Are wondering if a pair of humble dumbbells are enough to build a powerful physique? Then look no further. Because today, I’ll be giving you 17 reasons why dumbbells can get you big.
2 years ago, I was exclusively pro-barbell. I believed that barbell training was the only way to get ripped.
But 2 years of experimentation and 40 pounds of muscle gains later, my mind has changed.
My experience has taught me not to underestimate the potential of the dumbbell.
And I’ll be sharing that experience with you today.
So let’s get stuck in!
- 1) Dumbbells Are Great For Bulking.
- 2) Dumbbell Exercises Are Extremely Versatile.
- 3) Grow A Bigger Chest With Presses & Flyes.
- 4) Develop Broad Shoulders With Overhead Presses.
- 5) Pack On Arm Mass With Curls & Extensions.
- 6) Fill Out A Skinny Back With Rows
- 7) Get Shredded Abs With Sit-Up Variations.
- 8) Dumbbells Can Be Used For Leg Workouts.
- 9) Dumbbells Make Bodyweight Exercises Better.
- 10) Dumbbells Come In A Variety Of Weights.
- 11) Adjustable Dumbbells Allow Heavy And Light Lifting.
- 12) Progressive Overload With Adjustable Dumbbells.
- 13) Skinny Guys Can Get Ripped At Home With Dumbbells.
- 14) Dumbbells Are A Cheap Way To Get Big.
- 15) Safely Get Big With Dumbbells.
- 16) Dumbbells Work The Stabilisers.
- 17) Make Balanced Muscle Gains With Dumbbells.
- Conclusion
1) Dumbbells Are Great For Bulking.
If you want to get big, you’ve gotta bulk.
At it’s core, bulking requires a heavy resistance training programme, combined with a high-protein caloric surplus nutrition plan.
When you do this, your muscle fibers are essentially activated, destroyed, and rebuilt over and again to promote muscle growth.
This process is called hypertrophy. And hypertrophy is best achieved through muscle fibre activation.
Therefore activating your muscle fibres with a sufficient load is fundamental to getting big.
And dumbbells are the perfect type of free weight for the job!
Load is load.
Dr Brad Schoenfeld (Sport Scientist)
At the end of the day, any type of heavy free weight can get you big, so long as they provide an adequate weight (load) to stimulate your muscle fibres.
So what makes dumbbells unique?
One of the distinct advantages of using dumbbells are their inherent instability.
When a weight is unstable, more muscle fibres are required to lift that weight.
And more muscle fibre activation = more muscle gains!
2) Dumbbell Exercises Are Extremely Versatile.
Another reason why dumbbells are great for building muscle is their versatility.
Think of a dumbbell like a master-key to unlocking muscle gains.
Just as a master key has all the different ridges to activate all the pins in a keyhole, dumbbell exercises can too activate all the muscles in your body.
At the core of every dumbbell training programme are the compound lifts.
Compound exercises engage multiple muscles in a single motion. They include the likes of the bench press, overhead press, row, squat, and deadlift.
When you combine compound lifts with heavy loads, you become stronger and your muscles will also become bigger.
And it doesn’t matter if you’re using dumbbells or barbells, as long as you work the body with heavy compound lifting, you’ll get big.
Additionally, dumbbell exercises can also take the form of isolation lifts.
Isolation exercises engage single muscles and include exercises such as curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, and flyes.
These are great accessories to the the compound dumbbell exercises.
Not only can you use dumbbells to do compound and isolation exercises, but the exercises can also be used to target the entire body with push/pull movements.
Dumbbells are basically solid all-rounders when it comes free weight training!
3) Grow A Bigger Chest With Presses & Flyes.
When it comes to growing a killer chest, the barbell bench press commonly springs to mind.
But you shouldn’t discount the merit of the dumbbell bench press.
Although the barbell bench press allows you to bench more weight and is therefore associated with higher rates of muscle growth, the dumbbell bench press has a greater range of motion.
All this means is that the dumbbell can travel farther along the path of movement than a barbell can.
Think about it- when you press a dumbbell upwards, it can travel upwards as well as being squeezed together at the top.
In contrast, a barbell bench press is relatively restrictive in terms of the range of motion, since the hands are locked in place.
Ultimately, the increased range of motion leads to a greater muscle activation and better chest development.
In fact, this 2014 study demonstrated that lifting with a full range of motion leads to greater hypertrophy.
The same principle also applies to the bench press variations, such as the incline and decline bench press.
Other effective dumbbell chest exercises include:
- Flat chest fly.
- Incline chest fly.
- Pull-over.
- Dumbbell cross-over.
These dumbbell exercises can be combined for a killer dumbbell chest workout!
Check out my favourite dumbbell exercises for the chest in my other article!
4) Develop Broad Shoulders With Overhead Presses.
The shoulder press is arguably the king of shoulder exercises.
This exercises is equally popular performed with barbells and dumbbells.
But the science seems to favour the dumbbell over the barbell shoulder press.
This 2013 study found that deltoid activation was actually 11% greater during the dumbbell shoulder press, compared to the barbell shoulder press.
Additionally, many people prefer to shoulder press with dumbbells over a barbell due to the unrestricted range of motion.
Shoulder pressing with barbells usually locks your arms into one plane of movement.
But with the dumbbell shoulder press, your arms are free to move forward and backward as necessary. And this reduces shoulder pain in those who suffer when performing this exercise.
You can also try these other dumbbell shoulder exercises:
- Hammer-grip shoulder press.
- Lateral raise.
- Front raise.
- High-pull.
Supplement the shoulder press with these accessory dumbbell exercises to grow those shoulder boulders!
Find out how much weight you should shoulder press in my other article!
5) Pack On Arm Mass With Curls & Extensions.
It can be notoriously difficult to grow big arms.
The trick to working smaller muscles such as the biceps and triceps is to use proper form to maximize muscle contraction.
You should also attack the arms at a variety of angles with different exercises. This is easier to do when using dumbbells, compared to a fully-loaded barbell.
Unlike the exercises which target the larger muscle groups, it can also be very easy to cheat on arm exercises.
This includes condemnable acts such as raising your shoulders or swinging your hips to help curl a weight.
With dumbbells, it’s easier to maintain good form and isolate the contraction onto the target muscle.
Additionally, you should also decrease the weight in favour of hitting the perfect lifting form.
Combined, this will result in the most arm muscle activation.
Essential dumbbell arm exercises to include in your training programme are:
- Dumbbell curl.
- Hammer curl.
- Reverse-grip curl.
- Tricep extension.
- Tricep kickback.
Complete these exercises with good form and a moderate rep-range (12-15 reps per sets) for ripped arms!
Check out my other article to find out how much weight you should bicep curl!
6) Fill Out A Skinny Back With Rows
Building a thicker and wider back requires you to work all the different muscles that span the back.
These include the trapezius, posterior deltoids, latissimus dorsi, and rhomboids.
Working these muscles with heavy loads will help you develop a V-shaped body and contribute to an overall bigger physique.
This is most commonly achieved with pull-ups, chin-ups, and compound back exercises.
One of the most effective compound back exercises are no doubt the row (and their variations).
Although the compound back exercises are usually performed with barbells (which allow for a heavier load), dumbbells can be equally effective. Just make sure the dumbbells have adequate poundage.
Additionally, dumbbells give you the option to perform reverse fly movements, which are great for isolating the different back muscles. This is an option unavailable to barbells.
Here are the best dumbbell back exercises to try:
- One-arm row.
- Bent-over dumbbell row.
- Reverse fly.
- Incline reverse fly.
- Pull-up.
- Dumbbell-weighted pull-up.
Combined, these dumbbell exercises will hit all the muscles in your back!
Go to my other article to find out how much weight to add to your pull-up!
7) Get Shredded Abs With Sit-Up Variations.
Getting shredded abs mostly requires you to reduce your body fat % to the point where the abdominal muscles become visible. And this requires a high protein caloric deficit diet.
That being said, it also helps to work the abs to a decent size such that they are pronounced when your body fat is low.
This is mainly achieved through performing dumbbells ab exercises (but machine exercises are also effective).
Additionally, it’s important to include a variety of exercises that hit the individual ab muscles, as well as the surrounding core muscles.
These include the rectus abdominis, internal obliques, and external obliques.
Here are the best dumbbell ab exercises to try:
- Dumbbell crunch.
- Sit-ups with dumbbells.
- Wood chop.
- Golf swing.
- Leg raise.
- Side-bend.
Including all of these exercises in your training will ensure all the individual core muscles are engaged!
Check out my other article to learn how to keep your abs on a lean bulk!
8) Dumbbells Can Be Used For Leg Workouts.
OK not gunna lie, leg work is best performed with barbells.
Indeed, there’s a reason why most people choose to squat and deadlift with barbells.
Not only do barbells allow for heavier loads, but they also reduce the bottleneck formed by limited grip strength (i.e. your ability to hold a heavy dumbbell).
That being said, it doesn’t mean dumbbells are completely useless in getting big legs.
Quite the opposite.
In fact, dumbbell leg workouts can still be highly effective if you perform the right exercises with the correct form.
As with using barbells and machines, the secret to effective dumbbell leg workouts is to go heavy with compound movements.
This maximises muscle fibre stimulation in the lower body, which contain the largest muscles in the body.
Additionally, you should also reduce the tempo to make up for reduced weight load.
This can be done, for example, by counting 4 seconds on the downward phase and 2 seconds for the upward phase on a dumbbell squat (also known as a 4020 tempo).
By doing this, you put your legs under a greater time under tension. And this puts a greater challenge on the muscles.
Here are the best dumbbell leg exercises:
- Dumbbell deadlift.
- Dumbbell squat.
- Pistol box squat.
- Dumbbell front-squat.
- Lunge.
These dumbbell leg exercises, combined with a 4020 tempo, will give your legs the mechanical and time under tension required to grow bigger!
Read my other article to find out how much weight you should dumbbell squat!
9) Dumbbells Make Bodyweight Exercises Better.
The recent surge in calisthenics’ popularity is well-deserved.
When it comes to building a bigger physique, bodyweight exercises have always lived in the shadow of weight training.
But many of bodyweight exercises are actually excellent mass builders.
The main drawback to bodyweight training is that you need to perform a high volume to reach sufficient levels that stimulate hypertrophy.
However, dumbbells afford you a convenient hack to make bodyweight exercises more challenging.
Here are some awesome bodyweight exercises to build muscle:
- Dumbbell-grip push-up.
- Weighted pull-up.
- Weighted chin-up.
- Ab crunch with dumbbells.
- Squats.
- Leg-raises.
Dumbbells are an easy way to make these exercises harder and stimulate more muscle fibres!
Check out my other article for tips to get big without weights!
10) Dumbbells Come In A Variety Of Weights.
Dumbbells may not be as heavy as a full-blown barbell-rack setup, but their weight should not be underestimated either.
There’s still a pronounced community that champions the barbell for muscle gains, but the truth is you can make similar gains from dumbbells.
In fact, beginners will find that a heavy adjustable dumbbell can fulfill all their training needs.
The question is which dumbbell weight should you choose?
| Dumbbell Weight (Per Dumbbell) | Estimated Lifespan | Estimated Muscle Gains | Approx Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20lb | 3-6 months | Up to 5 pounds | $200.00 |
| 50lb | 6 months to 3 years | Up to 20 pounds | $400.00 |
| 70lb | 3-5 years | Up to 30 pounds | $500.00 |
| 90lb | 5+ years | 30+ pounds. | $600.0 |
Adjustable dumbbells come in a variety of weights, making them great for people of all training levels.
In general, a pair of 70 pounders will last most people a good few years. And in that lifespan, you’ll be able to build an impressive amount of muscle.
Another great thing with adjustable dumbbells is that they also come with all the weight increments too.
This means you’ll have access to all the weights you require to get big, and continue getting bigger.
And if you’re on the lighter/skinnier side, you can even go for a lighter set of dumbbells, since you’ll naturally need to lift less weight to build muscle.
Check out my comprehensive guide to choose the right dumbbell weight!
11) Adjustable Dumbbells Allow Heavy And Light Lifting.
To optimize the muscle-building process, you’re recommended to incorporate heavy loads with low reps, as well as lighter loads with more reps.
This combination approach taps into the two mechanisms for hypertrophy.
Lifting heavy loads at low reps drives myofibrillar hypertrophy which is responsible for strength and size gains.
On the other hand, lighter loads at higher reps drives sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which is responsible for size gains.
By working out with adjustable dumbbells, you have the luxury of combining both methods of weight training.
Result?
Stronger and bigger muscles!
Read my other article to find out the best training order when deciding between light and heavy weights.
12) Progressive Overload With Adjustable Dumbbells.
Adjustable dumbbells also offer a safe and convenient way to apply progressive overload.
Assuming you buy a heavy enough dumbbell, adjustable dumbbells allow you to change to a specific weight for each exercise.
This is important because to get big, you need to lift progressively heavier weights.
In other words, the more you can lift, the bigger you’ll get.
Simple right?
Take a look at the stimulus-recovery-adaptation curve for a better idea
As long as you are increasing your workload over time, your muscles will grow.
This means you really can get big with just dumbbells.
And the best thing about progressive overloading with dumbbells is the safety they provide.
Unlike a barbell, you can safely push your muscles to their physical limits.
If you cave, then just drop the dumbbells.
This makes dumbbells ideal for progressive overloading without a training partner.
Check out my other article to find out how much weight you should lift.
13) Skinny Guys Can Get Ripped At Home With Dumbbells.
A common training goal for many guys is to get ripped.
This requires you to not only build muscle to become big, but also lose fat to increase muscle definition.
The good news is that dumbbells can get you ripped as well as big.
In fact, the same dumbbell exercises which can get you big, can also be used to lose fat.
You just need to alter your rest times and nutrition.
Getting ripped requires you to maintain your muscle mass and burn the excess fat.
This can be achieved by going on a caloric deficit whilst maintaining consistency in your training.
Additionally, you can also decrease the rest times between sets to make your dumbbell workouts more intense and ramp up your heart rate.
Making these changes to your dumbbell training programme will allow you to build muscle and become leaner, with more muscle definition.
Read my other article for a dumbbell workout to get ripped.
14) Dumbbells Are A Cheap Way To Get Big.
Home gyms are becoming ever so popular, and more and more people choose to workout at home.
Moreover, dumbbells can be one of the most cost-effective and space-efficient additions to a home gym.
In fact, a basic home setup can consist solely of a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench.
Here are the estimated costs and space required for a home dumbbell setup to get big at home:
| Workout Method | Initial Cost | Ongoing Cost | Space Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjustable Dumbbells & Bench | $300-600.00 | 0.00$ | 6 Sq Foot |
| Kettlebell Set | $800.00 | 0.00$ | 10 Sq Foot |
| Barbell, Bench, Rack, & Plates | $1000.00+ | 0.00$ | 16 Sq Foot |
| Gym membership | $400.00 | $400.00 / year | 0 Sq Foot |
As you can see, a pair of adjustable dumbbells are relatively cheap and don’t require much space to use and store.
Additionally, the average person is able to get big from a simple dumbbell and bench setup.
In fact, you can build as much muscle from a pair of heavy dumbbells as you could with a barbell.
However, you’ll need to choose a dumbbell weight that is suitable for your long-term needs.
Find out the pro’s and con’s of a home gym in my other article!
15) Safely Get Big With Dumbbells.
Dumbbells are a fantastic beginner-friendly way to get big.
This is for multiple reasons.
Firstly, dumbbells are safer than barbells because they require you to lift lighter loads for the same amount of muscle-gain returns.
That’s because dumbbells are naturally harder to stabilize, and require more muscle activation to perform a given motion, compared to a barbell.
Secondly, dumbbells allow your limbs to travel in a natural range of motion.
Imagine shoulder pressing with dumbbells. You can see that the arms and shoulders are able to rotate as necessary, for a comfortable movement.
In comparison, barbells lock your hands into a specific plane of motion. And many beginners find this uncomfortable on the joints.
Thirdly, dumbbells can be dropped safely by your side if you max out on a lift.
In contrast, try dropping a loaded barbell in the middle of a bench press and it won’t be a fun experience…
Combined, these factors allow you to train more effectively, making dumbbells a great way to get big.
Check out my other article for 36 dumbbell exercises to get big!
16) Dumbbells Work The Stabilisers.
Whilst it’s true that dumbbells don’t allow you to shift as much weight as a barbell for any given exercise, this doesn’t make dumbbells ineffective to get big.
In fact the opposite.
Dumbbells are inherently more difficult to lift because they require each arm to stabilise the weight.
This is why you’ll struggle shifting the same weight on a dumbbell variation of a barbell exercise.
However, this 2011 study also found that this inherent instability is a great way to recruit greater muscle activity.
Ultimately, the requirement for stabilization means dumbbell and barbell exercise both activate the target muscle to a similar extent.
And that means dumbbells can be just as effective as barbells to get big!
Go to my other article to find out how it’s possible to gain muscle with just dumbbells.
17) Make Balanced Muscle Gains With Dumbbells.
A common issue for beginners and experienced lifters alike, is the that of muscle imbalances.
This refers to the phenomenon where one side of your body is stronger and/or bigger than the other side.
Muscle imbalances occur naturally, as people often have a dominant side which they use for everyday activities such as lifting, pushing, and pulling.
They can also occur from barbell training where, due to bad form/technique, the dominant side helps the weaker side to shift a weight.
Therefore as time goes by, the imbalance becomes more pronounced.
These imbalances occur much less frequently with dumbbells since each dumbbell is lifted independently from the other.
So if you want to get big from balanced muscle gains, use dumbbells!
Conclusion
Today, I’ve given you 17 reasons why dumbbells can get you big.
Dumbbells are one of the most versatile, cheapest, and convenient free weights available.
They can be used to train all the major muscle groups in your body.
For most people, dumbbells also provide a sufficient load to get big, as well as to continue getting bigger into the future.
At the end of the day, your muscles don’t know what type of weight you’re lifting. They only respond to load.
As long as you choose a pair of adjustable dumbbells with a sufficient poundage, you can definitely get big from dumbbells!
What’s your opinion on dumbbells?
Let me know in the comments below!
Alternatively, download the FREE Kalibre Muscle Blueprint to find out EXACTLY how I transformed my skinny body as a hardgainer!
Thanks for reading guys!
Peace Out,
Kal
(Biochemistry BSc, Biomedical Sciences MSc, Ex-Skinny Guy)