Dumbbell Man Maker
Also known as: man makers, man maker, man maker exercise, dumbbell man makers
One rep chains a push-up, a row to each side, and a clean into an overhead press, so a single pair of dumbbells taxes nearly everything you have - grip, shoulders, and lungs usually fail before any one muscle does. Pick a weight you could strict press for ten, because the rows and plank transitions punish anything heavier.
How to do the Dumbbell Man Maker
- Place two dumbbells on the floor shoulder-width apart and grip the handles in a high plank; feet hip–shoulder width, core braced, wrists neutral.
- Lower into a controlled push-up, keeping a straight line from head to heels.
- Shift weight slightly and row the right dumbbell toward your ribs without rotating the torso; return it to the floor and repeat with the left.
- Jump or step your feet to the outside of the dumbbells, keeping your back flat and hips down.
- Drive through the legs and hips to clean the dumbbells to the shoulders, catching with elbows forward in a partial squat.
- Stand tall and press the dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended and ribs stay down.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the shoulders, then hinge to place them on the floor with a neutral spine.
- Kick or step your feet back to the plank position and repeat for the next rep.
Tip: Pause for a full count with the handle at your torso before letting it go back.
Muscles worked
Primary
Delts · Shoulders
The rear delts do a lot of work on face pulls and wide, high rows, where the elbows travel out to the sides.
Secondary
- Pectorals
- Triceps
- Lats — The lats pull the upper arm back toward the hip, and they take over more as the elbows stay close to the body and the pull goes toward the waist.
- Abs
- Quads
- Glutes — On bent-over and squat-row variations the glutes and hamstrings hold the hinge position and should feel a steady tension in the back of the hips.
Common mistakes
- Yanking with the arms — the rep should start with the shoulder blades pulling back, then the elbows follow; if the biceps give out first, you are curling the weight.
- Torso heaving up — on bent-over rows the back angle should not change between reps; if it does, drop the weight.
- Shrugging the shoulders up — pull the elbows back and down and keep the shoulders away from the ears, especially on face pulls.
- Skipping the stretch — let the arms straighten fully and the shoulder blades slide forward at the start of each rep, then pull from there.
Where it fits in a workout
Rows are a main movement in any pull or back session and go before pulldowns and arm work. They pair well with a chest press or a push-up as a push and pull superset.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without dumbbell
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.