Best Compound Dumbbell Exercises – Introduction
What are the best compound dumbbell exercises to get lean and muscular fast?
Many exercisers tend to turn to cardio when it comes to fat loss and body transformation.
After all, cardio burns calories and fat, so it seems like the ideal choice.
However, doing too much cardio can lead to muscle loss, lowering your metabolic rate and the number of calories your body burns per day.
For that reason, the best fat-loss training programs combine cardio with strength training.
Lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises will help preserve existing muscle mass, ensuring your metabolic rate remains as high as possible.
There are many ways to do strength training, including barbell, kettlebell, and resistance band exercises.
However, when it comes to effective home workouts, a pair of dumbbells is hard to beat.
This article reveals the ten best compound dumbbell exercises for fat loss and provides you with a tried and tested fat loss workout to try.
The 10 Best Compound Dumbbell Exercises
Reach your fitness and fat loss goals faster by building your workouts around the ten best compound dumbbell exercises!
#1. Dumbbell goblet squats
Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core
As lower body exercises go, goblet squats are hard to beat.
They’re easier to learn than barbell back squats, and safer too.
Plus, you don’t need a squat rack or spotters.
But, as with all types of squats, you still need to take care not to round your lower back, which could lead to injuries.
How to do it:
- Hold a single dumbbell vertically in front of your chest, so the end of the weight is just under your chin.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart; toes turned slightly outward.
- Brace your abs.
- Push your hips back, bend your knees, and squat down, so your hips are roughly level with your knees.
- Stand back up and repeat.
- Use a broader stance to increase inner thigh engagement or a narrower starting position to emphasize your quads.
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#2. Dumbbell thrusters
Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core, deltoids, triceps
Thrusters are a staple of many CrossFit workouts because they are a time-efficient exercise that works virtually every muscle in your body by combining squats with an overhead press.
How to do it:
- Raise and hold your dumbbells above your shoulders and next to your ears, palms facing inward.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, core braced.
- Bend your legs and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Stand up and then press the weights overhead to arm’s length.
- Lower the weights back to your shoulders and repeat.
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#3. Dumbbell lunges + lateral raises
Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core, deltoids
This combo exercise works your legs and shoulders at the same time.
Combining exercises in this way increases your caloric expenditure and heart rate, making it better for body composition than doing the movements separately.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides.
- Take a big step forward, bend your legs, and lower your back knee down to within an inch of the floor.
- Push back off your front leg and bring your feet back together.
- Then, do a rep with your other leg.
- Next, raise your arms out and up to shoulder height to form a T-shape.
- Lower your arms and then lunge again.
#4. Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
Target muscles: Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core
Romanian deadlifts work your posterior chain.
Generally done with a barbell, they work equally well with dumbbells.
A lot of people find this dumbbell version lower back-friendly.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bend your knees slightly and brace your core.
- Without rounding your lower back, push your butt back, hinge forward from your hips, and lower the weights down your legs.
- Descend as far as your flexibility allows.
- Stand back up and repeat.
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#5. Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats
Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, core
If you’ve mastered lunges, the Bulgarian split squat is the next lower-body exercise you should try.
It takes your legs through a more extensive range of motion and requires more balance.
If you want to change your body, you need to challenge it, and this is a challenging exercise!
How to do it:
- Stand with your back to a knee-high bench, a dumbbell in each hand, and arms by your sides.
- Bend one leg and put your right foot (or left foot) on the bench behind you.
- Hop forward into a split stance.
- Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs and lower your rear knee down toward the floor.
- Stand back up and repeat.
- Rest a moment and then swap sides, doing the same number of reps with the opposite leg.
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#6. Dumbbell bench press
Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core
While there is nothing wrong with working your pecs with bodyweight push-ups, dumbbell bench presses are a good alternative.
If nothing else, this exercise means you can adjust the weight to suit your current fitness levels.
How to do it:
- Lie on a flat exercise bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Hold the weights over your shoulders with your arms straight and vertical and your palms facing down your body.
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor and brace your core.
- Bend your arms and lower the dumbbells down to your shoulders.
- Press the weights back up and repeat.
- You can also do this exercise on an incline bench to engage your upper chest or a decline bench for your lower chest.
How To Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
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#7. Dumbbell renegade row + push-up
Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, deltoids, biceps, triceps, core
Like thrusters, dumbbell renegade rows + push-ups combine several exercises to save time and make your workout better for fat loss and conditioning.
This great exercise works all the major muscle groups of your upper body and is also tough on your core.
How to do it:
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, get into the push-up position with your arms and legs straight and your core braced.
- Bend one arm and row the weight up and into your ribs.
- Lower the weight back to the floor and do a rep with the other arm.
- Next, bend both arms and lower your chest down toward the floor.
- Push yourself back up.
- Continue this row/row/push-up sequence for the desired number of reps.
- Make this exercise easier by bending your legs and resting on your knees.
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#8. Dumbbell Seesaw shoulder press
Target muscles: Deltoids, triceps, core
Overhead dumbbell presses work your shoulders and arms but using an alternating Seesaw action increases core engagement, giving you two exercises for the price of one!
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand.
- Raise the weights to shoulder height, palms facing forward or inward as preferred.
- Press one dumbbell up and overhead while keeping the other arm stationary.
- Lower the weight and then press the other weight up.
- Continue this alternating arm action for the required number of reps.
- You can also do this exercise seated.
Home shoulder dumbbell workout including Seesaw overhead press
#9. Dumbbell single-arm farmer’s walk
Target muscles: Whole body, especially core
The farmer’s walk, aka farmer carry, is a genuinely functional exercise.
It works virtually every muscle in your body and, using just one weight, means it’s especially core-centric.
Farmer’s walks are also a great fitness and fat-burning exercise.
How to do it:
- Holding one dumbbell by your side, stand with your feet together and core braced.
- Keep your torso perfectly upright throughout.
- Gripping your dumbbell tightly, go for a walk around your training area.
- Continue until you feel your grip starting to fail.
- Put the weight down, swap sides, and repeat.
- You can also carry the weight above your head, which is called a waiter’s walk.
Do this exercise every day for muscle growth – See why
#10. Dumbbell squat, curl, and press
Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, biceps, deltoids, triceps, core
If you only have time for one dumbbell exercise but still want to train your whole body, this is the move for you.
It’s perfect for short HIIT workouts and Tabatas, eight 20-second work intervals with ten-second rest.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides.
- Brace your abs.
- Push your hips back and bend down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Do not round your lower back.
- Stand back up.
- Next, bend your arms and curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders.
- Finally, press the weights up and overhead to arm’s length.
- Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders and then down to your sides.
- That’s one rep; keep going!
Dumbbell Squat, Biceps Curl & Press Benefits + How-To
Dumbbell Workout to Get Lean Fast!
While you COULD do a few random compound dumbbell exercises, you’ll get better results if you follow a more structured program.
Do the following workout 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days to allow time for rest and recovery, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Before you begin, take a moment to prepare your body by doing a few minutes of light cardio, such as jogging or jumping rope.
Follow that with a few dynamic mobility and stretching exercises for your major lower body muscles and joints.
Fat-burning workout with Dumbbells – © HashiMashi.com
10 Best Compound Dumbbell Exercises – Wrapping Up
While there is nothing wrong with running, swimming, or cycling yourself leaner, you’ll get better results if you combine cardio with strength training.
Not only will lifting weights preserve your muscle mass and safeguard your metabolism, but your workout will also burn a decent number of calories, primarily when you use a circuit training format.
Use these compound dumbbell exercises and our workout to burn fat, get fit, and condition your muscles in less time than you think possible.
Combined with a healthy diet, you’ll be lean and toned in double-quick time!
What’s Next
Now you know the best compound dumbbell movements to get lean, it is fitting to explain the most effective workout using compound movements to remodel your body using a barbell.
The Best Compound Exercises for Muscle and Strength will reveal the difference between compound vs isolation exercises and an excellent workout for building muscle, getting stronger, and even getting leaner.
Moreover, as you lean out and your stomach starts to flatten, you will likely be interested in how to see your abs.
Gaining a flat stomach is an excellent first step to better health and fitness.
Shooting for a six-pack is the next logical step and these Middle Abs Exercises for Beginners at Home + Workout will help you achieve this fitness goal.
