Complete Upper Body Dumbbell Workout to help you sculpt and tone your arms, shoulders, chest and back. All you need is a pair of free weights to train every major muscle group in your upper body with these awesome exercises.
Complete Upper Body Dumbbell Workout
- Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
- Dumbbell Rows
- Dumbbell Military Press
- Dumbbell Upright Rows
- Dumbbell Biceps Curls
- Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Keep reading below for full exercise descriptions
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I am a huge fan of free weights. I love using dumbbells and barbells while working out to maximize my time and my efficiency.
If you’re going to spend time and effort weight training there’s simply no more efficient way to do it.
By eliminating stability offered by different machines your muscles have to work harder to stabilize through certain motions and activities.
This results in more muscle activity and a more efficient workout overall (I actually wrote a post on this topic – check out Free Weights vs Machines).
Today wanted to share with you one of my favorite upper body dumbbell workouts that will work your arms, chest, shoulders, and back for an amazing, complete workout in no time.
So grab your set of dumbbells and we’ll get to work!
How To Tone Your Upper Body
The best way to tone your upper body is to perform exercises that are going to work all the major muscle groups of your arms, shoulders, chest, and back. We’ll be performing dumbbell exercises that work your pecs, rhomboids, biceps, triceps, and deltoids. This is the most effective way to tone and tighten your upper body.
Will lifting weights make me big?
Contrary to popular belief, lifting weights alone will not cause you to put on mass. It actually has the opposite effect – it promotes lean muscle mass and boosts your metabolism to create a slender, muscular effect. If you would like to increase muscle mass, you have to supplement your lifting with eating… A LOT. The common rule is 1+ grams of protein per pound of your bodyweight daily to increase muscle mass. Most of us would never do that without some kind of supplementation.
Should I lift weights?
When you lift weights, you build lean muscle tissue which is more metabolically active than fat. When you increase your muscle, you also increase metabolism which means you’re burning more calories throughout the day. Regular strength training is just as important as cardio exercise for losing fat and getting fit.
A word about the workout outlined below…
Most of the workouts on this site are designed to Tone and Tighten – slim you down and carve out lean muscle.
Usually they consist of 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps. Personally when I lift weights, my workouts are usually geared towards higher weight and lower reps to increase muscle mass (check out this post for more info on the tone vs bulk idea).
However, if you’re not too into the bulk thing and more after the lean and strong look simply change the sets/reps that I have listed into 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps and keep your weight consistent throughout the sets.
Also, I tend to do a lot of circuit work in my routines.
What is circuit training?
Circuit training is a form of body conditioning or resistance training that rapidly moves from one exercise to another with little rest between sets. Typically you’re “resting” one muscle while you’re doing sets with another and then alternate back and forth between them. For example – upon completion of a set of a biceps exercise I would move immediately into a set for my triceps. While you’re performing this triceps exercise your biceps is “resting” so that as soon as your triceps exercise is complete you can move back to biceps.
It’s a great way to maximize time, efficiency, and gains!
For more info on circuit training check this post out.
First thing’s first – YOU’RE GOING TO NEED SOME DUMBBELLS!
Where can I get a good pair of dumbbells?My all-time favorite dumbbells is THIS SET OF ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS my wife got me for Christmas one year. Each dumbbell is adjustable in 5-lb increments from 5-100 pounds.Don’t need 100-pound dumbbells? I also likeTHIS SET OF DUMBBELLS which is adjustable from 5 to 52.5 pounds each.
Alright – no more typing… let’s get into this thing!
The Workout
Warm up – anything that gets your blood moving. For my upper body workouts I prefer and elliptical, row machine, or UBE… basically anything that is going to get your upper body active and promote blood flow to those muscles.
If you’re looking for a great warm up you can do anytime, anywhere – here’s my favorite 3-minute warm-up that’s will get the heart beating and the muscles nice and warm before shredding through this workout.
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Circuit 1
(Performed A, B, C, A, B, C, etc until 3-4 sets have been completed)
Dumbbell bench press: one of my favorite chest exercises – also great for your triceps and shoulders- Lay on your back with the dumbbells at your chest. This can be done on a bench, an exercise ball, an aerobic step, or on the floor.
- Squeeze your chest muscles and press the dumbbells up towards the ceiling.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
To Tone: 3-4 sets of 10 with a comfortable resistance
My sets: 12 reps with 70’s, 10 reps with 80’s, 8 reps with 90’s, 6 reps with 100’s, 6 reps with 100’s.
Dumbbell rows: great for defining your back by really working the rhomboids, but it’s a great biceps workout as well!- Place your left hand and left knee up on a bench, couch, or bed. Grab a dumbbell with your right hand.
- Focus on pulling through your back and shoulder blade as you pull the dumbbell up into your chest.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
To tone: 3-4 sets of 10 with a comfortable resistance
My sets: 12 reps with 60’s, 10 reps with 70’s, 8 reps with 80’s 6 reps with 90’s, 6 reps with 90’s.
Plank: just because I always try to work a little core into my workouts!
- Get down on your elbows and toes.
- Use your ab muscles to pull your pelvis up off the floor.
- You should be able to draw a line straight through your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles.
45 second holds; 4 sets
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Circuit 2
(Performed A, B, C, A, B, C, etc until 3-4 sets have been completed)
Military press: great for the shoulders; if you eliminate back support (i.e. sitting unsupported on a bench) it also becomes a great core exercise. Keep your stomach sucked in and tight while doing it.- Sit with your dumbbells in your hands up around ear level (elbows bent to 90 degrees)
- Focus on squeezing your shoulders as you push the dumbbell up towards the ceiling.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
To tone: 3-4 sets of 10 with a comfortable resistance
My sets: 10 reps with 50’s, 8 reps with 55’s, 6 reps with 60’s, 6 reps with 60’s.
Upright rows: just to tap out the shoulders. Adds great definition to your deltoids (outside part of your shoulders) and upper trapezius (the muscle that comes up into your neck).- Stand with your arms straight down holding both dumbbells in front of your hips.
- Pull through your shoulders to raise the weights up to your chest level.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
To tone: 3-4 sets of 10 with a comfortable resistance
My sets: 10 reps with 30’s, 8 reps with 35’s, 6 reps with 40’s, 6 reps with 40’s.
Side plank: Awesome exercise for the obliques and transverse abdominis (two of your deep abdominal layers).
- Lay on your left side with your bent left elbow underneath you.
- Pop up onto your left elbow and the outside of your left foot. There should be a straight line from your nose – belly button – between your knees – and between your ankles.
45 second holds; 4 sets
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Circuit 3
(Performed A, B, C, A, B, C, etc until 3-4 sets have been completed)
Dumbbell biceps curls: The standard in toning and shaping your biceps. Get great definition with one (relatively) simple move.- Stand with your arms straight, palms forward, holding both dumbbells.
- Squeeze your biceps to bend your elbow and bring the weights up to your shoulders.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
To tone: 3-4 sets of 10 with a comfortable resistance
What I did: 10 with 35’s, 8 with 40’s, 6 with 45’s, 6 with 45’s.
Dumbbell pullovers: Awesome exercise for the lats and triceps.- Lay on your back on a bench, Swiss ball, aerobic step, or floor.
- Hold a dumbbell straight over your chest up towards the ceiling.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell towards the floor over your head as far as you can go comfortably
- Use the muscles in your chest and arms to pull it back to the starting position.
To tone: 3-4 sets of 10 with a comfortable resistance
What I did: 10 with 30’s, 8 with 35’s, 6 with 40’s 6 with 40’s
Single-leg bridges: We’ve done the front of the core, the sides of the core, and we’ll finish it off with the back of the core and some single-leg bridges!
- Lay on your back with your right knee bent and your left leg out straight.
- Contract your right glute to raise your hips up off the floor.
- Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position.
4 sets of 15 on each leg
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’re one step closer to the upper body you’ve always wanted!
Show some love by pinning! You know you want to….
Looking for some more amazing gym workouts? You’ve come to the right place! Here are a few of my favorites:
Questions or comments about this or any other workout found here on T&T? I’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at ToneandTightenFitness{at}gmail.com
Make it happen,
Jared
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This is one of my favorite upper body workouts! Simple enough that anybody can do it and totally customizable as my workout goals change! Thanks!
Chris – I’m stoked on this comment! This is one of my favorite workouts, too, for those exact same reason! Thanks so much!
Jared
Just tried this! Absolutely brilliant. Exactly what I was looking for!!
So glad you liked it, Beatrice! Thanks!