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Got a pair of dumbbells and want a plan that actually tells you what to do with them? You’re in the right place.
This is a 4 day dumbbell workout for women. Two lower body days that focus on your glutes and legs, and two upper body days for your back, shoulders and arms. Each session takes about 45 minutes, and it works at home or in the gym.
Keep reading for all four workouts, how to pick your weights, and what this plan can (and can’t) do for your shape.
The plan at a glance
| Level | Beginner to intermediate |
| Days | 4 a week |
| Session length | About 45 minutes |
| Rest | 60 to 90 sec between sets |
| Length | 8 weeks, then repeat heavier |
| Equipment | Dumbbells (ideally a light, medium and heavy pair), a bench or sturdy step |
Your week
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower A | Upper A | Rest | Lower B | Upper B | Rest, or a walk |
The workouts
Lower A: glutes and hamstrings
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 4 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell hip thrust (back on a bench or couch) | 4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell reverse lunge | 3 | 10 each leg |
| Dumbbell sumo squat | 3 | 12 |
| Glute bridge, single leg | 2 | 12 each leg |
Upper A: back and shoulders
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| One-arm dumbbell row | 4 | 10 each arm |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell floor press or bench press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 | 12 |
| Dead bug | 3 | 8 each side |
Lower B: quads and glutes
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 4 | 8-10 |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 8-10 each leg |
| Dumbbell step-up | 3 | 10 each leg |
| Dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift | 3 | 10 each leg |
| Dumbbell calf raise | 3 | 15 |
Upper B: chest, back and arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell bent-over row (both arms) | 4 | 10 |
| Incline dumbbell press (or push-up) | 3 | 10 |
| Arnold press | 3 | 10 |
| Dumbbell rear delt fly | 3 | 12-15 |
| Overhead dumbbell triceps extension | 2 | 12 |
| Side plank | 3 | 20-30 sec each side |
A Bulgarian split squat is a lunge with your back foot up on a bench behind you. It’s tough, so start with light dumbbells, or none at all. An Arnold press is a shoulder press where you start with your palms facing you and rotate them forward as you press up.
How to pick your weights
Choose a weight where the last 2 or 3 reps feel hard, but your form holds. Your legs are much stronger than your arms, so you’ll usually need heavier dumbbells for lower body days.
When to go up: once you hit the top of the rep range on every set for two sessions in a row, move up to the next dumbbell. If your next dumbbell is too big a jump, add 2 reps per set instead, or slow each rep down to 3 seconds on the way down.
How the 8 weeks progress
| Weeks 1 to 3 | Week 4 | Weeks 5 to 7 | Week 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effort | Stop 3 reps short of failure | Same | Stop 1 to 2 reps short | Easy |
| Sets | As listed | As listed | As listed | Half the sets |
What this plan can (and can’t) do for your shape
Here’s the honest version, because you deserve it.
What it can do: build muscle where you train it. More muscle on your glutes and shoulders genuinely changes your shape, and women build muscle well. When researchers pooled the studies on men and women doing the same training, women gained muscle and lower-body strength at a similar relative rate to men.
What it can’t do: choose where you lose fat. In one study, people trained only one leg, three times a week, for 12 weeks. They lost body fat overall, but it came off their arms and trunk, not the leg they trained.
So the “hourglass” part comes from two things together: building your glutes and shoulders with this plan, and losing some overall body fat by eating a little less than you burn, if that’s your goal. The female body toning meal plan can help with the food side, and how long it takes to get toned covers what to expect.
Eating for it
Aim for about 0.6 to 0.9 g of protein per pound of bodyweight a day (1.4 to 2.0 g per kg). For a 143 lb (65 kg) woman, that’s about 90 to 130 g a day. Try to spread it across your meals.
Questions people ask
What weight dumbbells should I buy?
If you can only buy a few pairs, a light, medium and heavy pair covers most of this plan. Many women start around 10, 15 and 25 lb (4.5, 7 and 11 kg). Adjustable dumbbells are a great space saver.
Can I do this as a beginner?
Yes! Start with 2 sets of everything for the first two weeks, then move up to the full plan.
Do I need a bench?
It helps, but a sturdy step, couch or the floor works. Floor presses and hip thrusts against the couch are perfect substitutes.
Can I do it 3 days a week instead?
Yes. Run the four workouts in order across your three days and just pick up where you left off.
Will dumbbells make me bulky?
No. Looking bulky takes years of training aimed at exactly that, plus eating for it. Weight training for women goes into this in more depth.
Happy lifting, and enjoy watching those dumbbells get heavier!
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, have an injury, or have a medical condition, check with a doctor before starting a new training plan.
