Stepping into the gym for the first time is a nerve-wracking experience, but stepping into the gym for the first time and having no idea what to do is even more daunting. That’s why we’ve called upon the expertise of Reid Stafford, Senior Personal Trainer at Ultimate Performance, to pull together a kickass workout plan using nothing more than a set of dumbbells so you make some serious muscular gains, burn fat and boost your stamina.
Dumbbells may not seem as fancy as weight machines or barbells, however, they’re just as effective at delivering results. “When lifting weights, your body doesn't know whether you’re using between barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, or even bags filled with cans,” explains Stafford. “All it experiences is the resistance it provides and the tension your muscles generate to move the load, to stimulate muscle growth.”
Dumbbell workout for beginners
Below, Stafford’s provided two killer dumbbell workouts, packed with compound exercises that’ll fire up your muscles from head to toe and supersets to reduce workout time. To keep intensity high, he’s added a tempo for each exercise, to increase time under tension to stimulate muscle growth. (This is also good if you don’t have access to a heavy pair of dumbbells).
Stafford advises performing three workouts a week, alternating between workout 1 and workout 2 over four weeks. “A typical week might look like this: Monday – Workout 1, Wednesday – Workout 2, Friday – Workout 1. Then the following week: Monday – Workout 2, Wednesday – Workout 1, Friday – Workout 2.” Rest for 30-60 seconds between each superset and for 90-120 seconds before moving on to the next one. Each week, aim to try and add an extra rep to each exercise or to lift slightly heavier.
| Exercise | Sets/reps | Tempo |
| 1A. Split squats | 2 x 8-10 | 3-0-1-0 |
| 1B. Bench press | 2 x 8-10 | 2-0-1-1 |
| 2A. Deadlift | 2 x 8-10 | 3-1-1-1 |
| 2B. Standing shoulder press | 2 x 8-10 | 3-0-1-0 |
| 3A. Bent-over row | 2 x 8-10 | 2-0-1-1 |
| 3B. Dumbbell step-ups (on a box or weight bench) | 2 x 8-10 | 2-0-1-0 |
| 4. Farmer carries | 2 x 15-30 seconds | N/A |
| Exercise | Sets/reps | Tempo |
| 1A. Walking lunges | 2 x 8-10 (per leg) | 2-0-1-0 |
| 1B. Decline dumbbell chest press | 2 x 8-10 | 3-1-1-1 |
| 2A. Dumbbell incline hammer curl | 2 x 8-10 | 2-0-1-0 |
| 2B. Calf raises | 2 x 8-10 | 3-0-1-1 |
| 3A. Dumbbell shoulder shrug | 2 x 8-10 | 2-0-1-0 |
| 3B. Dumbbell glute bridge | 2 x 8-10 | 3-1-1-1 |
| 4. Standing Y-shape lat raises | 2 x 8-10 | 2-1-1-1 |
If you want your third workout of the week to be slightly different, then give this other full-body workout a go. Alternatively, if you want to add in some additional core training, then this four-move standing ab workout is ideal for building functional strength.
