Best free weight exercises to build muscle

We've got nothing against barbells, but dumbbells offer a lot more versatility. You don't need much space, and you can find them anywhere—from the dinkiest hotel fitness center to your uncle's garage. With just a few pairs of weights, this dumbbell-only routine will hit the major muscle groups in your body, and in only 30 minutes a day.

Why It Works

Using dumbbells allows you to train one side of your body at a time, which is great for curing any strength imbalances you've developed. And because each limb moves independently, your core has to brace harder to prevent you from tipping to one side. Hello, six-pack!

Directions

Frequency: Three times per week, in the following sequence, resting at least a day between each session.

Time Needed: 30 minutes

How To Do It: Perform as straight sets, completing all the prescribed sets for one exercise before moving on to the next. On all one-handed (or one-legged) moves, repeat with opposite limb. That's one set.

Sequence:
1 Floor Press
Renegade Row
Goblet Squat
4 Single-Leg Deadlift
5 One-Arm Push Press