A 3 day dumbbell workout trains the whole body on three days a week, with a rest day between sessions. This dumbbell only workout plan has three full body workouts of 9 to 11 sets, 30 to 45 minutes each. Add reps to the top of each rep range, then take the next dumbbell; when that is a big jump, add reps past the range first.
- Days
- 3 a week
- Session
- 30–45 min
- Block
- 4 weeks
- Level
- Beginner
- Goal
- Muscle size
- Equipment
- Dumbbells only
Who this plan is for
A dumbbell and bench workout for beginners who want muscle size and have three days a week, 30 to 45 minutes a session.
"Dumbbells only" means no barbell, cables or machines. It does not mean no bench: four of the eleven exercises use one. With no bench, the swaps keep the week intact. With a full gym, the 3 day full body workout has the same three-day shape with a barbell, cables and machines; it is written for an intermediate and runs 60 to 75 minutes.
The week
A 3 day dumbbell workout plan is three full body workouts, A, B and C, on three days with a rest day between them. Monday, Wednesday and Friday is the usual week.
- MONFull body A
- TUERest
- WEDFull body B
- THURest
- FRIFull body C
- SATRest
- SUNRest
Missed a day? Do that workout on the next day you train and carry on in order: see missed days and time off.
RIGOR is a strength training app for iPhone that builds your plan and sets every weight by rules you can read.
YOUR IPHONE
The workouts
Each row is an exercise, its working sets and rep range, and the rest between sets. "3 × 6–10" means three sets of 6 to 10 reps, all at one weight. Warm-up sets come on top.
Full body A
- Goblet Squat3 × 6–10 · REST 3:00
- Dumbbell Bench Press2 × 8–12 · REST 2:00
- Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row2 × 8–12 · REST 2:00
- Single-Leg Calf Raise2 × 12–20 · REST 1:30
Full body B
- Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift3 × 6–10 · REST 3:00
- Incline Dumbbell Press2 × 8–12 · REST 2:00
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row2 × 8–12 · REST 2:00
- Crunch3 × 12–20 · REST 1:00
Full body C
- Goblet Squat3 × 6–10 · REST 3:00
- Push-Up2 × 8–12 · REST 2:00
- Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row2 × 8–12 · REST 2:00
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl2 × 10–15 · REST 1:30
- Dumbbell Face Pull2 × 10–15 · REST 1:30
Do the exercises in the order shown and take the rests as written. The Push-Up, the Single-Leg Calf Raise and the Crunch use bodyweight.
Why it is built this way
Each workout opens with a squat or a hip hinge, while you are fresh. A press and a row follow, then the small exercises: large muscles before small ones, the order the American College of Sports Medicine recommends.
- Squat or hinge
- Press
- Row
Legs, chest and back are trained in all three workouts. A 2016 review of ten studies found that training a muscle twice a week grew more muscle than once. It could not say whether three times beats two.
Can you build muscle with only dumbbells? Yes. A 2017 review of 21 studies found similar muscle growth from loads at or under 60% of a one-rep max and from heavier ones, with every set taken to failure. This plan stops one to three reps short of that.
The time sets the limit. RIGOR aims a beginner at 10 sets a week for each big muscle group and 6 for each small one. When the session length cannot hold that, it cuts sets to fit and records that time capped the plan. This plan carries that note: calves get 2 sets a week and abs 3, and there is no overhead press.
What dumbbell weight should I start with?
Start each exercise with a weight you can lift for the middle of its rep range with about three reps left on the big lifts and two on the small ones. On the goblet squat at 6 to 10 reps, that is 8 reps with a dumbbell you could lift 11 times. Your first session sets the starting point.
Those reps left are reps in reserve: about three on the big lifts in weeks 1 and 2, two in weeks 3 and 4, and one fewer on the small exercises.
Warm up before each big dumbbell lift: about 40% × 5, 60% × 5 and 80% × 3 of the working weight, rounded to dumbbells you have. Before a 12 kg dumbbell bench press that is 4 kg × 5, 8 kg × 5 and 10 kg × 3; before 25 lb, it is 10 lb × 5, 15 lb × 5 and 20 lb × 3. Warm-up sets never count as working sets.
How it progresses when the next dumbbell is a big jump
Every exercise has a rep range. Keep the weight and add reps until every set reaches the top of the range, then take the next dumbbell: that is double progression, one form of progressive overload.
A rack of dumbbells goes up 2 kg or 5 lb a hand: 12 kg to 14 kg is 17% more, 25 lb to 30 lb is 20%. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a 2 to 10% increase once you can do one or two reps over your target. So RIGOR works out, from your best set and the reps you had in reserve, how many reps the next dumbbell should allow. If that is under the bottom of the range, the weight stays and every set gets one more rep, past the top of the range: "The next weight available is 14 kg (+17%). Aim for 13 reps at 12 kg first."
TOP OF THE RANGE8 REPS · BOTTOM
For this plan's rep ranges the limit is five reps past the top: at 17 on every set of an 8 to 12 exercise, the weight goes up regardless. A set that falls short in the three sessions after such a jump is expected: the weight stays. How weights go up shows each case as the app words it.
If you have no bench: the swaps
Without a bench, four exercises change. They are in the plan because RIGOR's "Dumbbells only" gym starts with a flat bench and an adjustable bench switched on.
| Exercise | Swap for |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | Dumbbell Floor Press or Push-Up |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Dumbbell Floor Press or Knee Push-Up |
| Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row | Bent-Over Dumbbell Row |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | Bent-Over Dumbbell Row |
With a flat bench that does not adjust, only the Incline Dumbbell Press and the Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row need a swap.
A swapped exercise starts its own history, so pick its first weight as above. In RIGOR, swapping an exercise suggests replacements from the equipment your gym has. Switch the benches off there and list the dumbbells you own: the preset assumes pairs in 2 kg or 5 lb steps.
How long to run it, and when you need heavier dumbbells
A block is four training weeks with no deload week after them: in RIGOR, deload weeks are off by default for beginners.
- WEEK1
- WEEK2
- WEEK3
- WEEK4
Run the block again with your new weights for as long as your reps or weights keep going up on most lifts. When a lift falls short of its range two sessions running at one weight, the rule takes 10% off it, rounded down to a dumbbell you have. If your days change, see the best workout split for your week.
You need heavier dumbbells when a lift is at the top of its rep range with your heaviest pair. RIGOR then asks for one more rep each session, up to five past the top of the range. After that, the lift waits for the next pair.
Get this plan built for your dumbbells
Questions
Can you build muscle with only dumbbells?
Yes. A 2017 review of 21 studies found similar muscle growth from lighter and heavier loads when every set was taken to failure.
Can you workout with just dumbbells and a bench?
Yes. All eleven exercises in this plan use dumbbells, a bench or your bodyweight, and each of the three workouts trains legs, chest and back.
What dumbbell weight should I start with?
One you can lift for the middle of the exercise's rep range with about three reps left on the big lifts and two on the small ones.
How do you progressive overload with the same weight?
Add reps. Keep the dumbbell and add one rep to each set each session, up to the top of the rep range, and past it when the next dumbbell is too big a step.
Can I do a dumbbell only workout with no bench?
Not this one as written: four of its eleven exercises use a bench. Swap the presses for the Dumbbell Floor Press or a push-up and the rows for the Bent-Over Dumbbell Row.
When do I need heavier dumbbells?
When a lift is at the top of its rep range with your heaviest pair and the reps have climbed five past it.
