Forget pull-ups — 6 dumbbell exercises to build a strong and muscular upper body like Bridgerton’s Colin Bridgerton

one half of the photo is a man performing a dumbbell row on a bench and the other half shows Luke Newton on a red carpet

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jump to:

What are the six dumbbell exercises?
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell Single Arm Row
Dumbbell Military Press
Dumbbell lateral raises
Press-up

The town is abuzz and it's all thanks to the much talked about glow up of Colin Bridgerton, portrayed by British actor Luke Newton, in the latest season of "Bridgerton". Gone is the boyish charm of earlier seasons, Colin has returned from his travels a figure of strength with a set of broad shoulders and muscular arms. And people want to know what led to his transformation.

Luckily for us, the trainers at The Gym Group have stepped in to help. They’ve provided a six-move, dumbbell-only workout to guide us toward achieving a stronger upper body inspired by Colin Bridgerton.

Of course, completing one upper body workout with a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells isn't going to magically shape you a pair of Colin-esque arms. Building muscle and definition on the body takes a lot of commitment and consistency and results will vary from body to body.

What are the six dumbbell exercises?

Grab your dumbbells, turn on your best workout headphones, queue up Bridgerton's iconic orchestral covers of your favorite pop songs, and let's work up a sweat.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

YouTube

Watch On

Adjust the bench to around a 45-degree angle.
Sit on the edge of the bench, grip hold of the DB and then rock back into the bench. Keep a neutral spin throughout and feet flat on the floor.
With the dumbbells now on either side of your chest, drive through your elbows until your arms are out straight above the chest.
Reverse the movement by slowly lowering the dumbbell back to the side of the chest by bending from the elbow.

Incline Dumbbell Fly

YouTube

Watch On

Keep the bench at a 45-degree angle.
Sit on the edge of the bench, grip hold of the dumbbell and then rock back into the bench. Keep a neutral spin throughout and feet flat on the floor.
Press the dumbbells up above the chest and turn your wrists inwards so your palms face each other. With a slight bent in the elbow, take your arms out wide away from the body pivoting from the shoulder joint. Then drive back up focusing to use your chest muscles.
When taking the weights out wide, I want you to go through a full range of movement but safe enough you can return the weights to the original position.

Dumbbell Single Arm Row

YouTube

Watch On

Using a flat bench, place the same hand and knee on the bench and the opposite foot to the side. Make sure we keep a straight back.
A dumbbell should be directly below the free hand. Grip hold of the dumbbell and drive your arm up trying to keep the elbow close to your hip. Go through a full range of movement without twisting your body.
Slowly lower to dumbbell to full extension and repeat. Once completed 8 reps swap sides.

Dumbbell Military Press

YouTube

Watch On

Stand directly over the dumbbells, feet shoulder width apart.
Grip the dumbbells with an overhand grip but with your thumbs next to your fingers and stand up straight, then pull the dumbbells up towards your collar bone pushing the elbows slightly forward.
Push the dumbbells up directly over your head while focusing on pushing through your elbows and keeping your abs braced until your arms are straight.
Slowly bring the dumbbells back down to your collarbone while bending from the elbows again.

Dumbbell lateral raises

Standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing inwards. Roll your shoulders back and keep your chest up.
Drive the dumbbells up until level with your shoulders trying to keep your arms as straight as possible and without rocking your body for momentum.
Slowly lower the dumbbells to the original position and repeat.

Press-up

Lay flat on the floor, take your hands to shoulder width apart and balance on your tip toes. Your shoulders should be directly over your hands.
Slowly lower your body until you have at least a 90-degree bend in your elbow, do this by bending from your elbows and keeping your core tight so we maintain a flat back throughout.
Push yourself back up by pushing through the elbows until your arms are straight.
To make this exercise easier drop to your knees. To make it harder perform a plyo press-up by pushing yourself up with greater force, so your upper body leaves the floor for a split second.

More from Tom's Guide

Jessica has been a fitness writer at Tom’s Guide since 2023, bringing three years of experience writing about health, fitness, and the great outdoors. Her passion for exercise began during her childhood, where she spent weekends hiking and competing in local athletics club events. After earning a master’s degree in journalism from Cardiff University, Jessica found the perfect way to combine her love of storytelling and fitness into a career.

Jessica is passionate about testing fitness gear and tech, using her reviews to help readers make informed buying decisions. She ran her first marathon in April 2024, finishing it in 3 hours and 48 minutes. Through her training, she’s developed a deep understanding of what it takes to grow as a runner, from effective workouts and recovery techniques to selecting the right gear for every challenge.

When she’s not at her desk, Jessica enjoys spending time in the kitchen crafting new recipes, braving cold water swims and hiking.