Dumbell workout?

Drake5

Drake5

Drake5

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Joined
12 Dec 2005
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I have a small dumbell set and I'm currently trying to lose some weight.

I know diet is the most important thing; I can work on that one myself.

But I'm just wondering if someone could please plan out a dumbell routine for me? On Monday, Weds and a Friday?

I have no idea when it comes to muscle groups/exercises etc.

Cheers
 
If you plan on losing weight, then you need a good diet. This can be helped by exercise.

As you're on dumbells you're limited (obviously), but CocCcola's linked routine isn't too bad as a starting point: there are a lot of pointless exercises in it from a weightloss perspective (i.e. they work very small muscle groups), such as calves (wth?), but with the bulk of it stripped out, it would be a useful starting point.

Now weightloss isn't my particular thing, but essentially:

Monday:

1) Goblet squats;
1) Overhead dumbell press;
2) Reverse lunges;
2) Chin-ups;
- Planks (start with 30s, build to a minute).

Wednesday:

1) Single-leg deadlifts (lol);
1) Dumbell row;
2) Dumbell step-ups;
2) Dumbell chest press;
- Side planks (start with 30s, build to a minute);

Friday:

1) Rear-foot elevated squats;
1) Pull-ups;
2) Goblet squats;
2) Push-ups;
- Weighted deadbugs.

I would do this in supersets (1 and 2), with reps around 12-16, depending on the weights of your dumbells, with 4 cuircuits. If you aren't exhausted after each workout, you aren't working hard enough. :D

Why is there a huge amount of leg work? Because those are your biggest muscles and will burn the most fuel (i.e. flab). They also increase the production of testosterone, which is a good thing (drives muscular development): don't worry, you won't turn into Arnie overnight or in the long term, but you should firm up nicely.

This routine is based on weights only. You could include some cardio if you wish, but if you work hard enough with the routine above, you should get where you want to be, anyway, if you hav an appropriate diet.

So, questions for you:

- What is your diet currently like?
- What are you willing to accept in terms of diet modification?
- How much time to you hvae to workout?
- Body stats?
- History of injuries/predispositions, etc.
 
Last edited:
CocaCola said:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday Perfect.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/frankoman-dumbbell-only-split.html

There's other good routines on that site also, if you don't like that one.
Click to expand...

I'm with thingy. It has a lot of crap in there that isn't needed. Plus quite a lot of focus on arms.

If you want to drop weight then the best way is to do the exercises that use your body most. These are compounds (squats, deads, overhead press) rather than isolations (bicep curls, tricep extensions).
 
Quite some time ago I got a bit too chubby for my liking, I bought a kettlebell and it transformed me.

Dumbells are quite restrictive, but with the Kettle, you have a wider range of movements.
Just have a look on Jewtube for some examples!
 
Supercow said:
Quite some time ago I got a bit too chubby for my liking, I bought a kettlebell and it transformed me.

Dumbells are quite restrictive, but with the Kettle, you have a wider range of movements.
Just have a look on Jewtube for some examples!
Click to expand...

Or, spend nothing and just use the dumbbell set OP already has? ;)
 
I think the point being made is that there isn't really anything that you can do with a KB that you can't do with a DB, especially as any KB he would buy would be light like the DB set the OP already has.
 
The basic swinging motion is an incredibly good exercise, which can progressively made harder by doing them one handed and alternating each swing.

Hard pressed to do that with a dumbbell.

Added to that, the whole fluidity of the motions and being able to go from one to another is hard to replicate using dumbbells.
 
To be fair, the OP would be a lot better off going to a gym and getting under a barbell with some progressively increasing and serious weight, and potentially combined with a well-structured cardio programme.

But he/she is not joining a gym and doesn't have a barbell and disc set at home. :)

I understand what you mean and your perspective, but you also have to understand the criteria in question.

Kettlebell exercises are fine, but they are no better (or worse) than dumbbell ones: a person can exercise the same muscle groups with the same intensity with a dumbbell and Kettlebell of the same weight.

Given unlimited access to unlimited gym equipment, some pele will prefer kettlebells: you clearly do and it has worked for you (and that is the most important thing). Others will not and do not.
 
The one I posted above? Or did you just assume the Dumbell chest press cancelled out the efficacy of the rest of it? ;)

If you don't have a bench, just lie on the floor and call it a floor press... Less than ideal but what else are you going to do?
 
mrthingyx said:
If you plan on losing weight, then you need a good diet. This can be helped by exercise.

As you're on dumbells you're limited (obviously), but CocCcola's linked routine isn't too bad as a starting point: there are a lot of pointless exercises in it from a weightloss perspective (i.e. they work very small muscle groups), such as calves (wth?), but with the bulk of it stripped out, it would be a useful starting point.

Now weightloss isn't my particular thing, but essentially:

Monday:

1) Goblet squats;
1) Overhead dumbell press;
2) Reverse lunges;
2) Chin-ups;
- Planks (start with 30s, build to a minute).

Wednesday:

1) Single-leg deadlifts (lol);
1) Dumbell row;
2) Dumbell step-ups;
2) Dumbell chest press;
- Side planks (start with 30s, build to a minute);

Friday:

1) Rear-foot elevated squats;
1) Pull-ups;
2) Goblet squats;
2) Push-ups;
- Weighted deadbugs.

I would do this in supersets (1 and 2), with reps around 12-16, depending on the weights of your dumbells, with 4 cuircuits. If you aren't exhausted after each workout, you aren't working hard enough. :D

Why is there a huge amount of leg work? Because those are your biggest muscles and will burn the most fuel (i.e. flab). They also increase the production of testosterone, which is a good thing (drives muscular development): don't worry, you won't turn into Arnie overnight or in the long term, but you should firm up nicely.

This routine is based on weights only. You could include some cardio if you wish, but if you work hard enough with the routine above, you should get where you want to be, anyway, if you hav an appropriate diet.

So, questions for you:

- What is your diet currently like?
- What are you willing to accept in terms of diet modification?
- How much time to you hvae to workout?
- Body stats?
- History of injuries/predispositions, etc.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll get this started.

My diet at the moment is poor, but I'm well aware of what I need to adjust in it. Basically just cutting out all the usual crap and junk food that I eat on a daily basis.

I will adjust as much as I need to, but I get hungry very easily so don't want to feel like I'm starving myself.

I have upto 2 hours to work out.

Don't know body stats at the moment.

N/A.

Cheers :)
 
Cool. Do not neglect your diet if you're trying slim down - it is actually more important for weightloss than the weights.

If you can be honest with yourself and go or the routine now and diet later (ad actually o for it) then great. But if you neglect your diet,you will be on here in 6 weeks' time complaining nothing is happening.

Nuts will become your new best friends, as will oats. :)
 
Can you please just explain what this part means exactly

I would do this in supersets (1 and 2), with reps around 12-16, depending on the weights of your dumbells, with 4 cuircuits.

I don't get what the supersets/cuircits thing means.

Cheers
 
Super sets are one pair of exercises done straight after each other, whereas circuits are a group.

So you are going to go from 16 goblet squats straight into 16 overhead presses but only rest for 60-90 seconds before starting the 16 reverse lunges straight into the chin-ups.

Then you'll rest for 60-90 seconds and repeat circuit 3 more times. :)

Make sense?
 
mrthingyx said:
Super sets are one pair of exercises done straight after each other, whereas circuits are a group.

So you are going to go from 16 goblet squats straight into 16 overhead presses but only rest for 60-90 seconds before starting the 16 reverse lunges straight into the chin-ups.

Then you'll rest for 60-90 seconds and repeat circuit 3 more times. :)

Make sense?
Click to expand...

Cheers, I think I've got it. So in total I'll be doing every exercise 4 times?

Cheers
 
Yup. If you think you're 'ard enough, you can up the number of circuits or weight.

Start easy, mind, as I suspect this will be harder than it looks... Although, if you're finding it too easy, you need more weight.
 
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