Challenge Yourself With This 5-Move, Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

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Sure, you may be back to the gym; but with numbers limited, social distancing in full effect and kit-sharing still off of the cards, getting a good workout in can be a challenge in and of itself.

With that in mind, break the emergency glass on this strength-building, calorie sapping, full-body dumbbell blast on the days when all you can get your hands on is a few weights and a quiet corner.

You’re going to be working in a ladder format: perform five movements back to back, resting only as necessary to maintain good form, but breaking up any sets that you can’t complete unbroken. Perform each round’s reps in descending order, beginning with 10 reps of each movement, followed by nine of each, then eight, working your way down the ladder to one final rep per exercise.

1. Dumbbell floor or bench press x 10-1

Hit the floor or grab a bench if one’s available. Lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Press the weights above you, locking out your elbows (A). Lower them slowly until your upper arms are resting on the floor (B), close to your body, pause here before explosively pressing back up.

2. Dumbbell Front Rack Squat x 10-1

After your final press, clean your dumbbells onto your shoulders and take a deep breath (A). Now, drive your hips back and sink down into a squat, your thighs parallel to the floor (B). Drive upward, and go again.

3. Dumbbell deadlift x 10-1

Drop your dumbbells to the floor just outside your feet, hinge down and grip them with a flat back and neutral spine (A). Engage your lats and stand upright, ‘pushing the ground away’ with your feet, squeezing your glutes at the top (B). Your arms should be hanging straight throughout this movement, think of them as hooks.

4. Renegade row x 10-1 (left+right= 1 rep)

After your last deadlift drop down into a strong plank position with your hands on your dumbbells (A). Shifting your weight onto your left hand, row the right dumbbell towards your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower back to the ground, repeat on the opposite side for a total of 10 reps.

5. Press-up on dumbbell x 10-1

Immediately following your last row, remain in your plank position with hands on your bells (A). With a controlled tempo, flex at the elbow, lowering your body until your chest touches the floor (B). Push back up explosively until your elbows are fully extended. (If you only have one dumbbell, perform regular push-ups).

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