Your muscles require 48 to 72 hours of rest between training sessions, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Therefore, to work out four days per week, split your muscle groups into separate workout sessions. Develop your upper body on Mondays and Thursdays and your lower body on Tuesdays and Fridays. Your upper body's major muscle groups include your chest, shoulders, back, biceps and triceps; the lower body's major muscle groups include your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.
Chest and Shoulder Dumbbell Exercises
To develop your chest, complete the chest press and chest flies. Lie on your back with a dumbbell in each hand. For chest presses, start with the dumbbells above your shoulders with palms facing your feet. Push the weights up toward the ceiling, bringing them together at the top. For chest flies, start with the dumbbells held out to your sides with extended arms and palms facing the ceiling. Keep your arms straight and bring the dumbbells up together over your chest. For your shoulders, perform shoulder-press and lateral raises. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. For the shoulder press, start with the weights at your shoulders with palms facing forward. Push the dumbbells up toward the ceiling. For lateral raises, allow the weights to hang down by your sides with your palms facing your legs. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and raise your arms up out to the side until they become parallel with the floor.
Back Dumbbell Exercises
Target your back with bent-over rows and single-arm rows. For bent-over rows, position your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at the waist, keeping your back straight and your head up. Allow the dumbbells to hang to the floor to get to starting position. Drive your elbows back so that they move toward the ceiling, bringing the dumbbells up to your chest. Conversely, do single-arm rows one arm at a time. Place one knee and that same side's hand on a bench so that your back is parallel with the floor. Hold a dumbbell with your other hand and allow it to hang down toward the floor. Drive your elbow up toward the ceiling.
Biceps and Triceps Dumbbell Exercises
Recruit your biceps with bicep curls and hammer curls. Work your triceps with overhead triceps extensions and lying triceps extensions. For bicep curls and hammer curls, stand firmly with a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing forward. Keep your elbows into the side of your torso and bend your elbows, bringing the dumbbells up toward your shoulders. Do hammer curls from the same initial position, but with arms at your sides and palms facing each other; the motion should appear as if you were hammering something. To complete standing overhead triceps extensions, hold a single dumbbell with both hands and extend your arms up over your head. Bend your elbows, dropping the dumbbell behind your head. Do lying extensions while lying on your back on a bench. Hold the single dumbbell with both hands and extend it toward the ceiling; bend your elbows to drop the dumbbell toward your forehead.
Lower-Body Dumbbell Exercises
To develop lower-body muscle groups, complete squats, lunges, deadlifts and calf raises. For squats, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart; hold a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders. Push your hips backward as you bend your knees and lower down into a squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor. For lunges, once again, hold the weights at your shoulders. Take a large step forward with one foot and then drop your back knee toward the floor. Return to the starting position and switch legs. To complete deadlifts, first position your feet so that they're shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow the weights to hang in front of you with your palms facing your thighs. Push your hips back and bend over at the waist until your back is parallel with the floor. For calf raises, hold the dumbbells at your shoulders and stand with feet at shoulder width. Rise up onto the balls of your feet and then control your heels back down.
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