Dumbbell Exercises
123 movements use dumbbell, grouped below by primary muscle.
Exercises
123
using this equipment
Muscle groups
11
covered
Most common
Shoulders
36 exercises
Other equipment
8
alternatives listed
Covers 11 primary muscle groups - computed from the full exercise-to-muscle mapping.
What the Dumbbell Exercise Data Reveals
123 movements in the PlainExercise database list dumbbell as the required equipment. Those 123 records span 11 distinct primary muscle groups, led by shoulders (36), biceps (24), triceps (17). Every entry is sourced from the public-domain Free Exercise DB and grouped below by the upstream primary-muscle tag, no records are synthesised or re-categorised, so the distribution reflects what practitioners and federations have historically classified for this equipment class.
A broad muscle-group spread for a single equipment class signals that the tool is programmable across a full-body template rather than niche-specific; a narrow spread signals a specialist tool best paired with complementary equipment. With 11 primary-muscle groups represented, dumbbell is versatile enough to anchor a full training programme on its own. Detail pages for each listed movement include mechanic (compound vs isolation), force profile (push vs pull vs static), difficulty, and step-by-step instructions from the upstream record.
Context matters: equipment alone does not determine training outcome. Load, volume, technique, rest, and recovery all shape whether a movement pattern produces the intended adaptation, and no equipment class is strictly required, bodyweight, dumbbells, bands, and a barbell cover the overwhelming majority of common patterns. This page is general educational information, not medical or personal-training advice. Consult a physician, physical therapist, or certified trainer before starting or modifying an exercise programme, especially if you have pre-existing injuries, joint pain, cardiovascular conditions, or are pregnant.
shoulders (36)
- Alternating Deltoid Raise · beginner
- Arnold Dumbbell Press · intermediate
- Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench · beginner
- Cuban Press · intermediate
- Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise · beginner
- Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise · intermediate
- Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise · intermediate
- Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press · intermediate
- Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row · intermediate
- Dumbbell Raise · beginner
- Dumbbell Scaption · beginner
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press · intermediate
- External Rotation · beginner
- Front Dumbbell Raise · beginner
- Front Incline Dumbbell Raise · beginner
- Front Two-Dumbbell Raise · beginner
- Iron Cross · intermediate
- Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise · intermediate
- Lying Rear Delt Raise · intermediate
- One-Arm Incline Lateral Raise · beginner
- One-Arm Side Laterals · beginner
- Power Partials · beginner
- Reverse Flyes · beginner
- Reverse Flyes With External Rotation · intermediate
- Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise · intermediate
- Seated Dumbbell Press · beginner
- Seated Side Lateral Raise · beginner
- See-Saw Press (Alternating Side Press) · intermediate
- Side Lateral Raise · beginner
- Side Laterals to Front Raise · beginner
- Single Dumbbell Raise · beginner
- Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press · beginner
- Standing Dumbbell Press · beginner
- Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Head · intermediate
- Standing Palm-In One-Arm Dumbbell Press · beginner
- Standing Palms-In Dumbbell Press · intermediate
biceps (24)
- Alternate Hammer Curl · beginner
- Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl · beginner
- Concentration Curls · beginner
- Cross Body Hammer Curl · beginner
- Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl · beginner
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl · beginner
- Dumbbell Prone Incline Curl · intermediate
- Flexor Incline Dumbbell Curls · beginner
- Hammer Curls · beginner
- Incline Dumbbell Curl · beginner
- Incline Hammer Curls · beginner
- Incline Inner Biceps Curl · beginner
- Lying Supine Dumbbell Curl · beginner
- One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl · beginner
- Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl · beginner
- Seated Dumbbell Curl · beginner
- Seated Dumbbell Inner Biceps Curl · beginner
- Standing Concentration Curl · beginner
- Standing Dumbbell Reverse Curl · intermediate
- Standing Inner-Biceps Curl · intermediate
- Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Curl Over Incline Bench · beginner
- Two-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl · beginner
- Zottman Curl · intermediate
- Zottman Preacher Curl · intermediate
triceps (17)
- Close-Grip Dumbbell Press · beginner
- Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Dumbbell Floor Press · intermediate
- Dumbbell One-Arm Triceps Extension · intermediate
- Dumbbell Tricep Extension -Pronated Grip · beginner
- Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension · intermediate
- One Arm Pronated Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- One Arm Supinated Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Seated Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Seated Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension · intermediate
- Seated Triceps Press · beginner
- Standing Bent-Over One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Standing Bent-Over Two-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Standing One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension · beginner
- Tate Press · intermediate
- Tricep Dumbbell Kickback · beginner
chest (15)
- Around The Worlds · intermediate
- Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover · intermediate
- Decline Dumbbell Bench Press · beginner
- Decline Dumbbell Flyes · beginner
- Dumbbell Bench Press · beginner
- Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip · beginner
- Dumbbell Flyes · beginner
- Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press · beginner
- Incline Dumbbell Bench With Palms Facing In · beginner
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes · beginner
- Incline Dumbbell Flyes - With A Twist · beginner
- Incline Dumbbell Press · beginner
- One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press · beginner
- One-Arm Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye · beginner
- Straight-Arm Dumbbell Pullover · intermediate
quadriceps (8)
forearms (8)
- Dumbbell Lying Pronation · intermediate
- Dumbbell Lying Supination · intermediate
- Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench · beginner
- Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench · beginner
- Seated Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl · beginner
- Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl · beginner
- Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl · intermediate
- Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl · beginner