You do upper body and lower body days twice each at home, so you train every muscle twice a week 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
Track macros and calories
Home Upper Lower Routine Example
An example of a 4-day home upper lower 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 upper body dayChest, back, shoulders and arms with dumbbells |
| Friday | Home lower body dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves with dumbbells |
| Saturday | Rest |
| 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
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, plus a sturdy chair or bench for Bulgarian split squats
- you can train 4 days a week, for about 45 to 60 minutes each time
- you've been training for a few months and want each muscle twice a week
For a fifth day, see the 5-day home dumbbell example. For the gym version, see the upper lower example.
Common questions
Can you train legs hard with only dumbbells?
Yes. Single-leg moves like Bulgarian split squats load each leg on its own, so a lighter dumbbell feels a lot heavier. Goblet squats and Romanian deadlifts cover the rest.
How many sets per week does the home upper lower example give each muscle?
About 10 for chest, back and shoulders, 12 for quads and 6 for hamstrings. Most land inside the 10 to 20 sets a week that research links to muscle growth. See How many sets per week to build muscle.
Track macros and calories
with Somatics
