If you want to develop the muscles of your upper body, you must start doing the upper body dumbbell workout and set a routine. This is because with them you can work each of the muscle groups of the upper body, both large and small. With the dumbbells it is possible to perform different types of exercises, to develop each of your muscles:

  • Shoulders
  • Biceps
  • Triceps
  • Back
  • Chest
  • ABS

There is not a muscle that is left out. You can also do upper body dumbbell workout at home. Also, you can perform these exercises at the gym. These are best for people, even the elderly, only the intensity, repetitions, and weight of each of the dumbbells will vary. The volume of training must be adapted to each individual.

If you are one of those who prefer to do exercises at home, you can buy traditional dumbbells. They can do the same function of adding tension to the exercise. You have both options. You can add weight to your exercises using dumbbells that are adjustable in 2.5-pound increments.

Best Upper Body Dumbbell Workout

The best dumbbell exercises for your upper body are:

Sit-ups with dumbbells

  • Lying on the floor, bend your knees a little.
  • Take a dumbbell with both hands and bring it to the center of the chest.
  • Raise your chest as if you were doing sit-ups, but lightly.
  • You must keep your arms straight and with the dumbbell high.

It is not more than the traditional shrug or also known as crunch but with dumbbells to add weight and difficulty to the exercise.

Dumbbell lateral push-ups

  • You are standing, you take a dumbbell with one hand and you begin to bend your torso to one side, the same one in which you have the dumbbell.
  • You place the other side on the waist or your head.
  • Then you change the arm and it will help you to strengthen the abdominal area, especially the lateral ones.

Dumbbell Workout for your chest

  • Lying on a bench, feet on the floor, take a dumbbell in each hand, bring it to your chest, and then lift.
  • You must fully stretch your arms and bring the dumbbells together in the upper part.
  • Then go down to shoulder height. You must do this exercise over and over again.
  • You can also do it on the floor, but it is more uncomfortable to do.
  • This is because you can constantly hit your elbow with the floor, so you should take that precaution to avoid injury. This is the best upper body dumbbell workout for your chest.

Dumbbell bench opening or Cheat Press

It is very similar to the previous one, but it has a variation in the way you raise and lower the dumbbells. I believe this is a unique upper body dumbbell workout to strengthen your muscles

  • Lying on a bench, with your feet on the floor or on the bench, the one that is more comfortable for you.
  • Take the dumbbells with the palms of your hand facing each other.
  • You have to lift the dumbbells so that you stretch your arms to the maximum.
  • Lower your arms, you will open them until they reach the height of the shoulders.

Dumbbell shoulders

  • It is performed standing up, with a dumbbell in each hand, at the height of the hips and with the palms facing each other.
  • Raise your arms to the sides until you fully stretch, close again, and so on.

This exercise will strengthen the muscles and ligaments in your shoulder. If you want stronger and healthier shoulders, this simple upper body dumbbell work is for you. Make sure you follow the easy steps to master it.

Dumbbell biceps

  • You can do this while standing up, you take a dumbbell in each hand and raise to flex the elbow.
  • You can perform one arm at a time or both at the same time.
  • It will depend on how you feel most comfortable doing it. Here is a key that you cannot overlook, the strength must come from the biceps, not the trunk.
  • Otherwise, you will not be able to develop your biceps.
  • You can do it standing up always keeping your back straight and without performing any type of swing.

Dumbbell wrist curls

  • Sitting on a bench, taking the dumbbells in your hands and palms up and flexing only your wrists. It will help you a lot to strengthen your arms.
  • It may seem that it is not demanding, but it is.
  • Besides, it is one of the best or if not the best of the dumbbell exercises to work and tone forearms.

 Triceps with dumbbells 

  • Take a dumbbell with both hands and place it behind your head.
  • You should be standing with your legs slightly open.
  • Now always stretch your arms behind your head, start going down and up several times.
  • Here you can do it with one arm and then with the other, it will be much more demanding, since the weight is greater. 
  • It can also be both at once. Besides, It will depend on what you want to achieve.

Donkey kick with dumbbell for triceps

  • Support one knee and arm on a bench, the other leg must be on the floor to serve as support.
  • With your available hand, take a dumbbell at chest level and stretch back.
  • Here you are going to work the triceps a lot, then switch arms so that both develop in the same way.

Again, I must say that this upper body dumbbell workout is great for your triceps. If you want to strengthen your upper body muscles, then you have to do this exercise. Research shows that this workout is slightly difficult for people who are above the age of 40.

Dumbbell Row

  • Without a doubt, it is one of the best dumbbell exercises to work your back.
  • You are standing with your feet slightly apart, bend your knees, and lean your torso forward.
  • Grab the dumbbells in both hands, bend your elbows until the dumbbells reach your chest, and then fully stretch forward to knee height.

Supinator Bicep Curls

  • Lie on your back on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand on each side of your body, below body height, with your palms pointing up.
  • Raise the dumbbells until they reach your body height. Now, lower them slowly. Take a few seconds pause.
  • Exhale when lifting loads and inhale when lowering them.

Alternate Bench Biceps Curl

  • Lie face down on a raised bench, and hold a dumbbell in each hand, in a straight line below your shoulders.
  • Raise the dumbbell until you make it reach your shoulder height. Slowly lowering it, after a brief pause, begin to raise the other.
  • Try not to move your trunk in an attempt to help lift the loads.

Bicep Curls (Neutral Grip)

  • Place the top of one of your arms on the pad, the other at a 90-degree angle, and grasp a dumbbell in each hand, palms pointing toward each other.
  • Raise the dumbbells alternately, until your forearms are parallel to the ground, and while taking the pause, lower them alternately.
  • Try not to move your trunk in an attempt to help lift the loads.

Seated Isolated Dumbbell Curl

  • Sit on one end of the bench, hold a dumbbell in your hand and rest the elbow (extended) of that hand on the front of your thigh.
  • Raise a dumbbell to shoulder height and slowly lower it. After finishing the series, switch arms.
  • Try NOT to move your trunk in an attempt to help lift the loads.

Concentrated Pushups, Sitting

  • Sit on a bench, rest one arm on your thigh and hold a dumbbell underneath with that hand. Also, it is between your legs, with the palm pointing towards the other leg.
  • Raise your dumbbell so that it reaches your shoulder. Now you can slowly lower it. Take a short pause. After finishing the series, switch arms.
  • Try not to move your trunk in an attempt to help lift the loads.

Inside Bicep Curl, Seated

  • Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, towards the sides of your body, with the palms of your hand pointing towards each other.
  • Raise both dumbbells until they reach shoulder height/ slowly lower them.
  • Try not to move your trunk in an attempt to help lift the loads.

Concentrated Bicep Curls

  • Stand behind an incline bench and rest one arm on the backrest, while holding a dumbbell, palm pointing forward.
  • Raise the dumbbell toward your shoulder and lower it.
  • During the exercise, you should only move the lower part of your arm.

Incline Bench Bicep Curls

  • Sit on an incline bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, toward the sides of your body, with the palms of your hand pointing toward each other.
  • Raise both dumbbells until they reach shoulder height and slowly lower them.

Incline Bicep Curls

  • Sit on an incline bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, with the palms of your hand pointing toward each other.
  • Raise both dumbbells until they reach shoulder height and slowly lower them.

Inclined, Alternating Bicep Curls

  • Another upper body dumbbell workout that requires you to sit on an incline bench. Once done, hold a dumbbell in each hand, toward the sides of your body. You have to keep the palms of your hand pointing toward each other.
  • Raise the dumbbell so that reaches the height of the shoulder, now, slowly lower it, after a brief pause, and begin to raise the other.

Seated Biceps Curl

  • Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, towards the sides of your body, with the palms of your hand pointing towards each other.
  • Raise both dumbbells until they reach shoulder height.

Seated Alternating Bicep Curl

  • Sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand, towards the sides of your body, with the palms of your hand pointing towards each other.
  • Raise the dumbbell so that it reaches the height of your shoulder. Slowly lowering it, after a brief pause, begin to raise the other. It is the best upper body dumbbell workout.

Hammer push-ups

  • Grab a dumbbell in each hand, toward the sides of your body. Make sure your palms point toward your body.
  • Raise 2 dumbbells by bending your elbow or elbows and lower them after you have taken a pause.
  • Keep your upper arms still throughout the movement.

Inside Bicep Curls

  • Stand upright and hold a dumbbell in each hand, at your sides. You have to ensure your palms point toward each other.
  • Raise both dumbbells until they reach shoulder height and lower them slowly. But you have to take a pause.

Tips for the best upper body dumbbell Workout

The repetitions will be according to your demands, the idea is that you stay in a range of 8 to 15, but it will depend on your goal. Remember that you should always listen to your body so as not to over demand yourself.

You end up with an injury that keeps you away from exercise for a while. With this series of dumbbell exercises, design a routine so that you can combine them. I recommend you separate them by muscle groups so that they can have rest.

Also, you can train every muscle in your upper body. You can perfectly combine a large muscle with a small one on the same training day. For example Chest and triceps. So, the upper body dumbbell workout is what you need to strengthen your chest, biceps, shoulder, neck, and other areas.

Conclusion

When it comes to upper body dumbbell workout, most people focus on the chest and biceps. That’s the reason the aforementioned exercises are mostly bicep workouts. There are many benefits of upper body dumbbell workout. For example, it strengthens the muscles of the upper body, burns the fat, and maintain your figure. Moreover, if you want to get the most out of the upper body dumbbell workout, make sure you do them regularly. At the same time, focus on other exercises, such as lower body and cardio. The purpose is to keep your body healthy and fit.

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