While abs and glutes workouts may get a bit more attention on social media these days, it’s equally important to show your upper body some love. That’s because building upper-body strength can help improve your posture, support mobility, reduce injury risk, allow you to more easily tackle everyday tasks (think: carrying groceries to lifting something heavy off a high shelf), and generally support your health and well-being.
Keep in mind, “upper body” is a pretty broad category, which includes all the muscles in your chest, back, and shoulders. We’re talking muscles like your trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, latissimus dorsi, pectorals, rotator cuff, biceps, triceps, and more.
A solid upper- body workout will include exercises that work a wide range of those muscle groups. Or, breaking up your upper- body days to focus on chest and back, then arms and shoulders, is another great way to make sure you’re hitting all the important muscles. And, while we love a good bodyweight routine, adding a dumbbell to the mix can be a great way to build strength and muscle.
To help you get started, we’ve rounded up the nine best dumbbell upper- body exercises. Our recommendation: choose five exercises below, then complete three sets of eight to 12 reps of each.
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Bicep Curl
- Start with a dumbbell in each hand at the sides of the body. Engage your core for stability. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your shoulders down and relaxed back.
- Think of your elbows as hinges, and slowly raise the dumbbells toward your chest.
- Moving with control, lower your hands back to their starting position.
Muscle Area: Arms
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Chest Press
- Lie on your back, feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Optional: Raise your hips off the ground, bringing your body into a straight line from knees to shoulders, to add a bridge to the press.
- Lift your arms toward the sky, and soften your elbows.
- Slowly and with control, lower your arms down to the side.
- Bring your arms back to start.
Muscle Area: Chest, Shoulders, Arms
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Front-Lateral Raise
- Come to a standing position, with your feet underneath your shoulders. Soften your knees. Roll your shoulders down.
- Lift your arms up directly in front of you, then without lowering them, slide them out to your sides to form a wide letter “V” in front of you.
- Lower down slowly and with control.
Muscle Area: Shoulder
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Reverse Fly
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with knees slightly bent. Keeping your back flat, hinge at the hip joint and bend forward.
- Exhale and lift both arms to the side, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
- With control, lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Muscle Area: Back, Shoulder
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Shoulder Press
- While standing or sitting on a workout bench with your feet flat on the floor, hold a dumbbell in each hand just above your shoulders with your palms slightly rotated forward.
- With control, lift your dumbbells above your head until your arms are nearly straight.
- Bend your elbow, and slowly come back to the starting position to complete one rep.
Muscle Area: Shoulder, Chest, Back
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Single-Arm Row
- Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Step your left foot in front of your right and hinge forward, placing your left hand on your left thigh if you want the additional support. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
- Engage your core, relax your shoulders, and extend your right arm towards the floor.
- Pull the dumbbell up with control, driving your elbow towards the ceiling. Do not rotate your torso.
- Lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position with control. After completing your reps on one side, repeat on the other.
Muscle Area: Back, Shoulders, Arm
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Tricep Extension
- In a kneeling or standing position, with dumbbells in each hand, extend your arms overhead and bring the dumbbells together.
- Bend your elbows, dropping your forearms behind your head with control.
- Engage your triceps to extend your arms back to the starting position.
Muscle Area: Arms
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Tricep Kickback
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, hinge forward from your hips, bending the knees slightly. Bend your elbows and position the dumbbells close to your hips, with palms facing in.
- Straighten your arms and extend the dumbbells, until your arms are parallel to the floor.
- Squeeze your triceps at the top, then return to the starting position with control.
Muscle Area: Arms
PS Photography | Chaunté Vaughn
Upright Row
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, with a dumbbell in each hand. Your closed palms should be facing your body. Your shoulders should be positioned over your pelvis, with knees slightly bent.
- Keep the dumbbells close to your body, and raise them to your chest, bending your elbows out to the sides.
- Slowly lower them to the starting position.
Muscle Area: Shoulders, Back
Kristine Thomason is a lifestyle writer and editor based in Southern California. Previously, she was the health and fitness director at Mindbodygreen and the fitness and wellness editor at Women’s Health. Kristine’s work has also appeared in PS, Travel + Leisure, Men’s Health, Health, and Refinery29, among others.
