Are you training with dumbbells and wondering how long it should take you to do a single routine?
If you are, then this article may be able to help you. Sometimes, days can feel so overwhelming, and you may be wondering if you can take the time to include your routine into your daily regime.
However, this doesn’t have to be the case.
Dumbbell routines vary in how long they take, but hopefully, with the help of this article, you should be able to find out how long your dumbbell routine should be.
Dumbbell Routine Time Frame
Several factors contribute to how long your dumbbell routine should take.
You should also consider how many sets you do and how quickly you exercise.
Depending on how you work out, your training could last from ten minutes each day to 35 minutes.
You should factor in which muscle groups you want to work on, too. You could work on all muscle groups, or focus on one muscle group at a time, which would only be a 10 to 15 minute session.
If you want to do daily dumbbell routines, you might want to consider working on one muscle group daily so you don’t overwork your body.
However, for this article, we’ll focus on having you work on a fifteen-minute daily routine.
Fifteen-Minute Dumbbell Routines
It doesn’t matter how you work on your dumbbell routine, whether you do all muscle groups in one day or split them up.
You will find that you will have the same results, but to make it easier, you can do a minimum of fifteen minutes a day and increase the amount depending on how you feel.
You should focus on the upper body, lower body, and core when working out.
Start with your upper body, then move to your lower body and core. You must include a rest day in your schedule, or you may overwork your muscles and injure yourself.
After resting, work the next three days in the same order, but make sure you are mixing up the exercises each time you work the same muscle group. I suggest starting with your lower body, upper body, then core, rest, repeat.
As you get stronger and if you want an extra challenge, add more weight to your dumbbells, or include some more reps to your sets as you progress through the weeks.
As well, as you are getting used to the workouts and if your muscles are ready to take on yet another challenge, you could extend the amount of time you exercise.
You also can mix up your workouts, such as combining your upper and lower body and work for half an hour, then do another day where you work on your core.
Take another rest, work on your upper body and core, and then work on your lower body.
Each week think about adding more reps to your sets and using heavier dumbbells if you can.
I suggest starting with five pounds if you’re a beginner, then steadily growing to seven pounds then ten pounds, and so on.
While working on your dumbbell routine, you should make sure you are tracking your workouts so you can see your progress and take the guesswork out of which dumbbell you should be using. You should know your routine and your weights before you enter the area where you are going to work out.
Doing this lets you see how you’ve improved and gets you in the right mindset before you start the workout.
However, you’re probably wondering what exercises you should incorporate into your routine.
Below, you’ll find a series of exercises you can incorporate into different training sections.
Upper Body Dumbbell Exercises
Overhead Press
Hold the dumbbells in the air next to your shoulders so they align with your ears to do an overhead press.
Ensure your elbows are bent, and your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
Your forearms should be in a perpendicular position to the ground.
Push your weights upwards so you can see them in the air, just above your forehead. You shouldn’t have to tilt your head up to see them. You should bring the weights, arms fully extended over your head, so the weights are barely touching, then return to the position that you started.
Do this 10 to 15 more times to complete a set.
Side Extension
Start by putting your arms down at your sides while holding your dumbbells.
Extend your arms so that they’re reaching outwards at shoulder height, exhaling as you do so.
As you do this, ensure that the muscles in your upper back and neck don’t hunch up in the direction of your ears and that they’re relaxed.
Then, bring your arms back to your sides. Do this 10 to 15 times.
Bicep Curls
Standing with your knees bent softly, hold a pair of dumbbells so that there’s one in each hand.
Rest your arms down at your sides. Move to hug your elbows into your sides with your shoulders back.
Curl these weights up towards your shoulders into a bicep curl, then slowly lower them down. Do this 10 to 15 times while keeping your elbows close to your sides.
Lower Body Exercises
Forward Lunge
While holding a dumbbell in each hand, keep your feet open at hip-width and step your right foot forward. Bend your right knee at 90-degrees.
Then, track your right knee over your right ankle. Bend your left knee towards the ground and press down through your right heel as you return to the center.
Repeat this 10-15 times with your right leg and then work the left leg the same amount.
Side Lunge
Going right, step and bend your right knee. Sink back on your right glute and keep your other leg straight.
Hinge at your waist and keep your head in line with your spine. Look towards the ground and keep your shoulders relaxed.
Once you do this, push down through your right heel and come back to the center. Do this 10-15 times and then switch to your left side.
Squat
Stand with your feet at hip-width apart. Bend your knees and sit your glutes back while keeping the dumbbells at your side.
Pull your navel in, ensuring your knees don’t extend past your toes, and push down through your heels to stand again.
Exhale as you stand and tighten your glutes. Make sure to do this 10-15 times while the dumbbells always remain in their starting position.
Core Dumbbell Exercises
Swing
Using one dumbbell, hold the top of it with both hands. Bend your knees and hinge at your hips as you place your dumbbell between your legs.
Then, push your hips forward, raise the dumbbell, and swing it to shoulder height.
Once you’ve done this, bring it back to your starting position. Do this 10-15 times.
Standing Diagonal Cross
Hold one dumbbell with both hands and reach your arms up in the air together towards the upper left corner of your room.
Step to the right with your right foot, and pull the dumbbell towards this knee. Bring your knee diagonally across your body to meet in the center.
Then, touch your hands, place your foot back down, and put your arms back to their starting position. Do this 10-15 times and then switch sides.
Standing Side Crunch
With a dumbbell in each hand, reach upwards to the ceiling with your right arm and keep the left at your side.
Make sure you don’t arch your back by tilting your pelvis. Crunch down with your right elbow, bringing your right knee towards it.
Repeat this 10-15 times for your right-hand side and then follow these directions and do the same with your left.
Final Thoughts
You can implement these few exercises into a quick fifteen-minute dumbbell routine each day.
You should keep track of your activities and vary them daily so your body doesn’t get too accustomed to the same pattern.
You must remember to stick to a consistent schedule or else you won’t see your desired results.
Hi, my name is TJ Daniels. I am a certified personal trainer dedicated to health and fitness for the past 20+ years. We have found that consistency is the key to wellness and our company is founded on this philosophy. If you would like to learn more, please see our About Us page or Contact Us with questions, feedback, suggestions for future content, or collaboration opportunities. Let’s enjoy this journey together!
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