Day 1: Full Body A
about 42 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 10-15 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell Overhead Press | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10-15 | 9 | 75s |
Dumbbell Full Body Workout Plan
Three full-body sessions a week with dumbbells and a bench. Each day trains the whole body, so a missed session costs you less.
- Workouts / week
- 3
- Per workout
- 33-42 min
- Level
- Beginner
Equipment: Dumbbells and an adjustable bench
The workouts
Built by the same generator a MuscleBuddy account uses, for exactly this equipment.
Day 2: Full Body B
about 42 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Floor Press | 3 | 6-10 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 10-15 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
Day 3: Full Body C
about 33 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 10-15 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise | 3 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Overhead Press | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
Notes from the generator
- Full Body A has no vertical pull movement your equipment supports, so it was built without one.
- Full Body C has no vertical pull movement your equipment supports, so it was built without one.
- Core gets no direct movement: a limit of 5 main lifts per session leaves one slot for core or biceps, and biceps take it. Squats, deadlifts and overhead presses train your trunk.
Times are estimates: the prescribed rest plus about 30 seconds per set. RPE is effort on a 10-point scale, so RPE 8 leaves about two reps in the tank.
Why these movements
Three days a week is where most people can be consistent, and consistency beats optimization. Full body fits that: every session presses and trains legs, and rows and hinges come round during the week, so each muscle gets worked more than once.
The three days are not copies. Each one changes the angle: a flat press one day, a floor press the next, an incline press the third. Same muscles, different stress.
With dumbbells only, a few gym staples have no direct version. The barbell squat becomes a goblet squat or a split squat, and the barbell deadlift becomes a dumbbell Romanian deadlift. Same pattern, load in the hands.
How to run it
- Train on three non-consecutive days, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and rotate the three sessions in order.
- Start lighter than you think. When you can do the top of the rep range on every set, move up a pair.
Want this progressed from what you log each workout?
MuscleBuddy builds this week around your own equipment, then moves the weight up when your logged sets earn it and adjusts when you stall.
Create your free accountFrequently asked questions
- Is full body or a split better with dumbbells?
- Neither wins by default. Full body suits three days a week; a push, pull, legs split suits five or six. Pick the one you can show up for.
- How heavy should the dumbbells be?
- Heavy enough that the last rep of each set is hard, with one or two reps left. If you blow past the top of the range, the weight is too light.