If you don’t have gym membership, it’s not the end of the world. Working out from home can be just as rewarding, and definitely more convenient than driving to the closest facility.

Using nothing but the weight of your body, you can actually build a very decent physique. But, if you also have dumbbells, the sky really is the limit. There’s no muscle that can’t be targeted. All that’s holding you back is knowing how to use them!

1 Chest presses

Sitting chest presses
Sit on the floor, holding the dumbbells by your sides. Keep your upper arms tight to your sides and carefully hoist the weights up by your chest.

Back chest presses
Slowly lower yourself down onto your back and extend your legs out straight.

Move your arms out to your sides with your elbows bent 90 degrees and palms facing your feet. Your upper arms should be pressed against the floor at this point.

Push the dumbbells straight up and toward each other in an arcing motion. Stop when your arms are fully extended and the bells are about an inch apart. Hold for a split second, slowly lower the weights back to the starting position and repeat.

2 Military press

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and hoist the dumbbells up to the sides of your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Your elbows should be bent and your upper arms should be tucked in by your sides.

Push the weights straight upward and toward each other in an arcing motion. Stop when your arms are just about fully extended and the bells are about an inch apart. Slowly lower the weights back to the starting point and repeat.

3 Push-up renegade rows

Place two dumbbells on the floor about shoulder-width apart and with the handles parallel to each other. Grasp the handles and assume a plank position with a straight line from the back of your head to your heels.

Lower yourself down by bending your elbows and stop when your upper arms are about parallel to the floor. Push yourself all the way back up and then lift the dumbbell in your right hand up by your side. Make sure to keep your arm close to your body as you do this.

Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the floor, do a row with your left arm and repeat the entire drill.

Don’t let your hips sag or raise really high throughout the entire exercise. You can prevent this by keeping your abs really tight the entire time.

4. Sumo squat hammer curls

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet in a wide stance with your toes facing out about 45 degrees. Let your arms hang straight down in front of your body with your palms facing in.

Keep your back straight and bend your knees to lower yourself down into a squat. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor, then stand back up.

As soon as your knees are fully extended, bend your elbows and lift the weights up toward your chest. Keep your palms facing each other when you do this.

Stop for a second and squeeze your biceps. Then slowly lower the weights back down and twist your wrists so they face in. Repeat the entire drill for a set of reps.

5 Triceps kickbacks

Hold two dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing in and stand with your feet together. Bend forward at the hips and bend your knees slightly. Raise your arms up backwards so your upper arms are about parallel to the floor and close to your sides.

Keep your upper arms still as you straighten your arms. Stop when your arms are fully extended and squeeze your triceps for a full second. Bend your elbows to lower the weights back down and repeat.

Check also: Incline Dumbbell Press vs Flat Dumbbell Press – What’s The Difference? >>

Ready to build some home-grown bulk?

These exercises will do a top job of targeting all your major muscle groups. If you literally just did these 5 moves two or three times a week, you’d get all the stimulation you need for toning up your body all over.

Just be sure the load you use for each drill varies. You can get away with using heavier weights for exercises like chest presses and renegade rows. But you’ll have to use a lighter resistance for exercises like hammer curls and triceps kickbacks.

Build it up slowly, increase your reps gradually and see what you can achieve this month using these moves in addition to a good quality natural bulking stack.