3-Day Beginner Home Workout Plan to Build Muscle with Dumbbells
This muscle-building plan gives you three full-body sessions a week using just one pair of dumbbells, with no bench or barbell. It suits you if you're just starting out and train at home.
Change my answersWeek 1, day by day
Full body A
≈ 30 minWarm-up (5 min)
- 2 minutes of marching in place or high knees, then 10 arm circles each way.
- 10 bodyweight squats, 10 slow glute bridges and 8 incline or knee push-ups.
- One light set of the first exercise with small dumbbells.
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Dumbbell squat
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, sit your hips back with a straight back and heels down.
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Push-ups
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Keep your body in a straight line and lower your chest close to the floor.
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One-arm dumbbell row
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
One hand on a chair, flat back, pull your elbow toward your hip without twisting. 10 per arm.
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Dumbbell lateral raises
2 × 12 · rest 60 s
Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height with soft elbows, without swinging.
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Plank
3 × 30 s · rest 45 s
Stay in line on your forearms, abs and glutes tight, without arching your back.
Full body B
≈ 29 minSame warm-up as the first session.
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Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Legs almost straight, flat back, push your hips back and slide the dumbbells down your thighs.
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Standing dumbbell shoulder press
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Press the dumbbells overhead without arching your back and lower to ear level.
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Bent-over dumbbell row
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Hinge forward with a flat back and pull the dumbbells to your lower ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades.
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Dumbbell biceps curl
2 × 12 · rest 60 s
Elbows pinned to your sides, curl without swinging your torso and lower slowly.
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Single-leg glute bridge
2 × 12 · rest 60 s
One foot down, other leg extended: drive through the heel to lift your hips and squeeze the glute. 12 per leg.
Full body C
≈ 31 minSame warm-up as the first session.
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Dumbbell lunges
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Take a big step, lower your back knee near the floor and push through the front foot to return. 10 per leg.
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Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
2 × 12 · rest 90 s
With soft knees and a flat back, slide the dumbbells down your thighs by pushing your hips back.
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Wide push-ups
3 × 10 · rest 90 s
Hands slightly wider than your shoulders, lower under control without sagging your back.
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One-arm dumbbell row
2 × 12 · rest 90 s
One hand on a chair, flat back, pull your elbow toward your hip without twisting. 12 per arm.
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Overhead dumbbell triceps extension
2 × 12 · rest 60 s
Hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands and lower it behind your head, elbows tight.
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Dead bug
2 × 10 · rest 45 s
Back flat on the floor, slowly extend opposite arm and leg without arching.
Weeks 2 to 4, adapted to you, are in Muskl.
14-day free trial.
Download Muskl and enter this code when you open it: PROG04
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