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No Gym, No Problem: Beginner DB Only Program
Beginner–IntermediateFree

No Gym, No Problem: Beginner DB Only Program

With a bench and dumbbells you can get jacked, actually

Duncan
Duncan· Jul 2025
2athletes running this program
iOS & Android

Overview

Length
12 weeks
Days / week
4 days
Level
Beginner, Intermediate
Goal
Muscle
Equipment
Dumbbell Only
Session length
40 min
New to lifting? Don't want to attend a public gym? Not willing to buy a lot of equipment? Limited on time and can't work out for very long each day? Give me two hours of your life a week and I got you. Read this document before starting the program! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UVE0NqfoeSHVPKcBgFQFBniDCck67oDx24rczPErKWI/edit?usp=sharing This program is a 4 day split designed with people who want to improve their physical abilities, body composition, and health. ALL YOU NEED IS DUMBBELLS AND A BENCH! It might seem like a big upfront cost for a pair of adjustable dumbbells, but remember that they're going to last a long time. Plus, what better investment could you make than in your own wellbeing? Each session is meant to only take 30-40 minutes depending on how long you rest between sets. Almost every exercise has an antagonistic superset (Do exercise x, rest, do exercise y, rest, do exercise x again, etc.) This effectively cuts the downtime between sets by over half. Yes, this means it may be less pleasant at first, but it is way more time efficient. There is no fluff work in this program. Every exercise is to be performed with intensity. I take the "vital few" approach to training volume for beginners. WE ARE NOT DOING CARDIO WITH WEIGHTS; WE ARE RESISTANCE TRAINING! Our goal is to eek out as much benefit from each set as we can get. This means you're going to have to train hard if you want those strength and hypertrophy gains. The volume of this program isn't anything crazy. It was designed for beginners to get enough practice on the movements but also not feel overwhelmed by the amount of time they have to spend lifting. The split is 4x a week, but remember that each session is very timely. My goal with this program is to make the person running it say "That's it?" by the time they finish a workout so that as they learn more and become more advanced, they're ready for more. Bonus: If you don't have time one day but do you do have more time another day, you can combine one torso and one limb lift together and have it still be feasible. By the end of the three months I designed this program to be run for, I think you will have "graduated" and be ready for something a bit more advanced-assuming you're form, intensity and understanding of progression are all in check. However, you can pretty easily run this again for another month or two with absolutely zero worries. Recommended schedules: Option 1: No weekends Sun: Rest Mon: Torso 1 Tues: Limb 1 Wed: Rest Thurs: Torso 2 Friday: Limb 2 Saturday: Rest Option 2: Weekends Sun: Limb 2 Mon: Rest Tues: Rest Wed: Torso 1 Thurs: Limb 2 Friday: Rest Saturday: Torso 2 Option 3: Dispersed Sun: Torso 1 Mon: Rest Tues: Limb 1 Wed: Rest Thurs: Torso 2 Friday: Limb 2 Saturday: Rest There's a lot of flexibility with a 4x/week split. As long as you give one full day of rest between hitting each muscle group, you'll be okay (chest, rest, chest is fine. Chest, chest, rest is not as good)

Who it's for

Beginners new to structured strength training
Athletes focused on building muscle size
Athletes who can train 4 days per week
Athletes with access to a set of dumbbells

Muscle engagement

Front
Back
Triceps
9.8%
Lats
9.8%
Quadriceps
9.8%
Glutes
9.8%
Hamstrings
9.8%
Biceps
8.6%
Front Delts
7.4%
Upper Back
7.4%
Abs
6.9%
Chest
6.1%
Middle Delts
4.9%
Forearms
3.7%
Rear Delts
2.5%
Lower Back
2.5%
Adductors
1.2%
Week 1 Workouts
#ExerciseSetsReps
Superset
1AIncline Bench Press (Dumbbell)2
1BChest Supported Row (Dumbbell)2
Superset
2APullover (Dumbbell)2
2BLateral Raise (Dumbbell)2
3Lying Leg Raise1
#ExerciseSetsReps
Superset
1ABulgarian Split Squat (Dumbbell)2
1BSkull Crusher (Dumbbell)2
Superset
2ARomanian Deadlift (Dumbbell)2
2BBicep Curl (Dumbbell)2
#ExerciseSetsReps
1Single Arm Row (Dumbbell)2
Superset
2APush Up2
2BBent Over Row (Dumbbell)2
3Lying Side Lateral Raise2
4Lying Leg Raise1
#ExerciseSetsReps
1Single Leg Romanian Deadlift2
Superset
2AGoblet Squat2
2BSingle Arm Overhead Tricep Extension2
2CHammer Curl (Dumbbell)2

Weeks 2–12 are in the app

Download Boostcamp to follow the full program with auto-progression and built-in coaching notes.

Common questions

Yes, No Gym, No Problem: Beginner DB Only Program is completely free to follow on Boostcamp. Download the app on iOS or Android, find the program, and start your first workout immediately. All 12 weeks are fully unlocked.

This program is built around a dumbbell only. Make sure you have consistent access before starting, since the progression model assumes you can perform the same movements week over week.

Each session typically takes around 40 minutes to complete. That estimate covers your working sets but doesn't account for warm-up or rest between sets, so budget a little extra time when you're first learning the movements.

No Gym, No Problem: Beginner DB Only Program is structured around 4 training days per week, with rest days built in to allow for recovery. The Boostcamp app lets you reschedule sessions if your week doesn't go to plan.

The program runs for 12 weeks. The structure is designed so that each week builds on the last, with weights, volume, or intensity progressively increasing as you go.

No Gym, No Problem: Beginner DB Only Program is available inside the Boostcamp app, free on iOS and Android. Once you download the app, you can search for the program by name. The app tracks all your sets and weights automatically, so you always know exactly what to do next session.

Get started

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