We’ve all had those days where we’ve waltzed into the gym and all benches, barbells and weight machines are occupied. What's even worse is no-one seems to be in a rush to finish using them either. You may think this means your session is ruined, but think again. This upper body workout will help to build muscle in your shoulders, arms and back, and it only requires a pair of dumbbells and not even a weight bench.
If you’re worried that dumbbells won’t deliver the same gains that machines and barbells would, there’s no need to be. A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness that looked at the differences in strength, power and muscle using free weights and machine exercises, found improvements in strength and muscle to be similar using both bits of equipment. So, don't sweat it if you can't get on your favourite shoulder press machine, your hard-earned gains aren't going anywhere.
