30 Minute Upper Body Dumbbell Workout
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This week we’re coming to you with a full upper body workout routine with dumbbells. While we often do upper body workouts without weights (and this one can be modified if you don’t have a set of dumbbells handy), we’re switching up our usual 30-minute routine series this week. Try incorporating this challenging set of weight lifting exercises with weights into your weekly routine!
Is This Just A Workout For The Arms?
Absolutely not! A complete upper body workout will always include focusing on the biceps and triceps, but this workout also includes: chest, shoulders, core, and back exercises! We’re putting together a variety of complex upper body exercises that challenge not only your strength and balance, but multiple muscles at the same time. This means that this quick upper body and core workout is ideal for a home workout, especially when you’re short on time.
What is the Goal of this Workout?
We love creating upper body workouts at home to create an endurance workout for your chest and core. While “spot-correcting” is a fitness myth, we’ll be working to build muscle in your arms, back and core, to help sculpt lean muscle and burn calories.
This workout is easily modified, which makes it perfect at-home full body stretch workout for beginners or advanced athletes.
See our full free workout series here.
We Recommend: Neoprene Dumbbell Set
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30-Minute Upper Body Dumbbell Workout
Suggested:
5-10 Minute Warmup (such as a walk)
Optional:
On the second set, increase the weight and shorten the reps!
Want an added challenge?
Increase that weight!
Need a modification?
If the weights are too heavy, drop the dumbbells and simply use your own body weight!
Exercise List:
Perform 20 repetitions per exercise. Repeat twice.
Plank Circuit:
Stay in the plank position for the entire round.
Plank position: In a pushup position, stack your shoulders directly over your wrists. Squeeze the ab muscles and keep your feet at hips distance. Your body should be one line, with no arch in your back or pike in your hips.
Row
How-to: In a pushup position, with a weight in either hand, shoulders stacked over wrist, core engaged, body in one line. Row the weight to your side. Alternate sides.
Form tip: Prevent unnecessary rocking through the hips by engaging the muscles of the glutes and core as you lift each arm.
Modification: Drop to the knees if needed for sensitive wrists.
Rotation
How-to: In the same plank position, twist the chest as you reach the arm to the ceiling. Bring the weight to the mat and stabilize your plank before your alternate to the other side.
Form tip: The plank is one of the best exercises for core strength, but you need to make sure that you keep your weight over your wrists and your abs engaged.
Challenge: Add in a pushup between each rotation.
Weight Transfer
How-to: Place one weight on either side of your plank position. With the right arm, reach underneath your body to the left side of the mat to pick up the weight and move it to the right side. Repeat on the other side as you transfer the weight from each side of the mat.
Form tip: Keep the abs engaged to prevent unnecessary rocking in the hips.
Tricep Kickback
How-to: In your plank position, with a weight in one hand extend the arm alongside your body, pinkies to the sky. Bend at the elbow to curl forward and extend. Perform all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
Form tip: To get maximum benefit for your triceps, make sure that the only movement is coming from the elbow as you bend and extend the arm. If need be, drop the weight if you cannot bring your arm in line with your body.
Modification: For sensitive wrists or balance issues, drop the opposite need to the ground for stability.
Kneeling Circuit:
Stay in the kneeling position for the entire round.
Kneeling position: Sitting on your heels, tuck your tailbone underneath you to stack the hips, core and shoulders in one line. If you have sensitive knees, you can tuck your toes underneath you to reduce pressure and tension.
Bicep Curl
How-to: With your arms at your side, curl the weights to your chest and extend.
Form tip: Avoid rocking through the body as you curl by controlling the movement slowly.
Shoulder Raises
How-to: Lift the weights laterally (to the side), palms facing down. Slowly lower and repeat.
Form tip: Keep the arms parallel with the ground and slowly lower down, controlling the movement the entire way.
Shoulder Press
How-to: Bring your arms out to the side, elbows making a 90 degree angle, palms faced away. Press upwards to full extend the arms and lower back to 90 degrees.
Form tip: To fully activate the muscles of the shoulders, squeeze the lats as you lower down to the start position.
Wood Choppers
How-to: Using one weight, with one hand on either side of the dumbbell, bring both hands to one side of your body at the hip. Twist across the body keeping the arms fully extended as you twist.
Form tip: Avoid swinging through the movement. Accelerate to the top of the twist with the obliques and control the descent to stop the weight at the hip.
Back Circuit:
Back position: Lie on your mat, lower back pressed into the ground, knees bent, feet pressed into the mat.
Glute Bridge Chest Press
How-to: With elbows at 90 degrees to the chest, press the hips in opposition with the chest press. As you lift the hips and squeeze the glutes at the top, lower the weights to hover just above the mat. As you lower the hips, extend the arms over the chest.
Form tip: Avoid arching through the back by squeezing the glutes at the top.
Chest Fly
How-to: Arms extend directly over chest, palms facing together, slight bend in the elbows. Open the weights to hover the triceps and elbows just above the mat. Close the fly and repeat.
Form tip: This is a great exercise to strengthen the muscles of the chest. To get the full range of motion through the fly, only go as long as you can control back to the starting position without letting your back come off the mat.
Skull Crusher
How-to: With arms by your ears, and elbows pointed towards the ceiling, bring the weight to touch just above your forehead. Extend the arms at the elbow and slowly lower down.
Form tip: Keep the arms squeezed in tight to the head, elbows pointed forward to really work the triceps in this exercise.
Supermans
How-to: Lie on your stomach, legs and arms extended long. Lift the chest and the quads from the mat with the lower back, holding at the top for one second.
Form tip: Strengthen the lower back by creating an isometric hold at the top. Engage the muscles and lift. Do not worry about how high your chest or legs come off the mat.
