These Are The Most Effective Exercises That You Can Do With Free Weights (2024)

For some people, the idea of picking up a pair of weights can feel intimidating and somewhat vulnerable, especially if you’ve never done it before. The good news is, free weight exercises are often not as complex as they might seem, and even the simplest moves can be super effective.

What's more, training with free weights isn’t just for building arm muscles, for instance. You can work every muscle group from your core and back to your glutes and legs. And if dumbbells aren’t your thing, you can also grab a kettlebell or barbell. (Psst, free weight simply refers to any type of load for exercise that are not attached to a piece of equipment.)

Here are a few facts to know about free weight workouts before grabbing the dumbbells.

Meet the experts: Sarah Warshowsky, CPT, is a trainer at Aneva in New York City.

Benefits Of Working Out With Free Weights

Here, a few upsides to keep in mind if you're looking to incorporate this form of strength training into your routine.

Improve stabilization. Over time, the muscles that help stabilize you will become stronger. With free weights, "you are either on your two feet, or you're in a certain position where your body needs to stabilize itself more so than if you were seated on a machine," says Warshowsky.

Increase calorie burn. Free weight training often requires you to use multiple muscle groups at the same time. Therefore, it leads to a higher energy output and burns more calories. In fact, dumbbell workouts can create inter- and intramuscular coordination, which means there's a greater level of muscle activation, according to ACE Fitness.

Free weights are functional. Many of the movements done with free weights help strengthen the muscles that you use daily. "They can allow us to move in ways that we actually move and operate in everyday life rather than just sitting on machines," says Warshowsky. Think: carrying a load of laundry or getting in and out of your car. Not to mention, you'll also be able to build muscle using different planes of motion.

You don't need to hit the gym. You can save a lot of money by investing in free weights to use at home rather than paying for a gym membership. That also means you can work out from the comfort of your home. "You can have maybe a light pair, medium pair, and heavy pair [of weights] and really have a wide array of things to do with them," says Warshowsky.

Fix muscle imbalances. Some people realize that one arm or leg is slightly bigger or stronger than the other. While this is super common, the differences can be minimized through unilateral training (that is, single-sided training). With machines, it's easier to let one side do more of the work than the other, but Warshowsky notes that free weights will level out any imbalances over time since you'll be pushing the same weight.

How To Get The Most Out Of Free Weight Training

Like with any kind of exercise, there are best practices to consider to make all of that hard work really pay off.

For starters, you should always take 10 to 15 minutes to warm up, says Warshowsky. A warm-up can include jumping jacks, core-focused and bodyweight exercises, or light dumbbell moves that mimic what you'll be doing in the main workout.

If you're working toward lifting heavier weights, be sure to factor in progressive overload. In other words, you need to slowly increase the weight or the difficulty of the exercise as you grow stronger and accustomed to a particular load. You can also use compound lifts, which target multiple muscle groups at the same time (like a deadlift), to improve your strength and build muscle mass. Generally speaking, you can hit your hardest moves at the beginning of your workout when you still have all your energy and end with isolation moves that can be done with lighter weights.

Playing with the tempo can also put your muscles under tension for longer (which is a good thing!). "If you don't feel ready to go up another dumbbell size or you don't have another set at your disposal, using tempo and adding pauses is another way of progressive overload," says Warshowsky. For example, you can take an extra pause at the bottom of your squat or you can go down slowly and move faster on your way back up to build power.

25 Best Free Weight Exercises

Mix and match this list of moves into your future workouts, performing anywhere from 8 to 12 reps of each move depending on your workout and skill level. For an easy full-body workout, you can choose 4-5 exercises, aiming for a mix of upper- and lower-body moves, and perform 8 to 12 reps of each exercise before moving to the next (don't forget to repeat unilateral moves on the other side!). Repeat the circuit three times, resting as needed.

Goblet Squat

How to:

Start standing with feet roughly hip-width apart, a slight bend in knees. Hold dumbbell at your chest with your hands underneath one end of the weight.
Brace through core as you descend into a squat by bending knees and pushing hips back.
At the bottom of the squat, hips should be either in line with knees or slightly lower.
Push through floor and keep chest tall as you stand back up to starting position. Thats 1 rep.

Good for: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, upper back

Why it rocks: This is a compound movement that lights up multiple muscle groups at one. This is also a move that can help improve everyday functions like sitting down and standing up.

Front-Racked Squat

How to:

Start with one dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders, elbows forward (not flaired out to sides).
With core engaged and chest tall, lower down into a squat so that hips are in line with knees or slightly lower.
Return to standing position. That's 1 rep.

What it works: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, shoulders, upper back

Why it's great: Adding weights to this move makes it a unique form of resistance training. You're also targeting multiple muscle groups and working on stabilization.

Reverse Lunge

How to:

Start with feet slightly separated with one dumbbell in each hand at sides.
Step one leg back into a split squat position, so that each leg is forming roughly a 90-degree angle.
Push through front leg and back toe to bring back leg back up to starting position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Quads, glutes, core, hamstrings

Why it rocks: This move consists of dynamic stepping, which requires more energy and burns more calories. It also improves your coordination, stability, and balance.

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Lateral Lunge

How to:

Start with feet roughly hip-width apart.
With one leg, step out to side while keeping standing leg straight. Bend the knee of the moving leg and push hip back as you lunge.
Drive into heel of moving foot to push off the floor and return to starting position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs

Step-Up

How to:

Pick the box height of your choosing.
With one dumbbell in each hand, step on the box with one leg.
Push through the foot that steps on the box to bring your back leg up and float leg in front of you at a 90-degree angle.
Lower moving leg back to floor behind you with control.
Step off the box completely and return to starting position. Thats 1 rep.

Good for: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core

Why it rocks: This is a great entryway into single-leg training, especially if you're still building up your leg strength. It's also a functional movement (think: walking up stairs).

Romanian Deadlift

How to:

With one dumbbell in each hand, place your feet hip-width apart.
Engage core and send hips behind you as you hinge forward with knees gently bent.
When you feel the stretch in your hamstrings, push through the floor and engage glutes to come back to starting position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Glutes, hamstrings, core

Why it rocks: This is a great move for beginners who are learning what it feels like to hinge at the hip and load the hamstrings and glutes.

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Kickstand Single-Leg Deadlift

How to:

Start with one dumbbell in each hand and one leg slightly behind with your heel off the ground.
Load your front leg, and engage your core as you send your hips behind you to hinge forward with knees gently bent.
Push through the floor to return to standing positions. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Glutes, hamstrings, core

Why it rocks: This can help someone learn how to load their bodyweight properly. For example, in this exercise, the front leg should be loaded 70 to 80 percent, and the back leg should hold 20 to 30 percent of your weight.

Single-Leg RDL

How to:

With one dumbbell in each hand (not pictured), begin with legs at a closer that hip-width apart.
Engage core as you send your hips behind you, hinging forward, with knees gently bent. As you hinge forward, bring one leg off the floor, and send it behind you—your leg can be straight or bent.
Lower torso to the floor only as far as you can go while maintaining your balance and a long, straight back.
With control, return to standing position with your feet on the floor. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Glutes, hamstrings, core

Why it rocks: This move improves your single leg strength. It also can help with your stability and balance over time.

Hip Thrusts

How to:

Start by sitting back on heels, holding a single dumbbell across your hips.
Drive your glutes and hips to come to an upright kneeling position.
Gently bring yourself back down to return to a seated position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Glutes, hamstrings

Why it rocks: This is a great entry-level exercise that allows you to really feel your glutes and hamstrings burn up.

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Bent-Over Row

How to:

Start with one dumbbell in each hand and feet slightly apart.
With your spine straight and hips back, hinge at waist and extend the dumbbells toward floor and slightly out in front of you.
Keeping shoulder blades retracted and down, row one dumbbell toward hip.
Lower dumbbell to starting position. That's 1 rep. Continue reps on same side or alternate sides.

Good for: Lower back, traps, lats, core

Why it rocks: This exercise will build strength in the lower back and can improve posture. Doing this in a standing position will also force you to focus on your stabilization skills.

Renegade Row

How to:

Start in a plank position with one dumbbell in each hand under shoulders.
Pull one dumbbell back toward waist as the other dumbbell remains on floor in other hand.
Return the raised dumbbell to the floor with control. Repeat on other side. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Hips, core

Why it rocks: This move improves your core strength and stability. When done correctly, that stability will prevent you from rotating from side-to-side as you lift the dumbbells.

Floor Press

How to:

Bend knees and place feet on floor. Hold one dumbbell in each with elbows bent to the side at 45-degree angles, palms facing legs.
Push dumbbells up and over chest so that your arms are extended, with the DBs meeting above your chest.
Bring your arms back down slowly and controlled to your starting position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Chest, triceps, shoulders

Why it rocks: This exercise is ideal for beginners who are still building their stabilization skills. Having the floor as a reference point can help you get familiar with the movement pattern.

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Shoulder Press

How to:

Hold dumbbells at shoulders, core engaged, feet about hip-width apart with a slight bend in knees.
Keeping elbows tucked, press upward to extend both arms and DBs overhead.
Lower DBs back to shoulders, bringing elbows back down to rib cage. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Shoulders, core, triceps

Why it rocks: A shoulder press can improve your overall stability because of the way it activates your core. Being in a standing position makes it harder to press upwards, and therefore, burns more calories.

Hammer Curl

How to:

Start with one dumbbell in each hand at sides.
Keeping wrists in a neutral position and palms facing in, bend the DBs upward at the elbow so that they land near shoulders.
Slowly lower DBs back down to starting position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Biceps

Why it rocks: This move isolates your biceps, which can improve your pulls and rows down the line. It's also a great functional move that mimics what you'd have to do to lift up everyday items.

Lying Overhead Triceps Extension

How to:

Start with one dumbbell in each hand so that the DBs are parallel extended above chest.
Bend at the elbows to let the dumbbells come down to the sides of your head. The upper arms should stay perpendicular to the floor the whole time.
Lift the weights toward sky to return to starting position above your chest, arms extended. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Triceps

Why it rocks: This move is great at isolating the triceps. Still, you can make it a compound move by lifting you legs on a bench to engage your core and improve stability.

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Lateral Raise

How to:

Start standing with one dumbbell in each hand at sides.
Maintaining a very slight bend in elbows, lift arms and weights out to sides so they are still just in your periphery. Your body should form somewhat of a T position.
Slowly bring your arms back down to your start position. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Shoulders

Why it rocks: This exercise will target the very tops of your shoulders. It can also improve your mobility over time and increase your overall arm strength.

Half-Kneeling Wood Chop

How to:

Start in a half kneeling stance with one hand gripping on either side of a dumbbell.
Fully rotate toward your back leg so that the DB lowers to the outside of the open hip.
Rotate your torso the other direction while you bring the weight from your hip up over the opposite shoulder, keeping your arms straight. The weight should cross up and over the front bent leg. Keep your hips still as you move, and let your gaze follow the weight.
Return the weight to your open hip. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Core

Why it rocks: While this is sure to work your core, it can also target your inner and out obliques. It can also improve your shoulder mobility just by raising and lowering the dumbbell.

Weighted Sit-Up Overhead Press

How to:

Start by laying down with legs and knees bent in front of you. Hold a dumbbell or medicine ball at your chest.
Reach the weight up over your head as you sit up.
With control, lower down and return the weight to chest. That's 1 rep.
Good for: Core, shoulders

Why it rocks: This move works your overhead mobility. If you struggle with reaches and overhead presses, you may start to feel stronger doing these motions over time.

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Lying Dumbbell Pullover

How to:

Start on back with knees bent and one dumbbell held overhead by the base of the weight.
While keeping arms straight, take the dumbbell from above your chest and lift it up and over your head and lower it toward ground behind you.
Bring the weight back over the chest. That's 1 rep.

Good for: Triceps, lats, core

Why it rocks: This is similar to a weighted sit up and can help you gain more overhead mobility in the long run.

Halo

How to:

Start by holding one dumbbell with one side in each hand at chest.
Move the dumbbell in a circular motion around your head by opening up your elbows as you rotate. That's 1 rep. Be sure to repeat in opposite direction.

Good for: Shoulders, core

Why it rocks: Because you're using a full range of motion, moving the weight in a full circle around your head will help improve your mobility and core strength.

Sabrina Talbert

Sabrina is an editorial assistant for Women’s Health. When she’s not writing, you can find her running, training in mixed martial arts, or reading.