The 10 most effective dumbbell exercises for the gym and at home

The technology: The clean and slow movements are more important than the heavy weight.
Warm up or stretch: Warming up before exercise helps train muscles and minimize the risk of injury.
Breathe correctly: When doing strength training, you should breathe consciously. Exhale during exertion (including when lifting the weight) to stabilize the body.
Take breaks: Muscles grow during the recovery phase, which is why sleep and regeneration, including breaks between workouts, are important.

Can you build muscle with 1kg dumbbells?

1kg dumbbells are more suitable for beginners, for rehabilitation exercises or for movements that require a lot of repetition, such as endurance training. To build muscle effectively, the weight of a dumbbell should be slightly higher than 1 kilogram to really challenge the muscles.

Can you build muscle with 2kg dumbbells?

With 2 kg dumbbells it is possible to build muscles – especially as a beginner or when training smaller muscle groups. To make further progress after that, you should gradually increase the weight of your dumbbells to promote further muscle building.

Which exercises with dumbbells are the best?

Many exercises can be performed with dumbbells. The following exercises cover different muscle groups and can be performed both as dumbbell exercises and with barbells. These include, among others, these exercises:

Bicep curls
Bench press
Lunges
Shoulder press
Squats with dumbbells
rowing

The 10 best dumbbell exercises for building muscle – for the gym and/or at home

Perform each of the following exercises 15 to 30 times. If you have completed several exercises in a row, you can do a second round after a break of around five minutes and a third round after another break. It is best to leave around 30 seconds between each exercise.

1. Barbell squats

Squats with barbells train strength and stability – especially in your legs and butt. To do this, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, place your barbell on your upper back and squat (controlled!) until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your back straight and stand on your heels when coming up to protect your knees and back.

2. Barbell deadlift

When deadlifting with a barbell, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and gripping it slightly wider than shoulder-width. While keeping your back straight, bend your knees. Then push yourself up from your heels, stretching your hips and knees at the same time and bringing the dumbbell close to your body. Deadlifts work the entire back of the body and strengthen the core, legs and back.

3. Bench press with dumbbells or barbell

One of the best exercises for the chest muscles is the bench press with dumbbells or a barbell. You lie on the bench with your back firm, grip the dumbbells shoulder-width apart and lower them in a controlled manner to your chest. Then push the dumbbells back up until your arms are quickly extended, making sure to keep your shoulders stable.

4. Shoulder press

When doing the dumbbell shoulder press, you stand or sit upright, hold the dumbbell(s) at shoulder height, and palms facing forward. Press the dumbbell(s) over your head in a controlled manner until your arms are quickly extended and slowly lower them back to the starting position. The exercise trains the shoulders and strengthens upper body stability.

5. Barbell or dumbbell rowing

Rowing is ideal for building your back and arms. When rowing with a barbell or dumbbells, you bend your knees and at the same time walk slightly forward with your back straight. You hold the dumbbell(s) in front of you with your arms stretched out. Pull the dumbbell(s) towards your lower chest in a controlled manner by bringing your elbow back close to your body, and slowly lower them back down.

6. Dumbbell curls

The curls are good dumbbell exercises for the arms and biceps. When doing dumbbell curls, you stand upright, hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang at your sides, palms facing forward. Bend your elbow to slowly raise the dumbbells to shoulder height and lower them back to the starting position in a controlled manner without using momentum.

7. Tricep presses

Strengthens the triceps and shapes the upper arm. When doing an overhead tricep press, you hold a dumbbell with both hands and stretch your arms over your head. Slowly (!) lower the dumbbell behind your head by bending your elbows and keeping them close to your head. Then press the dumbbell up again in a controlled manner until your arms are quickly (!) stretched. Make sure your back is straight during the exercise.

8. Dumbbell lunges

A good exercise for your legs and butt are lunges with dumbbells. You stand upright and hold a dumbbell in each hand at the side of your body. Take a big step forward, lower your back knee in a controlled (!) direction towards the floor and then use your front leg to push yourself back to the starting position.

9. Lateral raises with dumbbells

When doing lateral raises with dumbbells, you stand upright, hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang at your sides. Raise your arms to the sides in a controlled manner to shoulder height without using momentum and slowly lower them again. The exercise sculpts the shoulders and improves upper body proportions.

10. Plank row

When rowing in the plank, also known as plank row, you first do the push-up. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your body straight and stable. Keeping your hips still, pull a dumbbell up toward your hips with your elbow close to your body, then switch sides.

The best dumbbell exercises for beginners and dumbbell exercises with dumbbells

The clean, safe and slow movements, starting the training slowly at the beginning and only increasing the volume gradually, is particularly important for beginners. To start, try dumbbell exercises. Dumbbell exercises for your arms will help you get used to a secure grip on the dumbbell. The following exercises are less complex and help create a solid base. (You can read how to do the exercises above.)