Any dumbbell workout plans?

[vanhooseja]

I see that their is many plans out their but is their any that are 90% dumbbell exercises? I have an adjustable bench dumbbells that go up to 40 lbs. I also have a simple cable machine and I am looking for any help in finding or creating a plan.

[magician27]

40 lbs dumbells are not sufficient. programwise , pick any program ,substitute barbell exercises with dumbells

[EPMD]

Dumbbells are great, but I agree that you will quickly need/want to upgrade to a heavier set (Powerblocks or Ironmaster adjustable work well for this). It is often cheaper to go the barbell route, but space restrictions may apply.

If you do want to use dumbbells, ensure your training plan includes the following basic exercises:
Push:
Bench Press
Overhead Press
Close-Grip Bench Press or Triceps Extensions

Legs:
Bulgarian Split Squats and/or Lunges
Front Squats and/or Goblet Squats
Romanian Deadlifts
Calf Raises (probably need to do them one-legged to provide enough challenge)

Pulls:
Bentover Rows
Biceps Curls
Chinups

Use the same sort of set and rep schemes you would use for barbell training. And most importantly, ensure you are incorporating progression into your training. Whether that is additional weight lifted, higher volume, or decreased rest time, you need to focus on improving over time or else your body will remain the same. With dumbbells, adding small increments of weight is typically more difficult than with barbells, but you can progress through volume/rest changes when adding weight is not yet possible.