THE TOP 9 DUMBBELL EXERCISES FOR BUILDING MUSCLE MASS

There are few tools as effective as dumbbells for packing on slabs of muscle.

The key to gaining muscle mass is to emphasize training movements before muscles.  When you train with dumbbells you are not only creating a stimulus that produces muscle mass, but also creating functional strength because of the added need to stabilize the weight in multiple planes of movement.

So what are the best dumbbell exercises for mass? Here are my top nine of the best dumbbell movements for packing on muscle and developing usable strength.

1. CLEAN AND PRESS

There are few muscles that this movement doesn’t include.  You can perform it with one dumbbell or two based on your skill and strength levels. Perform them at the beginning of your workout with heavy weight after a proper warm up for 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps for a total of 25 or so reps to build a monstrous upper body. You can also perform them for higher reps as a finisher, but be warned, this is not for the faint of heart. Try performing 3 sets of 15-20 reps at the end of a workout. As a bonus you will get a little cardio workout too.

Perform it by starting with the dumbbells at your sides and then use your hips to generate some momentum (like you would with a cheat curl) and then clean the dumbbells up to your shoulders.  From the shoulders, ensure that your forearms are vertical and press the dumbbells overhead.

2. ARNOLD PRESS

When it comes to building massive shoulders, no one can argue with the Austrian Oak’s methods. The Arnold Press is great for building massive shoulders because it extends the range of motion of a conventional shoulder press. It also involves the posterior shoulder when you sweep the dumbbells from in front of your body out to the sides. Replace the traditional dumbbell press with the Arnold Press for at least four weeks to bring about new growth. Try alternating heavy days (3x6-8) with volume days (4x12-15).

To perform the Arnold press, start with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing your chest. Next, simultaneously sweep your elbows out to the sides while pressing the dumbbells overhead. Follow the same path on the way down.

3. ALTERNATING DB BENCH PRESS

In order to stimulate muscle hypertrophy it is necessary to increase the time under tension - the amount of time that a set lasts for an exercise. When you perform a Dumbbell Bench Press while alternating which arm is performing work you increase your time under tension and provide more of a stimulus for growth. As an added bonus you get a great core workout from having to resist trunk rotation while working one side at a time.

Place this exercise early in a workout while you are fresh. It is a skill intensive exercise and you need to be mindful while you are holding one dumbbell at lockout while the other is performing a repetition. Start with 3 sets of 8 to get a feel for how long a set is going to take you.

Perform this version of the bench press by starting with both dumbbells at lockout and then alternate which arm is performing a repetition and which one is at lockout.

4. SUMO DEADLIFT WITH DUMBELL

The sumo deadlift is a strength training exercise that works nearly every major muscle group in your body including buttocks, hamstrings, thighs and lower back. 

Its effectiveness to target multiple muscle groups at once got many fitness experts calling this exercise as the king of all exercises. 

How to Sumo Deadlift with Dumbbell:

1. Stand with your feet very wide, wider than shoulder width apart with a dumbbell in the middle of your feet. Make sure your toes point outwards. Bend at the hips to grab one end of a dumbbell with both hands, arms hanging in front of you.  
2. Tighten your abs and lift the dumbbell by straightening your legs and standing up straight. 
3. Keeping your chest and head up, lower your hips until the dumbbell passes through the knees. Make sure to keep your weight on the heels and bend through your hips and knees. 
4. Repeat to complete 10-12 repetitions for 2-3 sets.

5. REAR FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT

Don’t think you can build great legs without a barbell? I beg to differ. The Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFESS) allows for you to load your legs with unbelievably larger loads than if you were performing a traditional back squat (provided you have the grip strength to hold 100 plus pound dumbbells in each hand).

The RFESS takes advantage of what well known and respected strength coach Mike Boyle calls the Bilateral Deficit. The bilateral deficit states that you are stronger on one leg than on two. In fact, most individuals will be able to perform well over half of their 1RM back squat with one leg. So if my back squat is 300 lbs and I were to grab 75lb dumbbells in each hand (total of 150 lbs), I will be able to perform multiple reps on one leg when the load on one leg is technically the same as my 1RM back squat!

Take advantage of the bilateral deficit and train your legs one at a time with heavier loads than you would have used with a barbell. Start with 3 sets of 10 and go from there. 

To perform the rear foot elevated split squat grab a heavy set of dumbbells and place one of your legs back on a bench. Next, ensure that your front foot is in a position where your knee will not travel past your toes when you start to descend into the bottom of your squat.

Your rear knee may or may not touch the ground depending on how tall you are. On the way up drive through your heel and try to stay as upright as possible. I would also recommend placing an Ab-mat or foam pad on the ground where your rear knee touches to give you a little cushioning and to adjust your range of motion if you are shorter or using a taller bench.

6. THREE POINT BENT-OVER ROW

There is no exercise like the row for getting a thick, dense back. The 3 point row allows for you to train heavy with a dumbbell. This position takes the stress off your lower back because you are bracing the bench with your non-working arm to keep you back angle consistent throughout the set.

My favorite way to perform dumbbell rows is to run the rack after you have worked up to a heavy set of 5. Use straps if your grip is failing, but be sure that you are still paying attention to training your grip as it is often overlooked and can cause heartache later on in your strength training career.

Stand in a staggered stance - if you are working the right arm, the right foot should be back. Next brace your opposite hand on a bench and ensure that you have a solid and flat back. Start with the dumbbell on the floor and pull it to your pocket, not towards your armpit.

7. RENEGADE ROW

There are few exercises that will challenge your core and back like the Renegade Row. I walk away humbled every time I perform it. I like to perform these on back day after I have performed weighted chins or pull-ups. Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps after a heavy pulling exercise, preferably a vertical pull like lat-pulldowns, weighted chins, or weighted pull-ups.

To perform the movement you begin in a modified push up position with your feet spread more widely than a push up (about shoulder width apart) and your hands placed under your chest inside your shoulders. With a pair of dumbbells in your hands, maintain the front lean and rest position while you alternate which arm performs a row and which arm keeps you from falling on your face!

Keep your abs and glutes braced the entire time and don’t allow your butt to shoot up or sag too low and keep your hips level the entire set. The only part of your body that should be moving is the arm performing the row.

8. DUMBELL BICEP CURL

The dumbbell bicep curl uses both arms at the same time to build stronger arms.

Steps :

1.) Start off standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, abs tight, knees slightly bent and a dumbbell in each hand holding in a palms up grip.

2.) While holding the dumbbells extend your arms at the side of your body, then slowly lift your arms up towards your chest until your forearms touch your biceps.

3.) Isolate the bicep and hold this position for a count.

4.) Return back to the starting position and repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.

Tips :

1.) Refrain from swinging your arms during this exercise.

9. STRAIGHT ARM SIT UP

To build a stand-out six pack, you need to build the rectus abdomis. In order to increase the muscle size on your abs, you need to train them like you would any other muscle: by using progressively heavier weights. If the muscle bellies on your abs are small then you must get your abs bigger by training them with weight. I like the straight arm sit up to load your abs and bring about growth. 3 sets of 15 with a weight that you can manage is perfect for ab development.

In the starting position (back on the ground with knees at 90 degrees with feet flat on the floor) press a heavy dumbbell towards the ceiling. Next, perform your sit up keeping your arms straight and making sure that the dumbbell is still pointing towards the ceiling. Slowly return to the starting position, always ensuring you are keeping the weight aimed at the ceiling with the arms locked out.

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THE TOP 5 EXERCISES FOR QUADS

I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT SQUATS ARE ULTIMATELY THE BEST EXERCISE FOR MAKING GAINS, AS THEY'RE A MULTIJOINT MOVEMENT THAT UTILIZES ALL THE MUSCULATURE IN THE LEGS AS WELL AS THE GLUTES 

The Anatomy of the Quads

The quadriceps (quads) are a group of muscles that stretch across the front (anterior) of your thigh. In any person with a toned body, these muscles can be seen quite clearly – especially if they utilize the top 5 exercises for increasing quads in their normal workout. The quads are a massive muscle group and are made up of hundreds of smaller muscles that move to support the larger muscles:

-VastusMedialis
-VastusIntermedius
-VastusLateralis
-Rectus Femoris

These muscles begin at the top of the femur (with the Rectus Femoris crossing the hip joint) and run down to the front of the tibia in the lower leg. The primary purpose is to extend or straighten the knee.

The Top 5 Exercises for Increasing Quads

While nearly every weight training exercise will use the legs to some degree, you can’t rely on this passive usage alone to work the muscle groups of the legs. This is indirect and won’t benefit your legs as much as direct improvement through specific training. These top 5 exercises for increasing quads will ensure that through a variety of workouts your quads and leg muscles will match the tone of the rest of your body.

Top Quad Exercise #1 – Sprints

Sprints are easy, and you can do them just about anywhere you have enough space to get your sprint on. You don’t need to go a long distance, and the massive benefit from sprints is that they’re both aerobic and anaerobic. Not only will you be conditioning your legs but you’re improving your overall endurance and cardiovascular system.

While this workout is easy, avoid sprinting on hard surfaces. Try to do sprints on a soft surface that will give you some measure of traction; woods, grass, trails. If you want to change the pace and you have a limited work area (such as in the city) try doing stair sprints.

When sprinting, pump your arms to gain momentum. Bring your knees up high and really work your legs in the extension in order to get the most action and power out of your quads. You’ll get the most performance the most workout this way as well.

Top Quad Exercise #2 – Barbell Step-Ups

One of the best ways that you can train your body is to work through functional exercises. A functional exercise is any workout that mimics real life movements that you perform every day when you’re at home, or at work or out in the world. The barbell step up is one of the top 5 quad exercises because it’s so similar to the lunge and it mimics those movements we do every day while stabilizing our bodies across multiple planes.

To set this exercise up, use a barbell (or dumbbells, though the weight will be significantly less) across your shoulders similar to a squat. Step forward onto a small box or bench at a low height. Make sure the item you’re stepping up to can support the weight. When you step up, use your forward leg to propel yourself up. Bring your back foot forward and raise your knee up as high as you can. Step that foot back down while maintaining tension on the leg you first stepped forward onto the box with.

Top Quad Exercise #3 – Barbell Lunges

This exercise is very similar to the barbell step-up, and is an extremely effective workout that targets your quads. Additional weights on a barbell aren’t necessary, as variations of this workout can be done with dumbbells or simply using your own body weight to tone the quads. It’s all a matter of preference and the intensity of the workout.

Your goal is to work through a set of lunges, just like you would normally do them, while maintaining a weighted barbell on your shoulders or with dumbbells at your sides. When you lunge, you want one foot forward and one foot back with both knees bent. Your forward thigh should be parallel to the floor in order to achieve an optimal lunge – without your back knee touching the ground.

Top Quad Exercise #4 – Barbell Squats

Squats have long been the king of all leg exercises. The barbell squat activates all the muscle groups in the legs. This compound exercise requires complete body stabilization which makes it one of the most physically demanding exercises to perform. Adding additional weight can put a hard strain on your leg muscles to spur on the growth and recover of new and stronger muscle tissue. While effective, this exercise does require stronger shoulders as the barbell is held either across the top of the chest or across the shoulders behind the neck.

When performing the squat, it’s important to keep the back straight and lower the body slowly under tension to a point where the thigh is parallel to the floor (though you can go lower). Raise yourself back to a standing position and repeat.

Top Quad Exercise #5 – The Leg Press

It’s important to keep in mind that the leg press is not a functional exercise. It does not mimic the gestures or movements of work we do on a daily basis. This is more for weight trainers that are serious about applying heavy weight to the muscle groups of the legs.

Using machines and various foot positions, it’s possible to apply a large amount of weight to the legs from a safe and comfortable position that will target all of the muscle groups within the upper and lower legs. If your aim is to tone the individual muscles and muscle groups in the legs then the leg press is an ideal choice to supplement the other top quad exercises.

Weight lifters and trainers all too often forget about the legs beyond some run, sprint or walk time. It’s necessary to do various exercises that will not only tone the legs but strengthen the core muscles of the quads and lower legs as well. Remember that your legs provide the core strength that your other muscle groups need to function throughout your workouts. Make an effort to combine these top 5 quad exercises in your workout routine for maximum muscle gain.

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