down.

The lower body block

Start with your legs since they use the most energy and the dumbbell can load them in a few different ways. Goblet squats hit quads and core together. Reverse lunges and Bulgarian split squats let you go one leg at a time, which makes a light dumbbell feel plenty heavy fast.

Throw in a Romanian deadlift for your hamstrings and glutes. Hold the dumbbell with both hands, hinge at the hips, keep a soft bend in the knees, and feel the stretch down the back of your legs before standing back up.

• Goblet squat - 3 sets of 12 to 15
• Bulgarian split squat - 2 sets of 10 per leg
• Dumbbell Romanian deadlift - 3 sets of 10

Push, pull and shoulders

For pushing, an incline dumbbell press on a bench or couch cushion works the chest well with just one dumbbell if you do one arm at a time and keep the other braced on your stomach. Add a seated dumbbell shoulder press for the front and side of the shoulder.

Pulling is trickier with one dumbbell since you cannot really row a barbell. A one-arm dumbbell row off a bench or sturdy chair solves that. If you have a pull-up bar, add chin-ups or dead hangs for your back since the dumbbell alone will not cover pulling well enough on its own.

• Incline dumbbell press - 3 sets of 10 per arm
• One-arm dumbbell row - 3 sets of 12 per arm
• Seated dumbbell shoulder press - 2 sets of 10

Arms and core to finish

Standing dumbbell curls and overhead triceps extensions round out the arms without needing a second weight. Two or three sets of each at the end of your session is enough. You are not trying to build a bodybuilding physique here, just keep things balanced.

For core, a suitcase carry with the dumbbell in one hand is underrated. Walk slowly, resist leaning to the side, and switch hands halfway. Pair it with a plank or dead bug and you have covered anti-rotation and anti-extension in under five minutes.

• Standing dumbbell curl - 2 sets of 12
• Overhead dumbbell triceps extension - 2 sets of 12
• Suitcase carry - 2 trips of 30 seconds per side
• Plank - 2 sets of 30 to 45 seconds

Putting it into a routine

You do not need to do all of this every day. Split it across two or three sessions a week, alternating lower body focus and upper body focus, or just do a shorter full body version each time if that fits your schedule better.

If you want something already laid out so you are not guessing at sets and order, the 2-Day Minimalist Dumbbell Plan is built almost exactly around this idea and it is free to follow.

Common questions

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