Dumbbell Stopgap

Please see the full info at: A beginner dumbbell program: The Dumbbell Stopgap by / u/Cammorak

It is almost universally accepted that the best way to get stronger or increase lean muscle mass is regular barbell training. Unfortunately, a huge number of gyms have begun avoiding barbells in favor of more cardio equipment. For many people, these watered-down, feel-good globogyms are the only available exercise facilities. Often, in what seems like no more than lip service to strength training, these gyms have racks of relatively light dumbbells for "toning." These are far from ideal as exercise implements, and both barbell training and bodyweight exercises are generally more useful for building strength.

If you have access to barbells and wish to weight train, Starting Strength is almost universally recommended. It also has a wiki, but it is highly recommended you buy the book. It costs about as much as an average monthly gym membership and will teach you more about lifting than almost any other resource. Check out /r/weightroom for more resources and a wealth of user-generated content, some of which comes from current and/or former world record holders.

If you wish to train in bodyweight exercises, these are also an option. They are excellent for building static strength, maintaining weight while growing stronger, and learning basic and advanced body mechanics. For these, Overcoming Gravity and Building the Gymnastic Body are both excellent resources. Check out /r/bodyweightfitness for more resources and a wealth of user-generated content (including much information from Steven Low, the author of Overcoming Gravity). The only thing you really need for this is access to some sort of horizontal bar and a bit of open space.

If you have the resources to build a home gym, that is an excellent option if your only other gym access is one of the aforementioned mediocre-to-bad gyms. Stronglifts.com (another beginner program akin to Starting Strength) has a good writeup on what you will need or want to buy. This can take time, space, and money, but if you have those three things, you should definitely consider it. A home gym can start as simply as a single kettlebell or be as complex and specialized as a professional strongman's training facility. If you have a single kettlebell and a place to stand, you have enough of a home gym to get started. Buy Enter the Kettlebell and check out /r/kettlebell.

All that being said, if you are unable to do any of the above things for whatever reason, you can start training with dumbbells UNTIL YOU CAN DO ONE OF THE ABOVE OPTIONS. They are all preferable to dumbbell training for beginners.

What this program is not

This program is not for people with a single pair of fixed-weight dumbbells. This program is not an optimal way to get strong or build muscle mass. This program is not a long-term training program.

What this program is

As the name implies, this program is a stopgap until you can gain access to one of the above options. If you are motivated to grow stronger and want to do so immediately, this program will get you started before your motivation dries up as you wait for equipment or books. This program requires that you have access to a set of dumbbells (meaning a progression of dumbbells, usually at 2.5 or 5 lb intervals) or a pair of adjustable dumbbells. You will be working out 3 times a week. You will probably look silly and do exercises that no one else in your gym is doing. This is okay. The only person judging you in the gym is yourself. If someone in the gym is looking at you funny or giving you dirty looks or even talking about you, they don't matter. You are in the gym to grow stronger and healthier. Anything else in the gym that doesn't contribute to these goals is meaningless.

The Program

There are 2 workouts: A and B. They will alternate with a one-day gap and have a 2-day gap every weekend. So on the first week, you will do Workout A on Monday, B on Wednesday, and A again on Friday (or whatever 3 days you have chosen). On the second week, you will do Workout B on Monday, A on Wednesday, and B again on Friday. And so on. Start with the lightest dumbbells available to you. These may seem incredibly easy or may be too heavy. If they are easy, start with them anyway so that you can learn proper form. As you increase the weight, they will become more difficult. If the available dumbbells are too heavy, start doing the exercises with empty hands.