30-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout

Who says you need to be in the gym to really push yourself? Max out your workout even when you’re pressed for time with this intense full-body dumbbell routine that’ll develop muscle and burn some serious body fat at the same time.

All you need is a pair of dumbbells, a mat and a spare 30 minutes. The workout begins with a five-minute mobility round followed by two longer-full body rounds, before ending on a finisher of four minutes. Each exercise involves 45 seconds of work and ends with 15 seconds’ rest.

Mobility:

Squat to Walkout:

• Start standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Squat twice, and on the second squat place your hands on the floor and walk out
• Walk out into a high-plank position and engage your core
• Walk back into your feet and repeat the movement

Hand Release Press Ups:

• Start in the press-up position, with your hands under your shoulders
• Slowly drop to the floor and rest your chest
• Release your hands briefly
• Return your hands, push the floor away and repeat

Kneeling Row:

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and position yourself on all fours
• Engage your core and keep the neck and spine inline
• Pull one arm with the dumbbell in towards your chest
• Slowly release back to the start, and repeat with the opposite arm

Squat Jump to Walkout:

• Start standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Squat twice and on the second squat, place your hands on the floor and walk out
• Walk out into a high-plank position and engage your core
• Walk back into your feet and repeat the movement
• The difference with this exercise is each squat is accompanied by a jump, making it a jump squat

Dumbbell Swings:

• Hold a dumbbell in both hands
• Just like a kettlebell swing, keep your back and neck in line and swing between your legs
• Your chest will face the floor
• Kick through the hips and glutes, swinging the dumbbell around chest height

Full Body Round One

Reverse Lunges:

• Stand upright with dumbbells in each hand, feet together, and take a big lunge backward with your right leg, lowering your hips towards the floor
• Bend both knees to 90-degree angles. The back knee should point towards but not touch the floor, and your front knee should be directly over the ankle
• Power through this position and continue until standing again

Hammer Curls:

• Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing into your body
• Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your palms inwards
• Return to the lower part of the move and repeat
• Keep your elbows tucked in and still

Front Squats:

• Hold the dumbbell upright close to your chest and stand with your feet about hip-width apart
• Start to lower your body, bending at the knees
• Go until you have reached full depth, then drive up through your heels
• Squeeze your glutes when you reach the top

Neutral Shoulder Press:

• Start with the dumbbells level with your shoulders
• Keep your palms facing inwards in a neutral position for the wrists
• Keeping the palms facing in, push the dumbbells overhead
• Return to the start and repeat

Stiff Leg Deadlifts:

• Place your feet hip-width apart and have a slight bend in your knees
• Hold the dumbbells out in front of you with your palms facing you
• Keep your spine straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together
• Start to lower your body, hinging at the hip and keeping the dumbbells in contact with your legs
• Keep going until you are in the middle of your shins
• Keeping the spine neutral, drive up through the heels to full extension and squeeze the glutes

Bent-Over Row:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Lean forward until your chest faces the floor
• Keep your shoulders back, neck and spine in line
• Keep your elbows tucked in
• Pull the dumbbells in towards your midriff and squeeze the shoulder blades
• Lower and repeat

Split Squats:

• Start with your legs split, one in front of the other
• You’re looking to replicate the top part of a lunge
• Concentrating on one leg, drop your rear knee towards the floor
• Return to the start of the move and repeat until the completed reps on one leg

Wide Bicep Curls:

• Start in the same position as a bicep curl, instead keep your hands away from the body with your elbows tucked in
• The difference here is the curl is starts away from the body, but the elbows are tucked in with the dumbbells coming up towards the mid-biceps area
• Lower and repeat

Clean and Press:

• Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip
• Clean the dumbbells by kicking to form the hips to the shoulders
• Using your legs for some extra power, push the dumbbells overhead
• Return to the shoulders before bringing back down to the start position

Full Body Round Two

Reverse Lunges:

• Stand upright with the dumbbells in each hand, feet together, and take a big lunge backward with your right leg, lowering your hips toward the floor
• Bend both knees to 90-degree angles. The back knee should point towards but not touch the floor, and your front knee should be directly over your ankle
• Power through this position and continue until standing again

Front Squats:

• Hold the dumbbell upright close to your chest and stand with your feet about hip-width apart
• Start to lower your body, bending at the knees
• Go until you have reached full depth then drive up through your heels
• Squeeze your glutes when you reach the top

Hammer Curls:

• Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing into your body
• Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your palms inwards
• Return to the lower part of the move and repeat
• Keep your elbows tucked in and still

Arnold Press:

• Hold a pair of weights in front of your shoulders, palms facing your body
• The start position should look like the top portion of the dumbbell curl
• In one fluid motion, raise the dumbbells and rotate the palms of your hand to face forwards
• Keep lifting until your arms are extended straight above you
• Pause and then reverse the move and repeat

Stiff Leg Deadlifts:

• Place your feet hip-width apart and keep a slight bend in your knees
• Hold the dumbbells out in front of you with your palms facing inwards
• Keep your spine straight and squeeze your shoulder blades together
• Start to lower your body, hinging at the hip and keeping the dumbbells in contact with your legs
• Keep going until you are in the middle of your shins
• Keeping your spine straight, drive up through the heels to full extension and squeeze the glutes

Split Squats:

• Start with your legs split, one in front of the other
• You’re looking to replicate the top part of a lunge
• Concentrating on one leg, drop the rear knee towards the floor
• Return to the start of the move and repeat the completed reps on one leg

Upright Rows:

• Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at arm's length in front of your waist, palms facing toward inwards
• Slowly lift the weight in front of your torso, keeping it close to your body, until your elbows reach shoulder height
• Pause, then reverse the movement, lowering the weights back to the starting position

Crossbody Bicep Curls:

• Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing into your body with a slight lean forward to allow space for the movement
• Curl the dumbbells towards your opposite shoulder, across your body
• Return to the lower part of the move and repeat
• Keep your elbows tucked in and still

Close Squats:

• Start with your feet close together but not touching
• Hold the dumbbells by your sides
• Slowly squat keeping your back straight and pressing your heels into the floor
• Once your legs are parallel, push the floor away and stand tall
• Repeat

Pop Squats:

• Start with the same foot position as the close squat
• Jump and widen your feet slightly wider than shoulders and as you do, touch the floor with your fingertips
• Push back up and jump, bringing your feet together
• Repeat the movement with no rest

Finisher

Renegade Row to Press-Up:

• Start either on your knees or in the full press-up position
• Your hands will be resting while holding the dumbbells
• Start by pulling one dumbbell into your body as a row
• Once you return the weight to the floor, perform a press-up
• Repeat with the opposite arm

Plank to Sumo Squat:

• Start in a high press-up position, holding the dumbbells in your hands
• Bring your legs in with your feet close to the dumbbells
• Keeping your back straight, stand tall with the weights like a sumo deadlift

Squat Press:

• Holding the dumbbells on your shoulders, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Squat until the legs are parallel
• As you stand tall, push the dumbbells overhead into a shoulder press
• Repeat the movement

Man Maker:

• This movement combines all the finisher exercises into one movement
• Start either on your knees or in the full press-up position
• Your hands will be resting and holding the dumbbells
• Start by pulling one dumbbell into your body as a row and repeat with the opposite arm
• Once you return the weight to the floor, perform a press-up
• Bring your legs in, with your feet close to the dumbbells
• Keeping your back straight, stand tall with the weights like a sumo deadlift
• Next, squat until the legs are parallel
• As you stand tall, push the dumbbells overhead into a shoulder press
• Repeat the movement

Take Home Message

Think you’re up to the challenge of this circuit workout? Then give it your best shot. If you really push yourself, you should engage all your muscle groups and get your heart rate going. And it’s only going to take up 30 minutes of your time, so it’s a great way to fit some exercise into your morning routine or lunch break.