Dumbbells are an effective exercise tool for your arms and shoulders because they enable you to perform resistance exercises through all the ranges of motion of your elbow, wrist and shoulder joints. Additionally, dumbbells are relatively inexpensive, so you can purchase a set and perform a two- or three-day-per-week routine at home. Consult an exercise professional to develop a dumbbell routine and program that suits your personal needs and goals.
Warm-up
Always do a general and specific warm-up before your dumbbell workout routine. The general warm-up segment involves performing low-intensity exercises, such as cycling, jogging or walking, for five to 15 minutes to increase your blood flow, heart rate and muscle temperature. The specific warm-up segment involves performing the dumbbell exercises that make up your routine for one set of 10 or more repetitions at a very light weight, which prepares the muscles that will work the hardest during your workout.
Military Press
Perform the military press first during each training session because it's a multijoint exercise targeting the muscles that act on your shoulder joint and the triceps, which extend your elbows. Complete two to three sets of at least 12 repetitions, or reps, if your goal is to increase your muscular endurance; three to six sets of six to 12 reps if you want to build muscle mass; or two to six sets of no more than six reps if you want to build maximal strength. Adjust the weight according to the number of sets and repetitions, using light weights for low-set/high-rep workouts and heavy weights for high-set/low-rep workouts. Rest for one to three minutes between each set.
Shoulder Exercises
After completing the military press and resting for three minutes, perform front dumbbell raises, lateral dumbbell raises and the reverse dumbbell fly to isolate the anterior, middle and posterior deltoids, respectively. Complete three sets of eight to 12 reps of each exercise, resting for 1 to 2 minutes between each set. Increase the weight during your next training session if you can easily complete three sets of 12 reps, and decrease the weight if you can't perform at least three sets of eight reps.
Upper-Arm Exercises
Next, perform biceps curls, which target the elbow flexors on the front of your upper arm, and triceps extensions, which work the elbow extensors on the back of your arm. Since these are single-joint exercises, just like the shoulder raises and the reverse fly, follow the same guidelines: three sets of eight to 12 reps with 1 to 2 minutes of rest between sets.
Forearm Exercises
Perform dumbbell exercises for your forearms after you complete the upper-arm exercises. These include wrist curls, wrist extensions and forearm twists, which involve laying your forearms across a padded bench and repeatedly flexing your wrists with your palms facing upward, with your palms facing downward and when twisting your forearms in both directions, respectively. Follow the same guidelines as for the shoulder and upper-arm exercises.
Cool Down
After completing your routine, cool down by performing static stretches that target your shoulder, upper-arm and forearm muscles. Lengthen each muscle until you feel gentle tension, then hold for 10 to 30 seconds, deepening the stretch slightly with each exhalation as you breathe normally. Avoid forcing a stretch too far, however, because doing so may cause a muscle-strain injury.
References
- "Basic Biomechanics"; Susan J. Hall; 2007
- "NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training"; Roger Earle and Thomas Baechle; 2004
- ExRx.net: Shoulder Exercise Menu
- ExRx.net: Upper-Arm Exercise Menu
- ExRx.net: Forearm Exercise Menu
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