Written by Kiel DiGiovanni | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Everyone knows the classic dumbbell exercises like bench press, single arm row, overhead press, lateral raise, bicep curl, and overhead extension, but we guarantee most of you have never seen many of these unique yet tried and true dumbbell exercises. Not only will these dumbbell exercises add a little creativity to your workouts, but they will also help to stress and overload your muscles and body in new ways, which strength and hypertrophy training is all about.
21 BEST DUMBBELL EXERCISES YOU'VE PROBABLY NEVER TRIED
Here are 21 of the best dumbbell exercises you’ve probably never seen (let alone done) but should definitely try during your next workout sessions.
1. Dumbbell Iron Cross
This is a total body dumbbell exercise that kind of looks like the name suggests.
The main target of this exercise is your quads, glutes and shoulders, but it also works your hamstrings, chest and upper back. Moreover, it will have your heart rate through the roof, so you are going to burn calories fast with this one.
You are going to be using light dumbbells for the Iron Cross...
How to do the Dumbbell Iron Cross:
- Get into a standing squat stance with two dumbbells held in a neutral grip.
- As you squat down, raise the dumbbells up and forward so your arms are extended and in line with your shoulders. Squat down to parallel.
- As you press up from your squat, pull the dumbbells away from each other so that when you reach the standing position, your arms are extended directly to your sides (still at shoulder level).
- Squat back down and as you do so, rotate the dumbbells back to your centerline. Then squat up and rotate them to your sides again. The dumbbells will remain at shoulder height with your arms extended for the duration of the exercise.
2. Dumbbell Cuban Press
The dumbbell Cuban Press is a combination of some movements you probably already know - an upright row, external rotation of the shoulders, and overhead press. So, it’s a three phase movement.
All in all, it’s a great exercise for targeting the shoulders and upper traps. It’s going to help you build stronger, more resilient shoulders. But go light with this one.
How to do the Dumbbell Cuban Press:
- Hold the dumbbells with an overhand grip.
- Perform an upright row until your elbows are in line with your shoulders.
- From there, externally rotate so that the dumbbells are in a pressing position with your arms at about 90˚.
- Then, press up overhead.
- Return the dumbbells back down through the same three phases.
3. Spell Caster
Not a lot of people work through the transverse plane enough. The Spell Caster is the perfect dumbbell exercise to welcome some rotation into your training as it is effective and not difficult to learn.
The Spell Caster is going to strengthen your entire core, which includes your abs, obliques and erector spinae. It is also going to work your shoulders and back as you need to fight gravity to keep the dumbbells up, and your hips and glutes as to help you maintain stability and balance.
How to do the Dumbbell Spell Caster:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Stand with your legs about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Swing the dumbbells down to one side as you rotate in that direction (dip your hips down a bit), then swiftly lift the dumbbells up as you rotate your torso to the opposite side, stopping at about shoulder level.
- Swing the dumbbells back down in the same path of motion. This is one rep.
- Be sure to repeat the same number of reps on both sides. So, swing up to your right side for a number of reps, then do another set for the same number of reps to your left side.
Start with light dumbbells. Practice good form. This exercise is not about using heavy weight. It’s about controlling the movement in a somewhat explosive manner.
4. Dumbbell W-Press
Your standard overhead press is front delt dominant, whereas the W-Press is middle delt dominant, which is great as the middle delts are often an underdeveloped and difficult area to target.
The W-Press targets your lateral (aka middle or medial) delts as well as your supraspinatus. It’s a great exercise for building that 3D broad shoulder look. It’s also effective at building resilience in the shoulder by correcting muscle imbalances, which a lot of people have due to ineffectively working these muscles.
How to do the Dumbbell W-Press:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and grab the dumbbells with an overhand grip.
- Bring the dumbbells up into a W position with your elbows to your side and your triceps pressed up near your lats. The dumbbells should be aligned with your body (not out in front or behind you).
- With your elbows fixed in place (they shouldn’t move throughout the exercise), raise the dumbbells up until they are overhead. The bottom of the two dumbbells will come in contact (or just about).
- From here, lower them back down through the same path of motion (again, keeping your elbows fixed) until you are back to the lower W position. This is one rep.
5. Dumbbell RDL Death March
The RDL Death March combines back flexion and extension with hip flexion and extension, which is a movement pattern that is not often trained. Like a standard RDL, it’s good for strengthening the hamstrings, glutes, and low back, but with the Death March added, you get even more improvements in back health and resilience. Essentially, it’s a little more dynamic than a normal dumbbell RDL and the hip flexion and extension is done from a slight staggered stance rather than a bilateral stance.
Note: This is normally a prehab exercise done with lightweight, but it is also a great accessory exercise to add to normal strength training routines.
How to do Dumbbell RDL Death March:
- Hold the dumbbells at arms length using an overhand grip.
- Take a short step forward and keep the front leg straight (or just a little bend in the knee) and the back leg bent as seen in the pic, then bend at the hips (pushing them back and your butt up) until the dumbbells lower down to about shin level.
- From here, stand straight and take a step forward with the back leg so that it is a bit in front of the other leg.
- Perform the same staggered stance RDL with this leg forward. This is one full rep.
- Continue stepping one foot forward, performing an RDL, then stepping the other leg forward and performing an RDL for as many reps as required. Usually, we aim for about 10-15 steps per leg.
6. Dumbbell Armpit Row (aka Monkey Rows)
Strange as the name may be, this often forgotten exercise is fantastic for trap and deltoid development. For those with shoulder pain, it puts less stress on the shoulder joint than upright rows, and it’s equally as effective (it’s also great for the biceps and serratus anterior!).
All in all, the dumbbell Armpit Row might look weird (and sound weird), but you should give it a go.
How to do the Dumbbell Armpit Row:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold the dumbbells to your sides with a hammer grip (neutral grip).
- Raise your elbows up so the dumbbells move in a straight path toward your armpit. Your arms should be aligned with your body and you should be able to bring your elbows up to just about armpit or shoulder level (as seen in the pic).
- Squeeze in this top position, then slowly lower the dumbbells down until your arms are extended at your sides back in the starting position. This is one rep.
7. Dumbbell Tate Press
The dumbbell Tate Press is an exercise that if you’ve seen it being done, it was most likely by someone experienced. It definitely looks a little strange, but it is super effective at smashing the triceps. After just a couple reps you are going to feel your triceps firing off like crazy.
Start light with the Tate Press and get the form down as it is not an easy exercise.
How to do the Dumbbell Tate Press:
- Lie down on the bench with your feet in a wide position and feet pressed into the floor.
- Pin your shoulder blades together against the bench and press the dumbbell up like you would a bench press.
- From this extended position over your chest, bend at the elbows lowering the dumbbells down to your chest. Your elbows will flair out slightly.
- Squeeze your triceps and extend the arms to the starting position. This is one rep.
8. Dumbbell Bent Over One Arm Y-Raise
The Y-Raise is an exercise trainers love to use for building client’s shoulder stability and resilience. This variation of the Y-Raise takes things to another level by performing it in a bent over position and with just one dumbbell.
With that, you are going to be targeting your rear delt, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis, lower trap (an often overlooked muscle), upper head of your pec major, AND your low back and core. A lot of these muscles are often underdeveloped because they are hard to hone in on. The Y-Raise takes care of that.
How to do the Dumbbell Bent Over One Arm Y-Raise:
- Hold a dumbbell in your right hand using a neutral grip with the dumbbell in-between your legs.
- Bend at the hips into a hip hinge (keep your spine straight in this bent over position).
- From this position, raise your right arm up until it is at about head level. Hold the position for a moment, then slowly lower it back down (maintaining the bent over position the entire time). This is one rep.
- After you perform a number of reps, repeat on the other side.
9. Dumbbell Supine Bicep Curl
The supine (lying) bicep curl is great at isolating and building bigger, stronger biceps. The supine position makes cheating on the movement nearly impossible because you can’t use momentum by swinging. As such, your biceps will be doing ALL the work.
How to do the Supine Bicep Curl:
- Grab your dumbbells and lie down on the bench with your arms extended and off to the sides of the bench. Your arms will be off the bench and you will be holding the dumbbells with your palms up. This is the starting position.
- Flex your elbow bringing your forearm up. Curl the dumbbells until your forearm comes in contact with your biceps. Squeeze your biceps and the slowly lower your arms down until they are fully extended back in the starting position. This is one rep.
10. Dumbbell High Low Carry
We’d be surprised if you didn’t know the classic Farmer’s Carry. This is just a more difficult variation of that exercise (although you will be using lighter dumbbells).
While the standard Famer’s Carry works the upper body as you need to hold the dumbbells as you walk, the Dumbbell High Low Carry brings the upper body, especially the back and shoulders, into play to a much higher degree. On the whole, this is a great total body exercise.
The movement is simple, but not easy. All you have to do is press one dumbbell up overhead and hold the other in a lower pressing position near your shoulder and then walk.
How to do the Dumbbell High Low Carry:
- Grab onto your dumbbells with a neutral grip and get them into a pressing position.
- Press your right side up overhead and keep the left side in the starting pressing position.
- Carefully walk for 15-50 meters while maintaining the dumbbells in this same position.
- Place the dumbbells down carefully, take rest as needed, then repeat with left side overhead.
11. Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise
Everyone knows the lateral raise, but not many people perform it with their hands in a position that has their thumbs pointed up (thumbs up is called the Full Can, i.e. it won’t spill, and Empty Can is thumbs pointed down).
The Full Can not only targets your delts differently, by bringing a little more tension on the front delts, but it is also much easier on the shoulder joint. This is why it’s a great exercise for people who have issues with their shoulder joint (which so many people have). It’s also great because it’s easier to keep your shoulder blades depressed with this hand positioning. Lateral raises with palms facing down often causes people to shrug their shoulders, which is incorrect form.
How to do the Dumbbell Full Can Lateral Raise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the dumbbells with an underhand grip and hold your arms directly at your sides.
- Keeping your arms extended, raise your arms straight up until your hands are aligned with your shoulders. If you can, hold this position for a second, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to your side.
12. Dumbbell Incline Shrug
The normal standing shrug is pretty much an upper trap isolation exercise, where as the dumbbell incline shrug is an upper trap, middle trap and rhomboid exercise. Overall, it just brings your entire upper back into play.
How to do the Dumbbell Incline Shrug:
- Put the bench in an incline position a little higher than 45˚.
- Place your chest up against the back rest so that your upper chest is just above the top of the bench. Plant your feet firmly into the floor to the sides.
- Grab the dumbbells and hold onto them with a neutral grip.
- Shrug the dumbbells up by raising your shoulders (scapula elevation).
- Squeeze and hold the shrug position for 2 seconds then slowly lower your shoulders back down. This is one rep.
13. Dumbbell Flat Bench Around the World
The pec major is made up of an upper and lower head known as the clavicular and sternocostal heads, respectively. While chest exercises work both to some degree, usually they hone in on one or the other (i.e. incline bench hits the upper head, flat bench hits the upper part of the lower head, decline bench hits the lower part of the lower head, and some exercises hone in on the inner area of the pec major). The dumbbell flat bench Around the World is special because it hits the chest from all angles. Not a lot of chest exercises can say that. This exercise is also great for the delts.
And while it’s not a main lift on a chest day, it’s definitely a fantastic accessory exercise to add into your routine like you would a fly.
Give it a try and you will see just how effective it is at creating tension in the pecs.
Note: You can also do it from a decline or incline position to hone in on the lower or upper head a little more.
How to do the Dumbbell Around the World:
- Lie down on the bench with your shoulder blades pressed together against the bench and the dumbbells held with an underhand grip and your arms extended to your sides.
- Rotate your arms up until they are straight out overhead (as if you are doing a snow angle). Really squeeze your chest as you are moving your arms and in the top position.
- Return the dumbbells back to your sides through the same path of motion. This is one rep.
14. Dumbbell Half-Kneeling Wood Chopper
Here is another great exercise to work you through the transverse plane. There are variations of this woodchopper exercise that train you for anti-rotation (which is still a transverse plane exercise), but this one involves rotation. It’s going to strengthen your entire core, as well as your shoulders. Start light and get the form down before attempting this with any considerable load.
Note: The half-kneeling position is great for developmental purposes. Read more about why half-kneeling exercises are beneficial.
How to do the Dumbbell Half-Kneeling Wood Chopper
- Get into a half kneeling position, and hold one dumbbell with a hand on each side of the bell. Bring it into a side load position. The dumbbell should be held directly at your side with your shoulders and torso posed in that direction but your hips squared forward.
- Rotate the dumbbell up to the contralateral side. It should reach head level, at which point your torso and shoulders will be facing in that same direction (your torso/shoulders follow the path of the dumbbell) yet your hips still squared forward.
- Rotate the dumbbell back down slowly and repeat.
The upward motion can be done explosively.
Be sure to perform this exercise both ways. So, bottom left to top right and bottom right to top left.
15. Dumbbell Drag Curl
Dumbbell Drag Curls do a stellar job of honing in on the biceps as it takes the shoulders out of the equation. You are going to get an intense contraction in your biceps with this one.
Don’t be surprised if this becomes one of your favorite bicep exercises.
How to do the Dumbbell Drag Curl:
- Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and hold the dumbbells with an underhand.
- With your arms extend down, slowly pull your elbows back while keeping them nice and tight. This will allow your to bring the dumbbells up in a straight path right in front of your body (as you are bring your elbows back, keep your shoulders down).
- The dumbbells will likely go up only to upper ab level.
- Squeeze the heck out of your biceps in this position, then slowly lower them back down.
16. Dumbbell Forward Lunge Tricep Extension
The Dumbbell Forward Lunge Tricep Extension is essentially a total body exercise, yet it especially hones in on the legs and triceps. It is a serious calorie burner. If you do full body workouts or HIIT style training, this is a great addition as you can hit many muscles in one go.
Make note that this exercise is going to take a little bit of practice as it requires good balance and coordination.
How to do the Dumbbell Forward Lunge Tricep Extension:
- Stand up straight with your feet hip width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bring the dumbbells up overhead and then down so your elbows are flexed at about a 90 or less than 90 degree position behind your head.
- Lunge forward and then when you reach the bottom of your lunge, extend at the elbows to bring your arms straight up overhead.
- Bring the dumbbells back down behind your head then press through the heel of your front leg to get back to a standing position. Repeat to the opposite side.
17. Dumbbell Hang Curl
The Dumbbell Hang Curl is another fantastic bicep isolation exercise. The forward hanging positing optimizes isolation by removing assistance from the back and shoulders. Essentially, you can’t cheat on these curls,
How to do the Dumbbell Hang Curl:
- Get into a wide stance with a dumbbell in just one hand.
- Lean forward so your upper body is parallel with the floor. A hip hinge is the best way to get into this position, although it’s not necessary as you will be using a light dumbbell so your back shouldn’t be compromised.
- Hold the dumbbell so your plan is facing in. With your arm extended, curl the dumbbell up toward your chest until your forearm comes in contact with your bicep.
18. Dumbbell Scott Press
The dumbbell Scott Press is essentially a combination of an Arnold Press and a lateral raise. With that, it is great for both your front and middle delts.
How to do the Dumbbell Scott Press:
- Hold the dumbbells up level with your head and your elbows aimed forward. The dumbbells can either be held with your palms facing you or with a neutral grip (facing each other).
- In one smooth motion, press up and perform a lateral raise. By doing this, the dumbbells will end up overhead as if you did a very high lateral raise.
- Lower the dumbbells back in the same motion in reverse. This is one rep.
19. Dumbbell Kneeling Hold to Stand
This is an awesome full body dumbbell exercise that builds durability and brute strength. It’s going to work your legs, core, shoulders, arms, back and upper chest. Really, it hits almost all your muscles as you need to hold the dumbbells in an overhead position throughout, which means many small muscles are recruited for stability and other large muscle groups come into play to assist.
How to do the Dumbbell Kneeling Hold to Stand:
- Get into a tall kneeling position (both knees down).
- Press the dumbbells up overhead using an overhand grip. This is your starting position.
- Bring your left foot up and step it into a half-kneeling position (keeping the dumbbells up overhead).
- Then, press up from the ground into a standing position (again, keeping the dumbbells up overhead).
- From the standing position, step your right foot back and drop down into the same half kneeling position. Then to a tall kneeling position. This is one rep.
- The next rep, do the same thing but let your right leg be the leading leg.
- Repeat for an even number of reps so that you work both sides equally.
20. Dumbbell Zottman Preacher Curl
The Zottman Curl is essentially like an all-in-one bicep exercise. It hits all the muscles effectively in one exercise (biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis) as you are moving your biceps through full range of motion (supinated to prontated, aka underhand to overhand).
While the preacher curl exercise can be done with out a preacher bench, the preacher bench allows you to avoid any shoulder or back movement and just simply focus on the arms.
How to do the Zottman Preacher Curl:
- Position yourself on the preacher bench with your elbows to the pad and your arms extended fully using an underhand grip.
- Curl the dumbbells up as high as you can.
- At the top of the curl, rotate your hands inward so that you move into an overhand grip.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down to full extension.
- From there, rotate your hands back to an underhand grip and repeat.
Related: 5 Best Zottman Curl Variations
21. Dumbbell Squat Press
The finally exercise on our list is another killer total body dumbbell exercise. It pretty much works all your muscles but it specifically hones in on your quads, glutes, shoulders, arms, upper back and chest. Like the other total body exercise, this is a testosterone boosting, calorie burning, strength building movement.
How to do the Dumbbell Press Squat:
- Get into a standing squat stance and hold a single dumbbell in a vertical position with both hands on the handle. Keep the dumbbell just in front of your chest (not touching your chest). Your arms will be bent as if you just did a two handed curl.
- Squat down as deep as you can and when you reach the bottom of the squat, press the dumbbells straight forward until your arms are extended (keeping the dumbbell at upper chest level).
- Return the dumbbell back close to your chest, then squat up, driving force from your heels.
- This one rep.
BONUS EXERCISE: THE DEVIL'S PRESS
If you have questions about these exercises, please feel free to reach out to us. And if you liked these dumbbell exercises, give them a go and share this on social media. We appreciate the support!
For more great dumbbell exercises, check out our Ultimate Upper Body Dumbbell Workout.
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Kiel DiGiovanni
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