Home dumbbell workout

Enter your dumbbell weight and how long you have to get a full body session with sets and reps.

Your details

With a pair of 10 kg dumbbells

3 × 12

sets and reps for each move

Goblet squats3 × 12
Dumbbell rows3 × 12
Floor press3 × 12
Romanian deadlifts3 × 12
Shoulder press3 × 12
Farmer's carry3 × 12
Weight moved in total4,320 kg
Hard sets a week for each main muscle6 over 2 days: 5 to 9, a solid middle; more days add more
Strength days2 a week covers the CMO 2
Next weight up1 to 2 kg a bell is 10 to 20% more: go up 1 kg, or add reps first; move up when 3 × 15 feels steady on two sessions running

If the last two reps feel easy, slow down the lowering or add reps before buying heavier bells.

Pain that is sharp, gets worse as you go, or is still there days later is a reason to see a GP or physio.

The working

A pair of 10 kg bells for 30 minutes

10 kg suits 3 sets of 12 on most moves. Six moves, two hands: 6 × 3 × 12 × 20 kg = 4,320 kg moved.

Reps by weight

Rule of thumb

Dumbbell	Reps
up to 6 kg	15
7 to 12 kg	12
over 12 kg	8

The moves

Full body

Goblet squats
Dumbbell rows
Floor press
Romanian deadlifts
Shoulder press
Farmer's carry

Your week

Sets, days and the next weight

Pick muscular endurance and reps go up to 15 (20 with light bells), within the ACSM 10 to 25. Add your days a week to see the hard sets each main muscle gets: 3 sets on 2 days is 6, in the 5 to 9 middle that Schoenfeld and colleagues (2017) found worthwhile; a third day makes 9, and 4 sets on 3 days makes 12. Two days also covers the Chief Medical Officers' advice on strength.

Light dumbbells jump in big steps: going from 10 to 12 kg is 20% more, twice the 2 to 10% the ACSM suggests at a time. So add reps, then slow the lowering, before you buy heavier bells: move up when 3 sets of 15 feel steady on two sessions running.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Each moveYou may need lighter weights for shoulder work.
InjuryIt does not adapt for injuries.
FormIt cannot check your technique.

Questions

Common questions

Can I build muscle with dumbbells at home?

Yes, if you take sets close to tiring.

What weight dumbbells should I buy?

Many people start with a pair of 5 to 10 kg, or adjustable bells.

How many sets?

2 to 4 sets per move.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.