Top 6 Upper Body Exercises with Dumbbells

Looking for some great upper body exercises with dumbbells? The good news is that building upper body strength and mass doesn’t require much. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a set of the right exercises to target the major muscles in the upper body, including the back, chest, shoulders, and biceps.

Dumbbell exercises offer several benefits. They make training easier by allowing a full range of motion and also offer many variations. Upper body dumbbell workouts improve muscle activation and stabilization and are mostly safer than other weights.

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Top upper body exercises with dumbbells

Add the following six dumbbell exercises to your upper body workout routine to strengthen and improve your upper body muscle functioning:

1) Dumbbell shoulder press

Dumbbell shoulder press adds size to the shoulders. (Photo via Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio)

The dumbbell shoulder press is one of the best upper body exercises with dumbbells that are great for improving mass and strength in the shoulders.

To do a dumbbell shoulder press:

• Hold a pair of dumbbells, and stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width.
• With the abs engaged, lift your hands at shoulder level.
• Lower the dumbbells back with control, and repeat the exercise.

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2) Flat dumbbell bench press

One of the best upper body exercises with dumbbells, the flat dumbbell bench press strengthens the chest muscles, back of your arms, and front of the shoulders. This is a simple exercise, suited for beginners as well.

To do a flat dumbbell bench press:

• Lie on an exercise bench on your back, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
• Extend your arms over your chest, and hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing forward.
• Bend your arms, and lower the dumbbell down and out till they get on either side of the chest.
• Move your arms straight and over your chest again, and press back up to the starting position.
• Continue for a few more reps.

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3) Incline dumbbell chest fly

The incline dumbbell chest fly is among some of the most effective upper body exercises with dumbbells that target the muscles in the shoulders and chest and strengthen them.

To do an incline dumbbell chest fly:

• Lie on an incline bench set at 45 degrees incline on your back.
• Position your feet on the floor, and keep your arms extended over your chest. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with the palms facing forward.
• With your elbows unlocked and soft, lower the dumbbells in an arching motion till there’s a stretch in the chest muscles.
• Lift the dumbbells back to the starting position, and repeat the exercise.

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4) Dumbbell row

The dumbbell row is one of the best upper body exercises with dumbbells that help add size and strength to the back. It's a unilateral move that works on one side of the body at a time and corrects muscular imbalances too.

To do a dumbbell row:

• Lean on against a bench with your right knee and hand, and grab a dumbbell in your left hand.
• Maintain this position, and start to pull the dumbbell in a rowing movement as high as you can.
• Lower the dumbbell back with control, and repeat the exercise a few times.
• Continue on the other side.

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5) Bent-arm dumbbell pullover

Bent-arm dumbbell row targets the biceps, triceps, shoulders, and lats. (Photo via Pexels/Timothy)

The bent-arm dumbbell pullover is one of the most effective upper body exercises with dumbbells that target the shoulders, lats, triceps, and pecs. It increases the range of motion and stability and improves posture as well.

To do a bent-arm dumbbell pullover:

• Lie on your back on a flat bench, and grab a dumbbell with both hands. Make sure to keep the arms slightly bent.
• Arch the dumbbells behind your back, and slowly return them to the starting position.
• Repeat.

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6) Arnold press

This is one of the most potent upper body exercises with dumbbells, invented by the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. The Arnold press targets the triceps, traps, and deltoids, and adds size to the muscles.

To do an Arnold press:

• Sit tall on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Position your hand in front, and make sure to keep your palms facing your shoulders.
• Push the dumbbells over your head, and simultaneously rotate your arms till the palms get away from you.
• Straighten your arms, and reverse the movement.
• Repeat the exercise.

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Bottom Line

The aforementioned upper body exercises with dumbbells are not so difficult and can be attempted by beginners as well. Just be mindful of your form and posture, and choose a light-weight dumbbell initially. Keep the movement slow, and perform the exercises in full range of motion.