7 exercises23 setsabout 55 mina pair of dumbbells and a bench
Chest, back, shoulders and arms in one session, with every press matched by a pull so the shoulders stay balanced. The two heavy lifts come first while you are fresh; the arm work is last.
Dumbbells make each side carry its own weight, so a stronger arm or leg cannot cover for the other, and they travel through a longer range than a bar allows.
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The workout
Dumbbell Bench Press4 × 8Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with forearms vertical, then press until they almost touch.2 min rest
One-Arm Dumbbell Row4 × 8 per sideOne hand and knee on the bench. Pull the dumbbell to your hip, not your chest, and keep your shoulders square.2 min rest
Dumbbell Shoulder Press3 × 10Start with the dumbbells at ear height, elbows slightly in front of you. Press up without arching your lower back.90 s rest
Dumbbell Pullover3 × 10Lying across the bench, lower one dumbbell behind your head with soft elbows, then pull it back over your chest.90 s rest
Lateral Raise3 × 15Lead with the elbows and raise to shoulder height. Go lighter than you think and lower under control.60 s rest
Dumbbell Curl3 × 12Turn your palms up as you curl and keep your upper arms still.60 s rest
Overhead Triceps Extension3 × 12One dumbbell held in both hands behind your head. Keep the elbows pointing forward and extend fully.60 s rest
Muscles worked
FrontBack
Shoulders8
Triceps8
Lats7
Chest5.5
Biceps5
Upper back4
Forearms3.5
Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.
How to run it
Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.
Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Dumbbells go up in big steps. When the next pair is too heavy, add a rep to every set first, and move up once you are two or three reps over the target.
Pair it with a leg day and alternate the two, four sessions a week: upper, lower, rest, upper, lower. Twice a week is plenty for the upper body to grow.
If something is taken
Dumbbell Bench Press→Push-Up
Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.
In myreplog
It is already set up. These 7 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.
Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.
Questions
How long does this upper body workout take?
About 55 minutes. That is 23 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.
What muscles does it work?
Mostly the shoulders, triceps and lats. The chest, biceps, upper back and forearms assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.
What equipment do I need?
A pair of dumbbells and a bench.
How many exercises should an upper body workout have?
Six to eight is the useful range. Fewer leaves a muscle group out; more than that and the last exercises are done too tired to count for much.
Should I train chest or back first?
Whichever you most want to improve, since the first lift gets your best effort. This session starts with a press and follows with a row; swapping the two is fine.