Working out with just dumbbells

[Fishmonger]

I´ve been doing some light workouts recently, aiming to feel fitter and stronger. Mostly 1-2 mile runs, push-ups and sit-ups. I feel like it´s working but I want to do some more serious weight training. Unfortunately there are no decent gyms near where I live. So I ask what are the best exercises that can be done with dumbbells alone, and could someone sketch out a decent lifting routine using these exercises? I´m 5´8, 160 and quite skinny in the chest and arms.

[AZK]

really easy to design a workout if you have a decent # of dumbells...

Back:
pull ups every work out - a million different variations, bent over rows using dumbells, dumbell shrugs (if thats your thing)

Chest: Dumbell flys, dumbell chest press

Shoulders: Dumbell press, lateral raises, front raises, rear delt raises

Biceps: curls, varying forms

Triceps: kickbacks, overhead tricep press

Legs: dumbell squat, dumbell lunge, swings, one legged DL

Maybe some windmills, turkish get ups, etc for core stuff

I'd skip the bi/tri work and just do push/pull/leg every other day and then you could incorporate some body weight exercises on other days...

[Blarg]

I'll add in some suggestions for heavy exercises, which can help a ton on strength of course, but some of which can do a lot to add mass, too.

For legs: the pistol, or one-legged squat. Hold onto a doorframe or bathroom or kitchen counter or a big table for balance. Try to keep from rounding your back too much, especially your lower spine. Squat on one leg and keep the other out in front, either straight or letting it hang a bit. These can be worked up to be pretty difficult. If you get strong enough, try them without support -- that makes it harder, because you need to use more stabilizing muscles. Also, you can hold a dumbbell out in front of you to increase the difficulty. You can even hop out of them, and then hop onto boxes. So there's good upside potential for these.

For shoulders and triceps: Handstand push-ups and what works up to them. Most people can't do these, but you can work your way up by getting in position to do them, but not throwing your legs up. You can throw one leg up, as you get stronger, or make your body more vertical, or both. Don't let not being able to do a handstand push-up deter you from working up to one. You can also work on holds and do partial reps and negatives. Holds and negatives around whatever your weak points are in the movement can help speed your progress along.

I agree with AZK on the biceps/triceps. Generally, they will wear out before, say, your back when doing pull-ups, or your chest when doing bench presses. So there's no need to do extra isolation exercises for them, and it may even be counterproductive. If you want better arms just do more pull-ups and bench presses/overhead presses!

Also agreed that turkish get-ups are really good exercises for your abs/core, and pretty good for shoulders too.

If I were to add one more body part to be worked, it might be forearms. They can take a lot of abuse and keep growing, and will probably not be stimulated enough by ordinary lifting routines. Do some wrist curls, or even better, some sledgehammer levering. An 8 pound sledgehammer is all you need for really big strength gains and some size gains too.