Just Added: 23 More Dumbbell Exercises

June 23, 2023

Dumbbells—the darlings of any gym. You know the rack: At the gym, it’s usually lined up under a giant mirror. At home, you might have a set in the garage or an adjustable pair.

Whether you’re new to this ultra-useful equipment’s benefits or “Dumbbell Fly” is your middle name, we’ve got exercises for you.

Plenty of them, too. In fact, we’ve just added 23 more dumbbell moves to the 1,000+ strong Fitbod exercise library. We love them at Fitbod and they’re one of the most logged pieces of equipment among Fitbodders.

Why? Probably because training with dumbbells is incredibly beneficial for your overall fitness. (So good, we should be calling them “Smarthammers” or something.) They are…

Versatile and accessible
Convenient and (usually) available
Good stability builders and tendon strengtheners

Not to mention the main reason dumbbells are the cornerstone of tons of fitness programs and workout routines—they’re really, really, really good at helping you build muscle. So keep scrolling for a few favorite moves from this month’s exercise drop.

P.S. If you don’t have your own dumbbells and need a pair, these are our favorite ones. One pair will unlock 100+ total Fitbod exercises for you, including these 23 new moves.

Sample New Dumbbell Exercises for June ‘23

1. Dumbbell Drag Pause Curl

This exercise is fantastic for building up your biceps. By pausing at the top of the movement, you’ll increase the time that the muscle is under tension. The drag curl motion also keeps the tension on your bicep more consistent.

Pro tip: Go slow! The slower you perform this exercise, the better the benefit. Doing your reps slowly will add to the time your muscles are under tension, which means more muscle growth. So, consider slowing down or extending your pause at the top of the movement.

2. Dumbbell Standing Front Press

This is a great exercise to add variety to your shoulder pressing moves—especially if you want to target the front of your shoulders.

Pro tip: If you notice that you’re leaning back as you lift, focus on engaging your core and looking dead ahead. Doing so will help keep your back straight.

3. Dumbbell Good Morning

This is a great Good Morning variation for anyone looking to add weight to a Good Morning, but without a barbell.

Pro tip: If you notice your back rounding as you fold forward, pinch your shoulder blades together and keep your core engaged throughout the movement. This will help your back stay straight.

4. Dumbbell Pull Over

This is a great upper body exercise that targets a ton of muscle groups with a movement that isn’t very common.

Pro tip: You can shift the primary muscle group for this exercise by adjusting your grip on the dumbbell. Positioning your elbows out will put more tension on your back; positioning them more narrowly will put more tension on your chest.

5. Plank with Dumbbell Pull Through

This exercise is a great way to add more demand for stability to a standard plank. Adding extra complexity to the movement increases the demand for core activation.

Pro tip: If you’re losing stability as you move the dumbbell, spread your feet out wider. This will give you a better base and help you remain stable as you move through the exercise.

Ready to Give ‘Em a Try?

Our professional trainers built these well-rounded dumbbell workouts with this month’s new moves. Open them on your phone and save them in your Fitbod Saved Workouts library for your next training session.

FAQs

Q: How can I add these exercises to my workout?

A: Tap the “+” above your workout (next to the number of exercises in your workout), hit the “Categories” tab, and scroll to “Recently Added to Fitbod”. Or, if you’re on your phone right now, just tap here.

Q: Can I just wait for the Fitbod algorithm to recommend these new exercises?

A: Sort of. The Fitbod algorithm will serve up our newest exercises, among those demoed by a non-pregnant person. But, with a library of 1000+ exercises, it may take a bit for these new exercises to show up in your workouts without a little push. If you want to do (or not do) any of them, tell Fitbod: Tap the 3 dots next to any exercise and choose “Recommend More,” “Recommend Less,” or “Exclude” from the pop-up list.

Q: Will the weights and reps for these new exercises match my ability?

A: They might not on your first go. Since these exercises are new to Fitbod, they aren’t perfectly calibrated to your fitness level. If the weights and reps don’t match your ability, adjust them! You’ll get better recommendations moving forward, and you’ll help Fitbod “train” these new exercises to level-set themselves for all our users.

(Note: We’re always improving our workout recommendation algorithm. Over time, we intend to get these starting values to match your ability from lift one.)

Q: How do you decide which exercises to add each month?

A: We weigh a few factors. The first (and most important) is the number of requests from our users. Fitbod is built for you, after all. Want to request an exercise? Drop us a line at [email protected].

The second most important factor is whether an exercise contributes to a well-rounded fitness program. For example, we know that a lot of Fitbodders run. So, our trainers may suggest a set of exercises for runners to make Fitbod a better overall experience.

Q: Why am I not seeing these exercises in the app when I search for them?

Double-check to make sure that you’re on the latest version of the app: Go to the App Store or Google Play and install the most recent update. Then be sure to follow the instructions above