Stuck with just one dumbbell? Try these exercises for a complete workout

The gym is not just a physical test; it is also a test of creativity in how well one can get the best out of the equipment available. It can feel like a puzzle to solve when there is limited equipment: just one bench, light dumbbells, no Smith machine… the list of challenges is endless, especially when you’re on the move and unable to settle into a routine. This is where many newbies seem to falter—not knowing what to do when there isn’t enough to work with.

I wrote a piece for Lounge in May 2022 titled The best strength workouts using just a weight plate. But the one piece of equipment that is almost always present in a gym—and can easily be bought for personal use—is the dumbbell. The grip of a dumbbell is completely different from that of a weight plate, but it offers far more versatility because it can be used easily with one or both hands. If you happen to own just a single dumbbell, here’s a list of exercises you must try.

Single arm RDL (Romanian Deadlift) for lower body: Lunges may seem like the obvious choice for a lower body workout, but single leg RDLs offer the added advantage of building balance along with resistance. To do a single leg RDL, bend your body at the hips while keeping your back straight and one leg extended behind you. Hold a dumbbell in the same hand as the extended leg. Lower your torso until the extended leg hovers just above the floor, then return to the starting position to complete a rep. As a progression, pull the working leg up with the knee bent toward the chest at the end of each rep. The RDL targets the often-overlooked hamstrings while also strengthening the glutes.

Devil’s press for a full body challenge: This is a tough one as it marries one of the most disliked exercises – the burpee – with a jump and a dumbbell snatch. A brilliant combination of fat-burning, endurance and muscle-building exercises, it’s probably one of the most effective exercises if you want to centre your routine around a single move. But it’s also an exercise you can incorporate if you enjoy intermediate to advanced levels of fitness. The dumbbell snatch is what makes it a technically difficult exercise. My suggestion? Learn the burpee with a jump, and the snatch separately before doing them back-to-back in a devil’s press. As for the dumbbell, you can either switch hands with every rep or complete a set number of reps on one side before changing to the other.

Single arm floor press for chest and triceps: Floor-supported presses are becoming increasingly popular given how common shoulder injuries have become. The single-arm floor press is safer for the shoulders because your arms cannot move past a certain point as they would on a bench. “The floor press can help add volume to your upper body pushing routine, but you want to train at submaximal weight and range of motion to maximise recovery,” says a Barbend.com piece titled 5 Benefits of the Floor Press That Make It Worth Training. It also helps in fully locking out the arm at the end of every lift due to the reduced stress that comes with a shorter range of motion. I have been doing my chest flys on the floor and it has helped me retain the exercise in my routine after I discovered that the bench press was causing a shoulder impingement. The floor press doesn’t necessarily have to replace your bench press, but if you’re experiencing shoulder trouble while pressing, it’s certainly worth trying.

Waiter curls for biceps: Waiter curls are more challenging than the conventional bicep curl. The technique ensures that your arms stay glued to your sides as both curl upward in a narrower path, with your palms placed under the bulb of weight at the end of a dumbbell. That means no swinging of the arms while curling. The exercise also targets the long head of the bicep, which is typically weaker than the short head. Adding this to your routine ensures you’re working the entire bicep while also building forearm strength.

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.