Upper Body Dumbbell Workout

A previous post called 10 Week Training Cycle Revisited talked about the workout program I designed for myself over the next 10 weeks. Today, I’m going to give you an example of what I do on the upper body day. I often switch this workout up and use different moves in order to keep things fresh, interesting, and to avoid plateaus; but the format generally stays the same.

The important thing to remember when working out with dumbbells (or any type of weight) is to check your ego and strive for perfect form over heavier weight. Whether you are working on size or toning, you will get better results if you use perfect form as opposed to lifting as heavy as you can! Typically, when you go too heavy, you start to incorporate other muscles to help out, and you end up cheating the muscle that you’re intending to work.

Ideally, the weight that you use should max you out in the 6-12 repetitions range. If you can do more than 20 reps on any of the moves, then it’s time to really consider investing in heavier weights!

I try to fit in 5 sets of 5 moves, targeting each of chest, back, shoulders, triceps, and biceps in 1 hour.

Set 1

• Dumbbell Bench Press – Max Reps, 6 minimum
• Pull-ups – Max Reps: I like to do a different type of pull-up each time. Options include: Reverse Grip (Supinated Grip), Overhand Grip (Chin-Up), Neutral Grip (Semi-Supinated Grip), Wide Grip, Close Grip, and Mixed Grip.
• Seated Military Press – 6-10 Reps
• Chair Dips – 35 Reps: Feel free to use a dip stand or bench.
• Alternating Supination Curls – 6-10 Reps

Set 2

• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – Max Reps, 6 minimum
• Bent Over Row – 6-10 Reps
• Rear Delt Flys – 10-15 Reps: When working the rear delts using flys or raises, I find that it’s really easy to lose form when using a heavy weight. I prefer to go with a lower weight on these exercises.
• Lying Down Tricep Extensions – 6-10 Reps
• Incline Bench Dumbbell Curl – 6-10 Reps

Set 3

• Incline Bench Dumbbell Flys – Max Reps, 6 minimum
• Pull-ups – Max Reps
• Seated Military Press – 6-10 Reps
• Chair Dips – 35 Reps
• Hammer Curls – 6-10 Reps

Set 4

• One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press – Max Reps, 6 minimum
• Seated Bent Over Row – 6-10 Reps
• Lateral Raise – 10-15 Reps
• Standing Tricep Extensions – 6-10 Reps
• Concentration Curls – 6-10 Reps

Set 5

• Dumbbell Bench Press – Max Reps, 6 minimum
• Pull-ups – Max Reps
• Seated Military Press – 6-10 Reps
• Chair Dips – 35 Reps
• Alternating Supination Curls – 6-10 Reps

See if you can keep the rests between moves to 30-45 seconds and between sets to 1.5 to 2 minutes!

If you liked this workout, check these out!

Lower Body Dumbbell Workout

Arms Dumbbell Workout