This home upper body day has 8 exercises and 19 sets in all. It's part of the home upper lower and 5-day home dumbbell routine examples. It works the same way for men and women, and every exercise lists a dumbbell or machine swap if you'd rather use one.
Workout Routine Examples
Track macros and calories
Home Upper Body Day Workout Example
An example home upper body day for chest, back, shoulders and arms with dumbbells, with sets, reps, rest and target RIR for every exercise.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell floor pressChest, tricepsSwap: Push-ups | 3 | 8 to 12 | 1.5 to 2 min | 1 to 2 |
| Dumbbell rowUpper back, lats, bicepsSwap: Seated cable row | 3 | 10 to 12 per arm | 1.5 to 2 min | 1 to 2 |
| Standing dumbbell pressShoulders, tricepsSwap: Seated dumbbell press | 3 | 10 to 12 | 1.5 min | 1 to 2 |
| Push-upsChest, front shoulders, tricepsSwap: Incline push-ups on a bench | 2 | 8 to 15 | 1.5 min | 1 to 2 |
| Dumbbell pulloverLats, chestSwap: Straight-arm cable pulldown | 2 | 10 to 12 | 1.5 min | 1 to 2 |
| Lateral raiseSide shouldersSwap: Cable lateral raise or machine lateral raise | 2 | 12 to 15 | 1 min | 0 to 2 |
| Dumbbell curlBicepsSwap: Cable curl | 2 | 10 to 12 | 1 min | 1 to 2 |
| Overhead triceps extensionTricepsSwap: Cable overhead extension | 2 | 10 to 12 | 1 min | 1 to 2 |
RIR means reps in reserve: how many more good reps you could have done when you stopped the set. See What does RIR mean in lifting? We based the rest times on How long to rest between sets.
This is an example of what a workout 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.
Want to track this workout?
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 a pair of dumbbells
- you have about 50 to 60 minutes for the workout
- you want one workout for chest, back, shoulders and arms with dumbbells
Common questions
How long does the home upper body day take?
The home upper body day takes about 50 to 60 minutes for 8 exercises and 19 sets, including rest and the upper body warm-up.
Why does the home upper body day start with the dumbbell floor press?
In the home upper body day, the dumbbell floor press is the biggest lift, working your chest and triceps, so you do it first, while you're fresh, with 1.5 to 2 minutes of rest between sets. Smaller accessory exercises like the overhead triceps extension come at the end, with 1 minute of rest.
What can I use instead of the dumbbell pullover in the home upper body day?
The listed swap is straight-arm cable pulldown. It trains the same muscles (lats and chest), so you can make the change and keep the rest of the home upper body day the same.
Track macros and calories
with Somatics
