Dumbbell Workouts For Women - A Village Gym Special 

Whether you’re a newbie or serial lifter, never underestimate the power of dumbbells as they can help enhance your overall body strength and muscle mass. 

We all know the gym can be a daunting space, especially when you walk into the free weights section because you’re worried people will stare and if you lift those weights you’ll get “bulky”. And the honest truth is, if you would like to tone up, you actually need to build up some muscle and women have lower testosterone levels meaning it will take a lot of time, work and effort to get large visible muscles. Therefore it is physically much harder for women to have big muscles, so don’t worry, our dumbbell workout is perfect for you. 

Pick up a set of dumbbells and sweat it out at Village Gym. A dumbbell workout can equate to the same weight on a barbell without picking up those fiddly weight plates. Dumbbell workouts will also help stabilise your muscles, test your balance, coordination and control. And if you need an extra challenge, change the tempo or up those reps and sets.

So ladies… if it’s fat you want to burn, tone your legs, arms and abs, look no further than our dumbbell workout plan for women!

The Benefits of using Dumbbells For Women

When building muscle, you’re looking to use barbells, dumbbells, cable machines and resistance machines. So when you walk in the gym aim for the aforementioned kit. But why should women beginners hit the dumbbells first?  

• They are the most easily accessible equipment in the gym so you’re guaranteed to get your workout complete, even when it’s peak gym times. 

• They start at a low weight so beginners can find their feet with a lower weight and build confidence with form. 

• They come in a huge range of weights (usually 1 - 50kg) meaning you add progressive overload to your workouts. 

• They allow you to perform unilateral movements meaning you can fix muscle imbalances and work on stabilising your muscles. 

• They can be used for a variety of exercises from upper body, to lower body and core due to their greater range of motion. This helps joint health and more muscle contractions. 

At Village Gym, we have top notch equipment to let you reach your fitness goals and put variety back into your workout regimes. From free weights to Technogym resistance equipment and classes full of challenge and excitement, find out more about what our gyms have to offer for weight training fanatics or newbies. ​​

It’s time to hit the dumbbells!

Full Body Dumbbell Workout For Women 

1. Shoulder Press

2. Goblet Squats

3. Dumbbell Chest Press

4. Split Squats

5. Lateral Raises 

6. Romanian Deadlifts 

Make sure you warm up before undertaking some light cardio and dynamic stretches before you get stuck in to minimise chance of injury and get the most out of your workout. For the exercises we will list below, we would recommend you complete 3 sets of 12 reps each and take a minute rest between each set. 

Shoulder Press 

How to shoulder press: 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with a soft bend in your knees. 

• Bring the pair of dumbbells to your shoulder height with your back straight in a neutral position - please don’t lean back as this will cause you back pains.

• Activate and engage your core and push the dumbbells straight over your over until the arms are fully extended with your back straight - this is a slow motion. 

• Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to your shoulder height. Repeat. 

Goblet Squats 

How to goblet squat: 

• Position the dumbbell at your chest height and stand with your feet outside shoulder width apart with a soft bend in your knees. 

• Activate and engage your core and peg your shoulders back and down whilst facing forward to maintain your spine in neutral alignment. 

• Lower down slowly by hinging your hips and bending your knees until you sit down into a low squat. 

• Please note, the end range of the squat will vary per person and their mobility and strength. So aim to get your hips parallel to your thighs. If you can go lower and keep your back aligned, go for it! 

• Pause at the bottom for a couple of seconds and then push through your feet and slowly stand back up to the top keeping a slight and soft bend in your knees. 

Dumbbell Chest Press 

How to chest press: 

• Lie back on a flat gym bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand at either side of your shoulders with your knuckles facing up towards the sky. 

• Your arms should be bent with your elbows tucked close into your body. 

• With your core engaged, push the weights upwards until your arms are straight and positioned above your chest (top tip: do NOT lock your elbows). 

• Hold in this position for a few seconds and then slowly release your arms to come back down into the starting position. 

Please note, with dumbbells, you can drop the weights down past your shoulders before lifting them back up to add range to the movement. 

Split Squats 

How to split squat:

• First off, select your dumbbells, appropriate to your fitness level. 

• Then hold a dumbbell in each hand and from a standing position, take a step forward into a lunge position and lift the heel off the floor on your back foot. 

• Keep your torso upright facing forward and then slowly lower your back knee to the floor before it touches the ground. 

• Then, push through your front foot to slowly stand back upright. 

• Complete all reps on one leg before switching to the other leg. Keep the rest time of 60 seconds in between sets as listed above. 

If you’d like to add more challenge and difficulty to this movement, you can place your back foot up onto a flat bench to add more range to the motions. On the other hand, if you are struggling to hold two dumbbells, you can opt to hold one in the opposite hand to the leg you are exercising. 

Lateral Raises 

• Find a set of dumbbells suited to your ability, if you’re a beginner, start small, 1-2 kg. 

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, a soft bend in your knees and hold the dumbbells by your side. 

• Engage your core and keep the spine neutral and upright and then, slowly raise the dumbbells out to the side until they are level with your shoulders. 

• Keep your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement. 

• Once you reach shoulder height, slowly lower your arms back down to your sides. Repeat. 

When performing this dumbbell exercise, focus on using your lat muscles (they run from under your arm and down your back) to move the weight, try not to shrug your shoulders or push from your hips as you won’t reek the benefits. 

Romanian Deadlifts

How to do a romanian deadlift: 

• As usual, pick a set of dumbbells that suit your fitness level to ensure you feel the burn and perfect your form, at the same time. 

• First off, stand with your feet hip width apart, holding the dumbbells in front of your thighs. 

• Start to push your hips back as you slowly lower your torso whilst keeping your back in a neutral position - not bent. 

• Always keep the weights close to your legs as you perform a deadlift. 

• Keep lowering the dumbbells until you hit your knee level or mid shine, again this varies person to person, so make sure you feel the burn in your hamstrings before you stop. 

• Once you’ve hit that spot, pause and then slowly bring yourself back up through your hips and squeeze those glutes at the top. 

• Repeat. 

Dumbbell Exercises For Women At Village Gym 

Whether you’d like to workout at home or with us at the gym, you can’t go wrong with a pair of dumbbells. They are portable, affordable and don’t take up much more so, there are no excuses for you to start your journey to becoming the best version of yourself. 

From our blog article, you’ve probably noticed there are an endless number of exercises you can do with a set of dumbbells which means you’ll get variety in your workouts. So if you’re joining us at the gym, lift a set that challenges you or, if you’d rather stay at home, all you need to do is buy an appropriate set online and you’re ready to go! 

If you’d rather enjoy the camaraderie of the gym, find your nearest Village Gym and book a tour to see what all the fuss is about. We promise you won’t be disappointed with our high-tech Technogym equipment, free weights section, array of classes and the Strabucks to aid your caffeine desires.

FAQs About Dumbell Workouts For Women 

Is a dumbbell workout effective for a woman?

Yes, dumbbell workouts will help you burn fat and tone your body through resistance and strength training. 

What is a suitable dumbbell weight for a woman? 

This is personal to the individual, your fitness level and your consistency working out. If you’re just beginning, start off with 1 - 3kg dumbbells and see how you get on, and if you need a challenge, up the weight. 

Can you lose fat with dumbbells? 

Yes you can, utilising dumbbells in your workouts will burn body fat whilst building lean muscle mass in the right areas. If you want to up the fat loss, speak to our personal trainers or incorporate HIIT too. 

Can you see results with just dumbbell workouts? 

Yes, as we’ve mentioned dumbbells alone are the perfect equipment to aid your fat loss journey and build muscle tissue.