You do an upper and a lower day, rest a day, then push, pull and leg days, all at home with dumbbells. For how this split compares with others, see Push pull legs vs upper lower vs full body.
Workout Routine Examples
Home upper body dayChest, back, shoulders and arms with dumbbells · 8 exercises
Home lower body dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells · 6 exercises
Home push dayChest, shoulders and triceps with dumbbells · 5 exercises
Home pull dayBack, rear shoulders and biceps with dumbbells · 5 exercises
Home leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells · 5 exercises
Track macros and calories
5-Day Home Dumbbell Routine Example
An example of a 5-day home dumbbell week, with a full workout for every training day.
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Home upper body dayChest, back, shoulders and arms with dumbbells |
| Tuesday | Home lower body dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Home push dayChest, shoulders and triceps with dumbbells |
| Friday | Home pull dayBack, rear shoulders and biceps with dumbbells |
| Saturday | Home leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells |
| Sunday | Rest |
This is an example of what a training week can look like, not a prescription or medical advice. Start with weights you can lift with good form, and if you have an injury or a health condition, check with your doctor first.
The workouts
Home upper body dayChest, back, shoulders and arms with dumbbells · 8 exercises
Home lower body dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells · 6 exercises
Home push dayChest, shoulders and triceps with dumbbells · 5 exercises
Home pull dayBack, rear shoulders and biceps with dumbbells · 5 exercises
Home leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells · 5 exercises
Want to track this routine?
In Somatics, you can save any workout as a template, then log your sets, reps and weight as you go, plus RIR (Reps in Reserve) with Pro.
Who is this for?
This example can work well for you if:
- you train at home with dumbbells and like training most days
- you can train 5 days a week, for about 40 to 60 minutes each time
- you've been lifting for a few months
For fewer days, see the home upper lower (4 days) or home dumbbell (3 days) examples. For 6 days, see the home push pull legs example.
Common questions
How is this different from the home upper lower example?
The first two days are the same upper and lower workouts. After a rest day, you add push, pull and leg days, so every muscle still gets two workouts a week, with a few more sets.
How many sets per week does the 5-day home dumbbell example give each muscle?
About 12 for chest and back, 13 for quads and 11 for shoulders. Hamstrings get fewer, about 6, because the home days lean on Romanian deadlifts and glute bridges for the back of your legs.
Track macros and calories
with Somatics
