30-Minute Upper Body and Core Dumbbell Workout

Looking for a workout that you can crush in just 30-minutes, but still know that you worked as much as possible? This upper body and core dumbbell workout hits your shoulders, chest, back and arms, as well as your abs, in under half an hour.

9 Benefits of Working Out 30 Minutes a Day

It’s no surprise that exercise helps you lose weight, get healthier and fitter, and get stronger. As little as 30 minutes of exercise per day has a positive effect on your general health. Here are 9, more specific benefits of fitting in as little as 30 minutes of movement each day.

Reduce stress. Exercise increases the amount of norepinephrine produced by your body. Norepinephrine is a chemical hormone that, among other things, affects the way your brain deals with stressful situations.
Lose weight. That’s right, even a mere 30 minutes a day can help you lose weight. The more intense the workout, the better.
Improve heart health. Just as exercise strengthens your legs and arms, it can strengthen your heart as well. Cardiovascular exercise improves your hearts ability to efficiently pump blood throughout your body.
Get better sleep. Regular exercise is linked to better sleep, even with people who suffer with insomnia and sleep apnea.
Boost your mood. Exercise stimulates the “happy chemicals” in your brain. A quick, 30-minute workout can leave you feeling more uplifted and relaxed.
Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Research shows a link between regular exercise, and improved physical and mental symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Improve self confidence. Half an hour of exercise can be all it takes to swing from feeling less-than-stellar to powerful and capable. Workouts that involve explosive movements or heavier lifting leave you feel spent, and rightfully more confident.
Get an energy kick in the butt. Feel like you hit a wall at around 4 pm every day? A quick workout gets your blood pumping and your body working, which is enough to leave the gym with a bucket load more energy than you walked in with.
Increase productivity. For much the same reason a workout gives you more energy, just 30 minutes of exercise can improve focus, attention, and processing speed.

Get the Most Out of Core Exercises

If you want to get stronger, you should work your core. If you want to perform better at sports, or life in general, you should work your core. Want to simply move better, have better balance and stability, and better protect yourself from injury? You guessed it…core.

To get the most out of any core exercise, use the tips below:

Imagine bracing your abs as if someone was going to sucker punch you in the belly button (rough, I know). That engagement you feel from your pelvic bone, through your back and up to your ribs? That’s a sure sign of an engaged core.
Tuck your pelvic bone as if they were trying to meet your rib cage.
Align your breath with the movement. As you contract your muscles, inhale deeply. Exhale slowly as you stretch back out to your natural alignment.

How Much Weight Should You Really Be Lifting?

Here is your quick start guide to choosing the appropriate weight for your lift.

The Dumbbell Test

Stand with your back against a wall, with a lighter set of dumbbells, one in each hand. Standing with your feet hip-width apart, dumbbells should be resting near your hips, palms facing forward. Lock your elbows to your sides so they don’t carrying the momentum. Slowly curl the weights up to your shoulders, then lower to your starting position. Aim for 15-20 reps.

If you can’t complete 15 reps, choose a starting weight that is 5# lighter.

If you can easily do 20+ reps, choose a starting weight that is 5# heavier.

This weight is a good place to start for most dumbbell exercises.

Keep in mind that tracking your lifts as you go is an excellent tool for getting stronger, leaner, and fitter. Track so that you know when a specific weight, at a specific rep range, becomes to light for you (aka you get stronger).