What Weight Dumbbells Should a Beginner Start With?
There is no single right weight, because a weight that is light for a goblet squat will be far too heavy for a lateral raise. The right starting weight for each exercise is one you can lift for the target number of reps, usually 8 to 12, with clean form and two or three reps still in reserve at the end of the set. For many adults new to training, that ends up somewhere between 2 and 5 kg for small shoulder and arm movements, and 6 to 14 kg for squats, rows and presses. Below is a ten minute method to find your own numbers, and how to know when to move up.
Why one number does not work
A dumbbell weight is only meaningful alongside the exercise, the number of reps and how close to failure you go. Large muscles working together, like the legs and hips in a squat, can move far more than a single small muscle like the side of the shoulder in a lateral raise. Leverage matters too: holding a weight at arm’s length is far harder than holding it close to your body.
So the useful question is “what weight should I start with for this exercise”, and the answer comes from a short test, not a chart.
The ten minute method
For each exercise in your plan:
- Pick a weight you are confident is light. If in doubt, go lighter. You lose nothing by starting easy.
- Do 10 slow, controlled reps. Two seconds down, a brief pause, one to two seconds up.
- Rate it honestly. At the end, how many more good reps could you have done? Good means the same form as rep one.
- Adjust. If you had five or more reps left, go up one step. If you had two or three left, that is your working weight. If you could barely finish or your form slipped, go down.
- Write it down. Exercise, weight, reps, and how many you had in reserve.
That last step is the one people skip, and it is the one that makes progress possible. Next session you start from your note, not from memory.
Sensible starting ranges
These are not targets. They are a rough idea of where many untrained adults land with the method above, so you know whether to pick up the 4 kg or the 12 kg first. Your numbers may be higher or lower, depending on size, history and how your body moves.
| Exercise | Typical starting range (per dumbbell unless noted) |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 6 to 16 kg (one dumbbell) |
| Romanian deadlift | 6 to 14 kg |
| Single-arm row | 6 to 14 kg |
| Flat dumbbell press | 4 to 12 kg |
| Seated shoulder press | 3 to 10 kg |
| Biceps curl | 3 to 8 kg |
| Lateral raise | 2 to 5 kg |
| Split squat (held at sides) | Bodyweight first, then 4 to 10 kg |
The ranges are wide on purpose. A tall man who did sport at school and a woman who has never lifted can both be beginners, and their starting weights will be different. Neither is doing it wrong.
Signs the weight is too heavy
- Your back arches, your hips shift or your body swings to finish a rep.
- The lowering phase becomes a drop.
- Reps get faster and shorter as the set goes on.
- You feel the effort in your joints rather than the muscle you are trying to train.
- You are holding your breath for the whole set.
Signs it is too light
- You could do the full set again without resting.
- Your breathing and heart rate barely change by the end.
- The last rep feels exactly like the first.
Too light is the more common problem after the first few weeks. Beginners often keep using the weight they started with long after it has stopped asking anything of them.
When to go heavier
Use a simple rule called double progression. Set a rep range, such as 8 to 12. Start at the bottom of the range. Each session, try to add a rep or two to each set with the same weight and the same form. When you reach the top of the range on every set, move up to the next dumbbell and drop back to the bottom of the range.
In the first couple of months this may happen quickly, sometimes every week or two on the bigger exercises. That is the period people call beginner gains, and it is worth using well. Lateral raises and curls will progress much more slowly, because the jumps between dumbbells are large relative to the weight. Going from 4 kg to 6 kg is a 50 per cent increase.
If you are buying dumbbells for home
- Adjustable sets save space and money, and suit people who train the whole body at home. Check how fine the increments are.
- A few fixed pairs work if you keep the plan simple. A light pair for shoulders and arms, a medium pair for presses and rows, and one heavier single dumbbell for goblet squats covers a lot.
- Buy for where you will be in three months, not just day one, especially for the legs.
Our guide to a dumbbell-only workout at home shows how to build a full session around a small set.
Where to start, exercise-wise
Choose five or six movements that cover the whole body: a squat, a hinge, a push, a pull, and something for the trunk. Our list of ten dumbbell exercises every beginner should learn gives good options with form notes. Two or three full-body sessions a week, with a rest day between, is enough for most people starting out. For a structured eight-week plan, see our beginner gym workout plan.
The NHS recommends adults do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on at least two days a week. You can read the details in the NHS physical activity guidelines.
Check with your GP first if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a joint or back injury, are pregnant, or have not exercised for a long time.
How we set starting weights in the studio
In the private training studio in Highgate, the first session includes a version of the test above for each exercise, with me watching every rep. The dumbbell rack runs in small enough steps that we can adjust precisely, and each weight goes into your programme so the next session starts from where you left off. Most people are surprised how quickly the numbers move once the starting point is right.
Questions we get asked
Is 5 kg a good starting weight for dumbbells?
For curls, shoulder presses or lateral raises, often yes. For squats, rows and lunges, it is usually too light after the first session or two.
Should I start with light weights and high reps?
Light enough to learn the movement, yes. But sets need to become challenging to build strength, so do not stay at 20 easy reps.
Do women need lighter dumbbells?
Starting weights depend on the individual. Many women can lift more than they expect, especially on the lower body. Use the same test.
How long should I stay at the same weight?
Until you reach the top of your rep range on every set with good form. Then move up.
If you want starting weights set for you and progress tracked every session, see 1-1 personal training at The Highgate House, or start at the homepage.
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