6 Full-Body Dumbbell Workouts for Weight Loss

Dumbbells are a simple, effective way to get in a great workout. They allow you to target specific muscles and burn calories faster than you would with other equipment.

Moreover, they're easy to store when not in use. Here are a few dumbbell workouts that can help you lose weight and feel great.

Full Body Workouts for Weight Loss

Here's a look at six such workouts:

#1 Dumbbell Press

It's a compound exercise that helps build muscle and strength in the upper body. It's great workout for the shoulders and chest.

Here's how it's done:

Start with a light weight, and keep your back straight, but not arched.
Bend your elbows slightly, and press the dumbbells up to shoulder height.
Lower them back down slowly, and complete 12 repetitions of this exercise in three sets.

#2 Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

This is a great workout for the glutes and hamstrings.

Here's how you do this exercise:

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Bend your knees, and lower down till the back of the thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping the chest up and back straight throughout the movement.
Lift one leg off the ground, maintaining balance on the other (if necessary).
Ideally, you should perform this exercise standing on a mat or soft surface so that you don't injure yourself if you lose balance when lifting your leg off it. It's also important not to raise the butt too high during the exercise, as that puts unnecessary strain on the lower back muscles — instead try to keep it low as you perform each rep.
Hold for one second at position 3 before slowly lowering the weight back down again till both legs are fully extended once more; perform the desired reps, and switch sides.

#3 Weighted Step-Up

Step-ups are a great way to work the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. The only equipment necessary is a bench or box that's about knee height.

If you don't have access to a box, you can do this move on stairs or use dumbbells in each hand. Here's how it's done:

Stand facing the bench holding dumbbells at arm's length down by your sides, with palms facing forward.
Step up onto the bench with one foot (if using an elevated surface like stairs, step up onto the stair), keeping both feet flat on top of it as long as possible.
Step back down slowly with control so that both feet land at once before repeating on the opposite side; complete ten reps per set (five on each side).
Switch legs after each set — that will ensure that both legs get equal work from start to finish.

#4 Overhead Triceps Extension

It's a great workout to help build strength and size for any sport or activity where having well-developed upper body strength can help improve performance.

Here's how it's done:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a ten-pound dumbbell overhead, with your palms facing out.
Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head till it’s at eyebrow height, and raise it back up to full extension without locking out at the top (keep constant tension on the triceps) to complete one rep.
Do 8-10 reps in three sets if you're new to this exercise; work up to 12 repetitions per set, if you're more advanced.
You'll feel this exercise mainly in the backs of your arms — specifically, in that part of the muscle that sticks out when someone flexes — but also slightly in other muscles around them like the biceps or forearms.

#5 Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press

This workout is a good way to work the arms, shoulders, and core all at once.

Here's how it's done:

Place both dumbbells on the floor in front of you with palms facing up.
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent as you hold the dumbbells by your sides with palms facing inward.
Lift one weight up by bending your elbow till it's near shoulder height; curl that arm back down towards the body.
Repeat the motion with the other arm.
Raise both weights above your head by turning them so that the palms are facing each other.
Lower them back down till they're even with each other again.
Raise them up again using only one arm while keeping the other at rest on its side next to or behind you.
End by lowering both weights simultaneously so that they end parallel together in front of you.
Perform sets of 8-15 reps per set, and take one-minute breaks between sets.

#6 Plank with Dumbbell Row

The plank with row is an advanced variation of the plank, which also targets the back muscles.

This is a stellar workout for the full body, and engages the entire back while keeping the core tight and burning. Once you have mastered the basic plank, try this variation.

It's done as follows:

Place your hands on a pair of dumbbells, and hold a push-up position.
Your forearms should be resting on top of the weights, with your elbows bent 90 degrees and shoulders directly above them.
Keeping your body as straight as possible, lift one dumbbell at a time till it’s level with your torso (keeping in mind that you want to keep both arms straight).
Once it reaches that point, lower it back down between lifts till it comes to rest once again on top of the other hand.
Repeat for 20 seconds on each side before switching directions or resting for ten seconds in between sets if you're doing multiple sets per exercise session.

Takeaway

The aforementioned simple dumbbell workouts can help you burn calories and get a full body workout in just a few minutes. They are great for people looking to lose weight, build muscle, or tone up their body.