Experience Major Gains With Just Dumbbells and Our Three-Day Plan

Welcome to the Men’s Health Dumbbell Club. This week we’re into the second and final week of our ‘repeat and beat’ phase, repeating previously executed workouts and aiming for explosive muscle growth by beating our previous rep scores. Big numbers in the notebook, supported by a big effort in the kitchen and even bigger efforts in recovery, will ensure that big gains in the mirror aren’t far behind.

This week we’re repeating week 14, where we split the body up in a ‘Push/ Pull/ Legs’ fashion across the week. Once again we’ll be hitting legs on day one, when you’re at your freshest, followed by a push day focussing on the muscles of our chest, shoulders and triceps and finally finishing with a serious pump for our back and biceps. Your goal is to look back at your notes from week 14 and aim to perform more reps each minute. Ensure you’re using the same weights as you did in week 14, and aim to keep the same pitch perfect form throughout.

The EMOM format, which stands for ‘Every Minute On the Minute’, is simple in execution but powerful when performed with intensity. From zero at the beginning of each minute, you’re going to perform a set of a single movement, you’ll then rest for the remainder of the minute before moving into the next movement at the start of the next minute. Continue in this fashion until you’ve performed a round of each movement, rest for a minute, then begin again from movement one. Repeat the circuit in this fashion eight times round, for a total of 40 minutes of hard, muscle-building graft.

If this is your first week in the club, still take careful notes of your reps and come back to this workout in a few weeks time to test your progress. Each movement has a suggested rep range. Depending on the weights you have available, try to work towards the higher end of the range, but keep track of the reps you achieve on each movement, in each minute.

Day One (W16/D1)

After a thorough warm-up grab your ‘bells, start the clock and get to work. Use the same weights you used in week 14 and aim to beat your previous reps in each minute. Perform eight total rounds, for just under 40 minutes of total working time.

1. Alternating Reverse Lunge x 16-24 (Total)

Drop your dumbbells to your sides (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg. Alternate back and forth, aiming for 16-24 total reps, counting both legs.

2. Alternating Forward Lunge x 16-24 (Total)

Return to your standing position with dumbbells at your sides (A). This time take a step forward with one leg, bending at the knee until your back knee gently touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate back and forth, aiming for 16-24 total reps, counting both legs.

3. Front Squat x 8-12

Clean your dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders (A). From here, drop into a front squat by pushing your hips back and bending at the knees until your thighs pass parallel to the ground (B), before driving back up explosively. Keep those dumbbells secured high with a strong, upright torso throughout. Push hard for the high end of the rep range here.

4. Split Squat Jump x AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible x 60 seconds)

Ditch the dumbbells for an explosive bodyweight blast. Step one foot backward and sink into a deep lunge, with your rear knee lightly touching the floor (A). Explode upward, jumping into the air and switching legs mid jump (B). Land in a lunge position with the opposite leg forward. Repeat the movement, alternating legs each rep. Aim for maximum height on each jump. Take a breather whenever necessary, but keep clocking up reps for the full minute.

5. Rest

Rest for the entirety of the fifth and final minute, before beginning again from movement one. Focus on your breathing and lowering your heart rate, ready to hit the next circuit with full force.

Day Two (W16/D2)

As with day one: After a thorough warm-up grab your ‘bells, start the clock and get to work. Perform eight total rounds for just under 40 minutes of total working time.

1. High Pull x 8-12 reps

Stand tall with your dumbbells at your waist, in front of your body. (A) Keeping your core tight, hinge forward slightly before explosively standing upright and pulling the dumbbells up towards your chin, driving your elbows up and back (B). Slowly lower back down to your waist under complete control. Avoid simply dropping your dumbbells back to your waist to build more muscle and avoid injury. If your dumbbells feel light, avoid the help from your hips and simply stand tall and pull the weights up to your chin.

2. Bent-over Row x 10-15 reps

After your final floor press, stand tall with your dumbbells at your sides, and hinge forward until your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Allow the dumbbells to hang just below your knees (A). Maintaining a flat back, row both dumbbells towards your hips (B). Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and lower under control to the start before repeating.

3. Single Dumbbell Bicep Curl x 20-25 reps

Stand upright and drop one of your ‘bells. Grip the remaining ‘bell with both hands, holding the outer ‘heads’ with palms facing each other (A). With minimal momentum, curl the dumbbell upwards until it’s beneath your chin (B). Squeeze here and lower the weight under control, fighting it all of the way. Perform as many reps as you can before you have to drop the weights, then take a few breaths and perform a few more.

4. Renegade Row x (As Many Reps As Possible x 60 seconds)

Drop into a press-up position with your hands on your ‘bells and midline tight (A). Shifting your weight onto your left hand, row the right dumbbell towards your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat on your left side (each row equals one rep). If you have slightly heavier dumbbells, use them here. Drop to your knees and take a breather whenever necessary, but keep clocking up reps for the full minute.

5. Rest

Day Three (W16/D3)

Perform eight total rounds, for just under 40 minutes of total working time.

1. See-saw Press x 12-20 (Total Reps)

Stand up and press both dumbbells overhead explosively until your arms are fully locked out. Lower one ‘bell down to your shoulder while keeping the other locked out overhead (A). Explosively press back up, now lower the other arm (B). Alternate in this fashion, keeping one ‘bell secured overhead while the over is working, throughout.

2. Piston Floor (or Bench) Press x 16-24 (Total Reps)

Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Press the weights above you, locking out your elbows (A). Lower one dumbbell slowly until the back of your arm touches the floor (B). Keep the opposite arm locked out throughout, and pause here before explosively pressing back up. Alternate arms, keeping one arm locked out while the other is working. If you have access to a bench, use it.

3. Tempo Push-ups on Dumbbells x AMRAP (with Good Tempo)

Assume a long-armed plank position. With your core tight and hands gripping your dumbbells (A), bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest to the floor over a strict count of three seconds (B). Keep your elbows close to your body and pause for one second, feeling the deep stretch through your chest as you push back up explosively. When you can no longer lower over three seconds, or it begins to be grind to get back up, end your set and note your reps.

4. Tricep Dips x AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible x 60 seconds)

Sit upright on a bench or box, support your weight with your arms and walk your feet outwards, shifting off the edge (A). Lower your body until you feel a stretch across your chest (B). Push back up hard. For maximum impact, try a count of three down and one back up, squeezing your triceps hard at the top. Need to rest? Rest with your arms locked out at the top, but try to keep your hands on the bench for the full 60 seconds.

With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.    

As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.   

Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.   

 You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.

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