Warm Up 1 Warm Up 2 Warm Up 3

Workout A

• Goblet Squat 3 × 10
• Dumbbell Chest Press 3 × 10
• One-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 × 10 each side
• Romanian Deadlift 3 × 10
• Lateral Raise 2 × 10
• Dumbbell Curl 2 × 10

Workout B

• Bulgarian Split Squat 3 × 10 each leg
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 10
• One-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 × 10
• Romanian Deadlift 3 × 10
• Dumbbell Chest Press 3 × 10
• Overhead Triceps Extension 2 × 10

Cool Down 1 Cool Down 2 Cool Down 3 Cool Down 4

Train 3 days a week, with at least one rest day in between sessions.

Monday - Wednesday - Friday

Alternate them:

Week 1: A - B - A
Week 2: B - A - B

Phase 1 - First 2 weeks: learn

Don’t try to lift heavy.

Your purpose is:

learn movement → control dumbbell → establish technique

Start with weights that feel almost slightly too easy.

For example, depending on the movement:

• Lateral raise: 2.5–5 kg
• Curl: 5–7.5 kg
• Shoulder press: 5–10 kg
• Chest press: 7.5–12.5 kg each
• Row: 10–15 kg
• Goblet squat: 10–15 kg
• Romanian deadlift: 10–15 kg each

These are only starting examples, not targets.

During these first two weeks, do:

2 sets per exercise

rather than three.

Phase 2 - Weeks 3–6: start building muscle

Now move the major movements to:

3 sets

Use a weight where you can perform approximately:

8–12 controlled repetitions

and finish the set thinking:

“I probably could have done another 2 or 3 good repetitions.”

That’s the sweet spot for most of your training.

You don’t need to train to complete failure.

Phase 3 - Weeks 7 onward: progressive overload

This is where muscle and strength development becomes systematic.

Suppose you chest press 12.5 kg per dumbbell.

Workout 1:

12.5 kg - 9, 8, 8

Next time:

12.5 kg - 10, 9, 9

Eventually:

12.5 kg - 12, 12, 12

Now increase to:

15 kg

You might get:

15 kg - 9, 8, 8

That’s fine.

Build toward 12 again.

Then increase.

So the system is simply:

increase reps → reach top of range → increase weight → repeat.

Goblet Squat

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How to do it. Hold one dumbbell upright against your chest, elbows pointing down. Feet about shoulder-width, toes slightly out. Sit down between your hips until your elbows meet the inside of your knees, then stand by pushing the floor away.

Avoid. Heels lifting, knees caving in, the dumbbell floating away from your chest, or rounding your lower back to get deeper.

Tip. Keep the weight glued to your chest. Only squat as deep as you can with your heels flat.

Dumbbell Chest Press

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How to do it. Sit and rest the dumbbells on your thighs, then lie back so they start over your chest. Lower until you feel a stretch, elbows about 45° from your sides, then press back up. Sit up the same way you lay down.

Avoid. Flaring the elbows straight out, bouncing the weights off your chest, or dropping the dumbbells to the floor at the end.

Tip. Keep your wrists stacked over your elbows. No bench? Lie on the floor and stop when your upper arms touch the ground.

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

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How to do it. Support the opposite hand and knee on a bench so your back is flat and roughly parallel to the floor. Let the dumbbell hang, then pull the elbow toward your hip until the weight reaches your lower ribs. Lower it until the arm is straight.

Avoid. Twisting your torso to swing the weight, shrugging the shoulder, or rounding your back.

Tip. Move the shoulder blade, not the whole body. Keep the working elbow close to your side.

Romanian Deadlift

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How to do it. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs with soft knees. Push your hips back until the hamstrings stretch, keeping the weights close to your legs and your back straight. Stand by driving the hips forward. Squeeze the glutes without leaning back.

Avoid. Squatting the weight down, rounding the lower back, letting the dumbbells drift forward, or overarching at the top.

Tip. The cue is “push the hips back,” not “bend over.” Stop where you feel the hamstring stretch.

Lateral Raise

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How to do it. Stand tall with a light dumbbell in each hand and a slight bend in the elbows. Raise your arms out to the sides until they are about shoulder height, leading with the elbows. Lower slowly.

Avoid. Swinging your body, shrugging into your neck, or lifting the hands well above the shoulders.

Tip. Raise slightly in front of your sides, not behind you. If you have to swing, the dumbbells are too heavy.

Dumbbell Curl

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How to do it. Stand tall, palms forward, elbows pinned near your sides. Curl toward your shoulders, pause, then lower all the way until your arms are straight.

Avoid. Swinging your hips, letting the elbows drift forward, or dropping the weight on the way down.

Tip. Only the forearms should move. A lighter curl you control works the biceps more than a heavy one you heave.

Bulgarian Split Squat

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How to do it. Stand a stride in front of a bench and rest the top of the back foot on it. Keep most of your weight on the front foot. Lower until the front thigh is about parallel, then drive through that foot to stand. Finish the reps, then switch legs.

Avoid. Standing so close that the front heel lifts, leaning so far you lose balance, or pushing off the back foot.

Tip. Find the stance with a practice rep before you add weight. A couch or sturdy chair works if you do not have a bench.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

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How to do it. Sit or stand with the dumbbells at shoulder height and the elbows slightly in front of your body. Press straight up until the arms are nearly straight, then lower to about shoulder height. Keep the wrists straight and the ribs down.

Avoid. Leaning far back to finish the rep, flaring the elbows wide, or bouncing out of the bottom.

Tip. If your lower back arches hard, the weight is too heavy. A seat with a backrest makes this easier to learn.

Overhead Triceps Extension

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How to do it. Hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands cupping one end. Point the elbows forward and keep them close to your ears. Bend only at the elbows to lower the weight behind your head, then straighten the arms.

Avoid. Flaring the elbows, swinging the torso, or dropping the weight onto your neck.

Tip. Keep the upper arms still. You should feel a stretch in the back of the arms, not pain in the elbows.