20 Dumbbell CrossFit Exercises For Your Next WOD
Dumbbells are a staple in CrossFit workouts for good reason.
Unlike barbells or weight machines, a set of dumbbells offers unparalleled versatility, allowing you to perform a wide range of exercises that target every major muscle group.
Whether you’re training at a CrossFit gym, your home gym, or even a hotel gym, dumbbells give you the freedom to adjust movements based on your fitness level and available space.
What makes dumbbell training special?
For starters, dumbbell exercises promote unilateral strength, helping you correct muscle imbalances while also improving core engagement and overall stability. (1)
Exercises like dumbbell snatches or renegade rows challenge your balance and coordination in ways that weight machines simply can’t.
Plus, the ability to easily modify the weight of the dumbbells ensures that you’re in control, whether you’re a seasoned athlete or tackling a dumbbell WOD for the first time.
In this guide, we’ll review the top 20 dumbbell exercises that fit seamlessly into your next WOD.
These movements are divided into categories: upper body push-pull, lower body strength, full-body exercises, and core stabilization.
Each exercise is designed to improve your functional strength, boost your metabolic conditioning, and keep your workouts fresh.
Ready to add some serious variety to your training program? Let’s dive in!
The Best Dumbbell CrossFit Exercises
Dumbbell exercises are essential for building functional strength, enhancing stability, and adding variety to your CrossFit WODs.
Below, we’ve broken them into categories, offering a great way to target specific areas or focus on full-body workouts.
Each movement includes a description and key benefits to help you integrate them into your training program.
Upper Body Push-Pull
1. Dumbbell Thrusters (Front Squat to Overhead Press)
- Description: Perform a front squat while holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Drive through your heels to return to standing and press the dumbbells overhead in one fluid motion.
- Benefits: Combines strength and cardio, targets the legs, shoulders, and core, and improves explosive power. A classic for dumbbell CrossFit workouts.
2. Devil’s Press (Burpee to Dumbbell Snatch or Clean & Jerk)
- Description: Perform a burpee while holding dumbbells, then explosively lift the dumbbells overhead using a snatch or clean & jerk technique.
- Benefits: A high-intensity full-body exercise that builds endurance and upper-body strength while elevating your heart rate.
3. Dumbbell Push Press
- Description: Start with the dumbbells at shoulder height. Use a slight dip in your knees to generate momentum and press the dumbbells overhead.
- Benefits: Increases shoulder strength and power while teaching efficient energy transfer from the lower body to the upper body.
4. Dumbbell Renegade Row (Row with Push-Up)
- Description: In a plank position with a dumbbell in each hand, row one dumbbell to your side while maintaining stability, then alternate sides. Add a push-up between rows for extra intensity.
- Benefits: Targets the lats, core, and triceps while improving balance and upper-body coordination.
5. Dumbbell Bench Press
- Description: Lying on a bench, press the dumbbells upward while keeping your arms aligned and under control.
- Benefits: Builds chest, tricep, and shoulder strength while allowing for a customizable range of motion for joint health.
Lower Body
6. Dumbbell Front Rack Lunges (Walking or Stationary)
- Description: Hold dumbbells in a front-rack position and perform lunges. Step forward or alternate legs in place.
- Benefits: Strengthens the quads, glutes, and core while helping correct muscle imbalances through unilateral training.
7. Dumbbell Box Step-Overs
- Description: Step over a plyo box while holding dumbbells, alternating legs.
- Benefits: Builds lower-body strength and improves coordination, making it a great workout for functional movements.
8. Dumbbell Goblet Squats
- Description: Hold a single dumbbell close to your chest and squat deeply, keeping your torso upright.
- Benefits: Enhances quad and glute strength while improving hip mobility and good form for squats.
9. Dumbbell Deadlifts
- Description: With a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at your hips and lower the dumbbells to the floor while keeping your back straight.
- Benefits: Builds posterior chain strength, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
10. Dumbbell Suitcase Deadlifts (Offset Grip for Core Engagement)
- Description: Perform deadlifts while holding a dumbbell in one hand, keeping the other hand free. Alternate sides.
- Benefits: Targets the core by forcing you to resist lateral bending, improving overall stability.
Full Body
11. Dumbbell Snatch (From Floor to Overhead)
- Description: Lift a dumbbell from the floor to overhead in one explosive motion, switching arms after each rep.
- Benefits: Builds explosive power and endurance while working the entire body. A staple in CrossFit dumbbell workouts.
12. Dumbbell Clean and Jerk
- Description: Clean the dumbbells to your shoulders, then press them overhead in a split jerk motion.
- Benefits: Develops total-body strength and power, mimicking movements seen in the CrossFit Games.
13. Man Makers (Renegade Row + Push-Up + Clean + Thruster)
- Description: Combine a renegade row, push-up, clean, and thruster into one movement.
- Benefits: The ultimate compound exercise, working nearly every muscle group for a high-intensity workout.
14. Dumbbell Turkish Get-Up
- Description: Transition from lying on the ground to standing while holding a dumbbell overhead, then reverse the movement.
- Benefits: Improves shoulder stability, mobility, and coordination. A challenging test of full-body control.
15. Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunges
- Description: Hold a dumbbell overhead with one arm while performing walking lunges. Alternate arms periodically.
- Benefits: Builds strength, improves balance, and enhances dynamic shoulder stability.
Core & Stability (Integrated Movements)
16. Dumbbell Overhead Squats
- Description: Hold a dumbbell overhead with one arm while performing a squat.
- Benefits: Requires extreme core activation and shoulder stability while improving hip mobility.
17. Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans
- Description: From a standing position, lift dumbbells from just above the knees to shoulder height with explosive hip drive.
- Benefits: Builds power and coordination, making it a great way to develop functional movement patterns.
18. Dumbbell Burpee Deadlifts
- Description: Perform a burpee while gripping dumbbells, then stand up into a deadlift.
- Benefits: Combines cardio and strength, targeting the legs, back, and core.
19. Dumbbell Z-Press (Seated Overhead Press, no back support)
- Description: Sit on the floor with your legs extended and press dumbbells overhead.
- Benefits: Forces core engagement and isolates shoulder strength due to the lack of back support.
20. Dumbbell Farmers Carry (with Walking Lunge Variations)
- Description: Hold dumbbells in each hand and walk a set distance. Add lunges for more difficulty.
- Benefits: Improves grip strength, core stability, and overall endurance.
These dumbbell exercises offer a wide range of exercises for different WODs, ensuring variety and progress in your training program.
From upper body push-pull to core stabilization, you’ll find the perfect movements to enhance your performance and challenge your limits.
Benefits of Dumbbell Training in CrossFit
Core Engagement and Stability
When you train with dumbbells, you’re constantly working to stabilize them, which increases core and overall muscle engagement. (2)
Unlike a barbell, a pair of dumbbells moves independently, forcing your stabilizing muscles to stay active throughout each rep.
This is especially true during overhead movements like dumbbell thrusters or devil presses, where maintaining control of the weight of the dumbbells is essential.
The more your core has to work, the stronger and more stable it becomes—a great way to build true strength for CrossFit.
For example, when performing overhead squats, the instability of the dumbbells requires heightened core activation to keep your body in a straight line and maintain balance.
This translates to better performance not only in WODs but also in real-life functional tasks.
Addressing Muscle Imbalances
One of the standout benefits of dumbbell exercises is their ability to address muscle imbalances through unilateral strength training.
Unlike a barbell, which can allow your stronger side to dominate, dumbbells force each side of your body to work independently. (3)
This is crucial for achieving balanced strength, which is key in the sport of fitness and avoiding compensations that lead to injuries.
Take front rack lunges as an example.
By holding a dumbbell in each hand, you’re able to isolate each leg and identify any strength discrepancies between them.
If one leg or side is weaker, you can work to bring it up to par.
This approach not only improves performance but also contributes to better overall movement patterns and good form in your WODs.
Customizable Range of Motion
Dumbbells allow for a customizable range of motion, making them a great option for athletes with specific mobility needs or limitations. (4)
Unlike rigid weight machines, dumbbells let you move naturally, adapting to your unique anatomy and avoiding discomfort.
For example, a dumbbell bench press offers more flexibility than a barbell, enabling you to adjust the angle of your arms to protect your shoulders.
This flexibility means you’re not only building strength but also minimizing strain on your joints—a holistic approach to training that benefits athletes at every fitness level.
Enhanced Proprioception and Balance
Dumbbell training improves proprioception—your body’s ability to sense its position in space—by requiring greater stabilization throughout each movement.
This improvement in proprioception leads to better balance, coordination, and overall functional strength. (3)
For instance, overhead walking lunges with a dumbbell in each hand challenge your dynamic balance, as you must stabilize the weights while stepping forward and keeping your back knee off the ground.
These types of movements simulate real-world challenges, making them an excellent addition to your CrossFit WODs.
Injury Prevention and Muscle Activation
By addressing muscle imbalances, enhancing stability, and allowing for adaptable movements, dumbbells play a key role in injury prevention.
Research supports the idea that training under moderately unstable conditions—like with a set of dumbbells—can increase trunk muscle activation by nearly 50%. (3)
This heightened muscle activation not only strengthens your core but also improves overall movement efficiency.
Additionally, the ability to adjust the dumbbell weight based on your needs reduces the risk of overloading or improper form, especially during high-intensity WODs.
Whether you’re doing dumbbell deadlifts, man makers, or goblet squats, the emphasis on good form ensures you’re building strength safely and effectively.
In short, dumbbell training is a great way to enhance your CrossFit performance while keeping injuries at bay.
From boosting core engagement to improving functional fitness, it’s no wonder dumbbells are a cornerstone of CrossFit dumbbell workouts.
Sample CrossFit Dumbbell WODs
1. AMRAP 12 Minutes
- 10 Dumbbell Thrusters
- 12 Renegade Rows (6 per arm)
- 15 Box Step-Overs with set of dumbbells
Why It Works: Combines strength, balance, and cardio for a well-rounded challenge.
2. EMOM 15 Minutes
- Minute 1: 10 Dumbbell Push Press
- Minute 2: 12 Goblet Squats
- Minute 3: 20 Farmers Carry Lunges
Why It Works: Keeps your intensity high while targeting the lower body and upper-body strength.
3. RFT (3 Rounds for Time)
- 10 Man Makers
- 15 Dumbbell Deadlifts
- 20 Dumbbell Snatches (10 per arm)
Why It Works: Builds explosive power and endurance while challenging proper form.
4. Core-Focused AMRAP 10 Minutes
- 8 Dumbbell Turkish Get-Ups (4 per side)
- 12 Overhead Walking Lunges (6 per side)
- 15 Dumbbell Z-Press
Why It Works: Prioritizes stabilization and core strength for functional fitness.
5. Chipper (For Time)
- 50 Goblet Squats
- 40 Push-Ups
- 30 Dumbbell Snatches
- 20 Overhead Squats
- 10 Devil’s Press
Why It Works: Challenges mental and physical endurance with varied movements.
Final Thoughts on Dumbbell CrossFit Exercises
Dumbbells are a cornerstone of CrossFit workouts, offering unmatched versatility and effectiveness.
They improve functional strength, target muscle imbalances, and provide modification options for all fitness levels.
Whether you’re performing dumbbell WODs in a CrossFit gym or your home, these exercises can help you unlock new levels of performance and endurance.
Take the first step by trying one of the sample WODs above, or create your own based on your goals.
The adaptability of dumbbell training ensures you’ll always find a great way to challenge yourself.
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References:
1. Behm, D. G., Colado, J. C., & Colado, J. C. (2013). Instability resistance training across the exercise continuum. Sports health, 5(6), 500–503. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738113477815
2. Wang, Y., Lü, J., Rong, J., Song, L., Wang, W., Jiang, Y., Liu, Y., & Huang, L. (2020). Acute Effects of Two Types of Dumbbell Exercise on Oxygenated Hemodynamic Concentration of Cerebral Activation in Healthy Young Male Adults: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 14, 519171. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.519171
3. Behm, D. G., Colado, J. C., & Colado, J. C. (2013). Instability resistance training across the exercise continuum. Sports health, 5(6), 500–503. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738113477815
4. Patterson, J. M., Vigotsky, A. D., Oppenheimer, N. E., & Feser, E. H. (2015). Differences in unilateral chest press muscle activation and kinematics on a stable versus unstable surface while holding one versus two dumbbells. PeerJ, 3, e1365. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1365
