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Exercises

Free weight exercises: the barbell, dumbbell and kettlebell lifts to build a program on

Published October 29, 2026

The free weight exercises worth learning first are the barbell back squat, goblet squat and Bulgarian split squat for legs; the deadlift, dumbbell Romanian deadlift and kettlebell swing for hips; the bench press, dumbbell bench press, overhead press and dumbbell shoulder press for pushing; and the barbell row, one-arm dumbbell row and farmer's walk for pulling and grip. A full-body session picks one squat, one hinge, one press and one row, 3 sets each for 5 to 12 reps, two or three times a week. Stop 1 to 3 reps short of failure and add weight when every set reaches the top of the range.

  1. Barbell Back Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  2. Barbell Deadlift Glutes, Lower Back
  3. Barbell Bench Press Chest
  4. Barbell Overhead Press Shoulders
  5. Barbell Row Upper Back, Lats
  6. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  7. One-Arm Dumbbell Row Lats, Upper Back
  8. Flat Dumbbell Press Chest

Squats and split squats

Every free weight program needs a squat. The barbell version takes the most weight; the goblet squat is the place to start; the split squat trains one leg at a time with dumbbells.

Quads and glutes, barbell squat

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

The back squat is the free weight lift that loads the legs the heaviest, and it is easy to add weight to week after week. If you have a rack, it is the squat to build toward.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar across your upper back below the neck, hands just outside your shoulders, and unrack it.
  2. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out a little.
  3. Breathe in, tighten your stomach as if bracing for a punch, and sit down between your heels.
  4. Stand back up keeping your chest and hips rising together.

Cues

  • Breathe and brace
  • Chest and hips rise together
  • Whole-foot pressure

Common mistakes

  • Hips shooting up first out of the bottom: lighten the bar and keep your chest rising with them.
  • Letting the stomach go soft between reps: re-brace at the top of each one.

Swap for: Front Squat, Box Squat

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Quads and glutes, dumbbell squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Holding one dumbbell at your chest keeps your torso upright and makes squatting deep feel natural. It is the first squat to learn and the main squat when all you have is dumbbells.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom.
  • Chest stays up behind the weight.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Quads and glutes, rear-foot-elevated split squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

With the back foot on a bench, a pair of moderate dumbbells becomes a hard leg exercise. It is how home lifters keep their legs progressing after the goblet squat gets easy.

How to do it

  1. Set the top of your back foot on a bench and place your front foot a long stride ahead.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, and keep your front foot flat.
  3. Drop your back knee straight toward the floor until the front thigh is close to level.
  4. Press through the front foot to rise, then finish all reps before switching legs.

Cues

  • Go deep for the inner thigh
  • Front foot flat
  • Rear foot is just a kickstand

Common mistakes

  • Pushing up with the back leg: let it relax and make the front leg do the work.
  • Front knee collapsing inward: keep it pointed the same way as your toes.

Swap for: Dumbbell Split Squat, Step-Up, Reverse Lunge

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Deadlifts, RDLs and swings

Hinges train the hamstrings, glutes and back to extend the hips. Pick one heavy, slow hinge and, if you have a kettlebell, add swings for speed.

Glutes, hamstrings and back, deadlift

Barbell Deadlift

Glutes, Lower Back

Lifting a loaded bar from the floor works the legs, hips, back and grip in one lift, with more weight than you can row or press. Sets of 3 to 5 once or twice a week build strength through the whole back of the body.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the bar over your mid-foot and grip it just outside your legs.
  2. Drop your hips until your shins touch the bar, flatten your back, and pull the slack out.
  3. Push the floor away and stand up tall, then lower the bar the same way.

Cues

  • Bar against the legs
  • Push the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Jerking the bar off the floor: take the slack out first on every set.

Swap for: Trap Bar Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Rack Pull

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Hamstrings and glutes, dumbbell hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The dumbbell RDL teaches the hip hinge with weights you can set down easily, and it trains the hamstrings through a long stretch. It is the hinge for dumbbell-only and beginner programs.

How to do it

  1. Stand hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand resting against the front of your thighs, palms facing you.
  2. Push your hips straight back and let your torso fold forward, knees softly bent, the dumbbells brushing your legs.
  3. Lower until the dumbbells pass your knees and you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, with your back still flat.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top, and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips back, not down
  • Dumbbells slide down your legs
  • Flat back, chin tucked

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat so the dumbbells go lower: the depth comes from the hips, and most people stop just past the knees.
  • Rounding the lower back at the bottom: end the rep where your back stays flat, and lighten the load if that is high.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Good Morning, Kettlebell Deadlift

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Glutes and hamstrings, kettlebell swing

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

The swing is a fast, powerful hinge that trains the hips and raises your heart rate at the same time. One kettlebell and a few sets of 10 to 15 cover hip power and some conditioning.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips, the bell set about a foot in front of you.
  2. Hinge down, grip the handle with both hands, and hike the bell back between your thighs.
  3. Snap your hips forward to stand tall, letting the bell float up to about shoulder height on straight arms.
  4. Let it fall back between your legs as you hinge again, and go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Hips snap, arms just hold on
  • Stand tall at the top
  • Bell passes high between the thighs

Common mistakes

  • Squatting the swing by bending the knees deeply: push your hips back and keep the shins nearly vertical.
  • Lifting the bell with your shoulders: if your arms are working, the hips are not driving it.

Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift, Superman

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Bench and overhead presses

One horizontal and one vertical press cover the chest, shoulders and triceps. Barbells allow heavier loads; dumbbells let each arm move freely and work on a bench at home.

Chest, shoulders and triceps, barbell press

Barbell Bench Press

Chest

The bench press lets you press the most weight of any upper-body free weight lift. Use a rack with safety arms or a spotter for heavy sets.

How to do it

  1. Lie on the bench with your eyes under the bar, feet planted, and squeeze your shoulder blades back and down into the pad.
  2. Grip the bar a little wider than shoulder width, unrack it, and hold it over your shoulders with locked elbows.
  3. Lower the bar to your lower chest, around nipple height, with your elbows angled roughly 45 to 70 degrees from your sides.
  4. Touch your chest without bouncing, then press the bar up and slightly back until it is over your shoulders again.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades stay pinned
  • Bar to the nipple line
  • Drive your feet into the floor

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides: let them sit a bit closer to your ribs so your shoulders stay comfortable.
  • Lifting your hips off the bench to finish a rep: keep your glutes down and count that rep as your last.

Swap for: Flat Dumbbell Press, Smith Machine Bench Press, Machine Chest Press

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Chest, dumbbell bench press

Flat Dumbbell Press

Chest

Dumbbells let each arm press on its own path, and a failed rep is easy to lower to the floor. It is the main press when you train at home or alone.

How to do it

  1. Lying on a flat bench, hold two dumbbells above your chest.
  2. Lower the bells to the sides of your chest with elbows at about 45 degrees.
  3. Press them back up over your shoulders.

Cues

  • Shoulder blades pinched.
  • Control the lowering.

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows straight out.

Swap for: Push-Up, Barbell Bench Press

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Shoulders and triceps, standing press

Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

Pressing a bar overhead while standing trains the shoulders and asks the whole body to stay braced. It is the vertical press in the barbell plan.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at collarbone height and grip it just outside your shoulders, wrists stacked over your elbows.
  2. Unrack it onto your upper chest, take one step back and set your feet about hip width apart.
  3. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs so your ribs stay down, and take a big breath.
  4. Press straight up, pulling your chin back so the bar clears your face.
  5. Once the bar passes your forehead, push your head through until the bar sits over the middle of your foot with your arms locked.
  6. Lower it along the same line to your upper chest and re-brace before the next rep.

Cues

  • Glutes tight, ribs down
  • Chin back, bar straight up
  • Head through at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish reps, which turns the lift into an incline press: lower the weight until your torso stays vertical for the whole set.
  • Pressing the bar forward around your face: pull your chin back and keep the bar close enough to brush your nose.
  • Stopping short of lockout: finish every rep with the bar over your mid-foot and your arms straight, or the rep doesn't count in your log.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Seated Barbell Overhead Press, Landmine Press

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Shoulders, seated dumbbell press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Seated with back support, you can press dumbbells overhead with little balance demand. It is the vertical press for dumbbell and beginner plans.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright or one notch back from vertical, sit with your feet flat, and rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick one knee up at a time to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, then set your back against the pad.
  3. Turn your elbows slightly forward so they sit a little in front of your torso, palms facing forward or angled in.
  4. Drive both weights overhead on a slight inward arc until your elbows are straight, keeping your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  5. Lower slowly until the dumbbells are around ear height or a bit below, then press again.

Cues

  • Ribs down, back on the pad
  • Elbows a little forward
  • Press up and slightly in

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so lighten the weight and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out at shoulder height: bring them a little forward so the shoulder joint stays comfortable at the bottom.
  • Stopping each rep well above your ears: lower to around ear height so the delts work through a full range.

Swap for: Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Arnold Press, Machine Shoulder Press

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Rows and carries

Rows balance all the pressing and build the upper back. Carries train grip and trunk strength in one simple exercise.

Upper back and lats, bent-over row

Barbell Row

Upper Back, Lats

The barbell row is the heaviest free weight row and balances the bench press in a full-body program. Holding the hinge position also trains the lower back.

How to do it

  1. Hold the bar at your thighs, hinge forward until your torso is near 45 degrees, back flat.
  2. Row the bar to your lower ribs with the elbows tucked near your sides.
  3. Lower to straight arms and keep the torso angle.

Cues

  • Brace before every rep
  • Bar to the belly button

Common mistakes

  • Standing taller each rep as it gets heavier: if the hinge goes, the set is over.

Swap for: Pendlay Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, T-Bar Row

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Lats and upper back, dumbbell row

One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Lats, Upper Back

Bracing a hand and knee on a bench supports your back while one arm rows a heavy dumbbell. It is the row for every dumbbell program.

How to do it

  1. Put one hand and the same-side knee on a bench, or your hand on a chair seat with both feet on the floor, so your back is flat.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in the other hand with your arm hanging straight.
  3. Pull your elbow back toward your hip until the dumbbell reaches your ribs.
  4. Lower it until your arm is straight again, finish all reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Elbow to your hip
  • Back flat as a table
  • Full stretch at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Twisting your chest open to lift the dumbbell higher: keep both shoulders level.
  • Shrugging the shoulder up toward your ear: pull the elbow back, not the shoulder up.

Swap for: Band Bent-Over Row, Dumbbell Bent-Over Row, Seated Cable Row

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Grip and trunk, loaded carry

Farmer's Walk

Forearms, Traps, Shoulders

Picking up two heavy dumbbells and walking trains grip, shoulders and trunk together. Two short walks at the end of a session are enough.

How to do it

  1. Pick up two heavy dumbbells with your back flat.
  2. Stand tall with your ribs down and walk with short, quick steps.
  3. Set the weights down with a flat back when the time or distance is up.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Crush the handles
  • Quick steps

Common mistakes

  • Letting the shoulders round forward.
  • Walking so slowly the dumbbells start to swing.

Swap for: Dumbbell Suitcase Carry, Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

Barbell and rack, full body three days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets36 a week
  • Per workout~45 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Flat Bench, Dumbbells

You have access to a barbell, plates, a bench and a rack, and want a simple program built on the big lifts.

Alternating two full-body sessions three times a week trains every main lift one to two times a week. Each session has 12 sets, with the big lifts kept at 3 to 6 reps so strength rises week to week.

Workout A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Back Squat3 warm-up sets first 3 × 4–6 2 3 min
Barbell Bench Press2 warm-up sets first 3 × 4–6 2 3 min
Barbell Row 3 × 6–8 2 2 min
Farmer's WalkSeconds. Heaviest pair. 3 × 30–45 1 90 s

Open Workout A in the session builder

Workout B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Deadlift3 warm-up sets first 3 × 3–5 2 3:30 min
Barbell Overhead Press2 warm-up sets first 3 × 4–6 2 2:30 min
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 3 × 8–10 1 90 s

Open Workout B in the session builder

How to run it
Train three non-consecutive days, alternating A and B: A, B, A one week and B, A, B the next.
How to progress
Add 5 pounds to the upper-body lifts and 5 to 10 to the squat and deadlift each time every set reaches the top of the range at 2 reps in reserve. When a lift stops moving, switch it to double progression with a wider rep range.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Dumbbells only, at home

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets36 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You have adjustable dumbbells and a bench at home, and nothing else.

Two dumbbell sessions alternated three times a week cover every pattern with loads dumbbells can provide. Each session has 12 sets in the 6 to 12 rep range, where dumbbells still give enough challenge.

Workout A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Flat Dumbbell Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Farmer's WalkSeconds. Heaviest pair. 2 × 30–45 1 90 s

Open Workout A in the session builder

Workout B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bulgarian Split Squat1 warm-up set firstPer leg. 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 3 × 10–12 1 90 s

Open Workout B in the session builder

How to run it
Train three non-consecutive days, alternating A and B. Plan on roughly 45 minutes per workout.
How to progress
Build reps first; once all sets hit the top of the range with 1 or 2 reps left, use the next dumbbell up. When the goblet squat outgrows your heaviest dumbbell, stay at 12 reps and take 3 seconds on every lowering.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Coming off machines, new to free weights

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench, Kettlebells

You have trained on machines and want to learn free weights without a barbell first.

Beginners progress on fewer sets, so each session has 9 to 11 sets, all at 2 to 3 reps in reserve while the movements become familiar. Day B puts the kettlebell swing right after the slow dumbbell RDL, so the fast hinge builds on the position you just practiced.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Flat Dumbbell Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowPer arm. 3 × 10–12 2 90 s

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Kettlebell Swing 3 × 10–15 3 90 s
Farmer's WalkSeconds. 2 × 30–40 2 90 s

Open Day B in the session builder

How to run it
Two sessions a week, for example Monday and Thursday. Use the first two weeks to find weights that feel moderate for the full rep range.
How to progress
Add a rep or two each session. When every set reaches the top of the range with 2 or more reps left, go up one dumbbell or kettlebell size.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Can I build muscle with just free weights?

Yes. Squats, deadlifts, presses and rows with barbells or dumbbells train every major muscle. What matters is doing enough hard sets close to failure and adding weight or reps over time.

Is lifting weights 30 minutes a day enough?

Yes, if the sessions focus on a few compound lifts. Three 30-minute full-body sessions a week with 3 sets each of a squat, press and row is enough for steady progress.

Are free weights better than machines?

Neither is better for muscle. Free weights train balance and let you train anywhere; machines are easier to learn and push close to failure. Most good programs use both.

What free weights should I buy for home?

A pair of adjustable dumbbells and a sturdy bench cover almost every exercise on this page. A single kettlebell adds swings, and a barbell with a rack is the next step if you have space.

How many free weight exercises should I do per workout?

Four or five: one squat, one hinge or second leg exercise, one press, one row, and a carry if you have time.