Having a pair of dumbbells stashed at home, ready for an emergency ‘can’t make the gym’ workout is an unbeatable hack for keeping consistent in your workout routine (and keeping those muscle building, strength boosting gains coming). But how many times have you checked your programme, or searched for a dumbbell-only workout online, only to discover that more than half of the workout also you requires you to have a bench? Yep, we’ve been there. That’s why we’ve put together this no-bench, dumbbell-only, upper body workout, designed to build muscle across your entire upper body, including your chest, shoulders, back and arms. All in less than forty minutes.
Grab your bells, let’s get started.
How to Do the No-Bench Dumbbell Upper Body Workout
Warm-up as necessary and set a countdown timer for 40 minutes. Work your way through as many high quality rounds of the following seven-move dumbbell circuit as possible, resting only as necessary to keep your form sharp.
Each movement has a suggested ‘rep range’, depending on the weights you have. Work towards the higher end but make a note of the reps you get for each movement across the entire 40-minute window. The final two movements are both 'AMRAPs', standing for 'as many reps as possible' – just keep repping out until you feel like your arms are going to explode. No, that's not a technical term.
Your goal, next time you attempt this workout, is to beat your ‘score’ for each exercise, eliciting progressive overload and guaranteeing gains aren’t far behind. Vive la pump.
1. Dumbbell Floor Press x 6-12
Start by grabbing a pair of dumbbells and lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Press the weights above you, locking out your elbows (A). Lower them slowly until your upper arms are resting on the floor (B), close to your body. Pause here before explosively pressing back up.
2. Renegade Row x 12-20 (total)
After your final floor press, flip over and assume a strong plank with both hands on your dumbbells (A). Shifting your weight onto your left hand, row the right dumbbell towards your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat on your left side (left+right equals one rep)
3. Push-Ups on Dumbbells x 10-15
Remain in your plank position with your core tight and hands on your dumbbells (A), bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor (B). Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively.
4. Hang Power Cleans x 6-12\
Pick your dumbbells up. Stand tall, holding them at your sides. Hinge at the hips to lower them to your knees (A). Stand back up with a slight jump, using the momentum to pull the dumbbells on to your shoulders (B). Stand up straight, then lower under control to your sides and repeat.
5. Push Press (or Strict Press) x 6-12
After your final clean, keep your dumbbells on your shoulders. Take a breath and brace your core. (A) Dip at the knees and use your legs to help (B) press your dumbbells overhead. Lower under control to the ground. If your dumbbells are on the light side and you could easily get 12 reps, forget the leg drive and focus on a strict press.
6. Single Dumbbell Bicep Curl x AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
Drop one of your bells and stand tall with just one, gripping the outer ‘heads’ with both hands (A). With minimal momentum, curl the dumbbell upwards until it’s beneath your chin (B). Squeeze here and lower the weight under control, fighting it all of the way and repeat.
7. Lying Single Bell Crush Extension x AMRAP (as many reps as possible)
Lay flat on a bench or the floor holding a single dumbbell with both hands, gripping the outer ‘heads’, locked out above your chest (A). Bend at the elbows, slowly lowering the dumbbell towards your head while keeping your upper arms locked in place. Stop just short of the bell touching your head (B) before extending back up explosively. Repeat.
Andrew Tracey
With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.
