Building strong upper body with minimal equipment: A workout focusing on the back and biceps, requiring only two dumbbells and six exercises.
Britany Williams, a fitness influencer, has shared a six-move dumbbell workout that targets the biceps, back, shoulders, and chest. This routine, designed to sculpt the upper body, avoids pull-ups and focuses on building strength in the biceps, back, and arms.
To perform this workout, you'll need two dumbbells (or kettlebells) and a space to move comfortably. The workout consists of three sets of 10-12 reps for each move, with a 60-90 second rest period between sets.
Here's a breakdown of the exercises:
- Reverse Flyes: This move targets the back muscles, specifically the lower back and shoulder blades. Stand with feet hip-width apart, bend at the hips, and hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs. Keeping your back straight, lift the dumbbells out to the sides until they're at shoulder height. Lower them slowly back to the starting position.
- Hammer Curls with Hold: This exercise emphasizes the biceps. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, bend at the elbows, and hold the dumbbells at your sides with palms facing each other. Curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders, pause for a moment, then lower them back down.
- Lateral Raises: This move targets the shoulders. Stand with feet hip-width apart, bend at the waist, and hold the dumbbells at your sides. Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until they're at shoulder height, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Lower them slowly back to the starting position.
- Chest Press: This exercise targets the chest. Sit on the floor or a bench, hold the dumbbells at chest height, and press them upwards until your arms are fully extended. Lower them back down slowly.
- Skull Crushers: This move targets the triceps. Lie on a bench or the floor, hold the dumbbells over your head, and bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells towards your forehead. Push them back up to the starting position.
- Additional Upper Body Movement: This move targets the upper body muscles not covered by the other exercises. The specific move is not specified, but it could be a tricep extension, a bicep curl, or another exercise that targets the upper body.
This workout is beneficial for posture, injury prevention, and overall fitness beyond aesthetics. By performing unilateral exercises, weaker muscles can work independently without the support of stronger muscles, helping to identify and address muscular imbalances. Regularly practicing this workout could help prevent spinal injuries and lower back pain.
If a move is difficult to complete with correct form, consider decreasing the weight. It's common to develop imbalances in the body, with one side being stronger than the other. Addressing these imbalances does not necessarily require changing weights. As you continue to exercise, the weaker side should catch up to the stronger one.
[1] Source: Britany Williams' posts from late July 2025.
Engaging in this six-move dumbbell workout, inspired by fitness influencer Britany Williams, is not only beneficial for sculpting the upper body but also contributes to posture, injury prevention, and overall fitness. The routine, rooted in science, offers strength training for the biceps, back, shoulders, and chest, and can help prevent spinal injuries and lower back pain. This health-and-wellness focused fitness-and-exercise regimen can be performed with two dumbbells (or kettlebells), making it accessible for many.
