2 VARIANTS Plans
Full Body 3 days/week ~40–58 min
Dumbbell Foundation
A straightforward full-body plan for three training days per week, using the same session each day. You need dumbbells and a stable bench. Compact contains five core exercises; Standard adds work for the side delts, abs, and calves. Every dumbbell exercise uses double progression.
Who is this plan for?
- Beginners and returning trainees who want to train the full body three times per week
- Trainees with dumbbells and a stable bench, but no barbell or rack
- Anyone who wants to repeat a small exercise selection and progress it consistently
- Trainees who want a choice between a compact and a longer session
How it works
- Five core exercises: dumbbell goblet squat, dumbbell romanian deadlift, dumbbell bench press, dumbbell one arm bent-over row, and dumbbell seated shoulder press make up every session.
- Progress the core exercises: Each core exercise starts at 3×8. After every successful session, the rep target increases by one until 12; the load then increases by 2 kg/4 lb and the target resets to 8.
- Standard accessories: dumbbell lateral raise uses 3×12–15 and 1 kg/2 lb steps; dumbbell standing calf raise uses 3×12–20 and 2 kg/4 lb steps. Compact ends after the five core exercises.
- Ab progression: crunch (hands overhead) starts at 2×15. After every successful session, the target increases by one rep; external load is not used.
- After repeated misses: For each dumbbell exercise, two unsuccessful sessions in a row reduce the load by 10% and reset the target to the lower end of its rep range. For the crunch, three unsuccessful sessions in a row reduce the target by two reps.
Pros & Limitations
+ The identical daily structure makes progress easy to compare
+ A squat, hip hinge, presses, and a row are included in every session
+ Compact and Standard keep the same core exercises and progression rules
− No vertical pulling movement is included
− The prescribed exercise selection requires a stable bench
− Available dumbbell load may limit long-term lower-body progression
Muscles trained
Avg. hits per week · Primary 1.0 · Secondary 0.5
Front
Back
Glutes
13.5
Calves
13.5
Front Delts
13.5
Upper Back
13.5
Side Delts
13.5
Quads
9
Hamstrings
9
Chest
9
Triceps
9
Rear Delts
9
Core
6
Lower Back
4.5
Biceps
4.5
Lats
4.5
Forearms
4.5
Traps
4.5
Variant
Plan Structure
8 exercises · 23 sets
~58 min
dumbbell goblet squat
3×8
dumbbell romanian deadlift
3×8
dumbbell bench press
3×8
dumbbell one arm bent-over row
3×8
dumbbell seated shoulder press
3×8
dumbbell lateral raise
3×12
crunch (hands overhead)
2×15
dumbbell standing calf raise
3×12
8 exercises · 23 sets
~58 min
dumbbell goblet squat
3×8
dumbbell romanian deadlift
3×8
dumbbell bench press
3×8
dumbbell one arm bent-over row
3×8
dumbbell seated shoulder press
3×8
dumbbell lateral raise
3×12
crunch (hands overhead)
2×15
dumbbell standing calf raise
3×12
8 exercises · 23 sets
~58 min
dumbbell goblet squat
3×8
dumbbell romanian deadlift
3×8
dumbbell bench press
3×8
dumbbell one arm bent-over row
3×8
dumbbell seated shoulder press
3×8
dumbbell lateral raise
3×12
crunch (hands overhead)
2×15
dumbbell standing calf raise
3×12
Talk to your doctor before starting a new training program, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or haven't trained in a while. Start lighter than you think — good technique always comes before heavy weight.
Start this plan in hitPR
Free. All progression rules pre-configured.
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