Try This Full Body Dumbbell Workout On Your Next Strength Day
Now that restrictions have been lifted and we are back to a more comfortable state in our local gyms, some of you might be wondering where to start when returning to a regular fitness routine. If you are a new member at FFC, I highly recommend taking advantage of the complimentary training sessions that you receive when joining the club. These sessions give you access to a professional coach who can help you create a plan that works best for you and your goals.
If you’ve already completed your complimentary training sessions, try your hand at this simple full body workout that I have designed for you. In this full body dumbbell workout, you’ll be using your body weight and dumbbells to add resistance and build strength. Now, let’s get to it!
The Warm Up
Let’s start out with a few dynamic stretches:
Complete 5 repetitions on each side of the body, one time through.
- Trunk rotations
- Knee hugs
- Knee circles
- Arm circles
- Straight leg toe touches
- Straight leg kicks
- Lateral lunges
After you’ve completed these dynamic stretches, we’ll go right into this 6 minute bodyweight cardio routine to ramp up the heart rate:
Perform each move for 30 seconds each, no rest between exercises. Complete this series three times through.
- Jog in place
- Jumping jacks
- High knees
- Lateral shuffle
Warming up prior to lifting is an important process that primes our bodies for the physical stress we put ourselves under during a workout.
Related: HIIT Workouts For Beginners
The Full Body Dumbbell Workout
After you’ve completed the warm up, grab some water and get ready to start the full body dumbbell circuit. All the exercises listed can be done with 2-3 different sizes of dumbbells:
- A heavy one to start your circuit out strong with your heart rate elevated.
- A medium dumbbell for the rest of the exercises.
- A medium or light dumbbell for the core circuit finisher.
It’s important to pick weights that challenge you. We are looking for simple but not easy.
Perform 3-4 sets of these 5 exercises. No rest between exercises; 30 seconds rest between sets.
1. Single Arm Clean To Squat To Press (Heavy): 5 repetitions each side, alternating
2. Double Dumbbell Deadlift (Medium-Heavy): 12 repetitions
3. Dumbbell Bridge To Press (Medium-Heavy): 12 repetitions
4. Dumbbell Lunges (Medium): 10 repetitions each side, alternating
5. Dumbbell Stability Row (Medium): 10 repetitions each side
Related: Looking for more workouts? Download our free e-book with 3 challenging workouts to try at the gym.
Core Finisher
Dumbbell Pull Under (Light-Medium): 10 repetitions each side
Dead Bugs (Bodyweight): 10 repetitions each side, alternating opposite arm and leg
Bird Dogs (Bodyweight): 10 repetitions each side, continuous opposite arm and leg
The Cool Down
Your workout is complete! Spend 20-30 seconds in each of these cool down stretches to properly lower your heart rate and relieve tension in the muscles you’ve just worked.
- Cobra position
- Child’s pose
- Downward dog
- 90/90 hip stretch
- Low lunge
If you have any questions about any of the exercises or stretches in this program, or if you are looking to work with a trainer to improve your strength and conditioning, feel free to reach out to me: mriley@ffc.com. We can set up a session to speak and go over your goals. In the meantime, happy lifting.
Post written by FFC Personal Trainer Mike Riley.