Total Body Workout: Dumbbells Only

Getting bored with your at-home routine? Adding supersets increases the challenge, the metabolic burn and the creativity. Grab some dumbbells and lets get that total body workout rockin’!

Before you dive into the workout, remember that every great workout starts with a quick warm up, and finishes with a conscious cool down. Believe me, it might feel like “extra” in the moment, but in the long run…it’s this mobility work and recovery booster that will keep you working out for years to come.

Warm Up

Start with a 5-6 minute warm up to elevate your heart rate and breathing rate a bit. 30-45 seconds each:

• jumping jacks
• butt kicks
• high kicks
• alternating toe touches
• prisoner squats
• arm circles forward
• arm circles backwards

Total Body Dumbbell Workout

Dumbbell Goblet Squats

How to: Hold dumbbell with both hands, resting hands against chest. Feet should be hip-width apart. Take a deep breath and begin movement by bending at the knees and pushing your hips back. Lower your butt until thighs are parallel to the floor. Push through your heels to reverse the movement and return to the start position.

Make it easier: do body weight squats.

Make it harder: increase weight or add pulse at the bottom of the movement.

Dumbbell Svend Press

How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart and 1 or 2 lighter dumbbells (or plates) in your hands at chest level. Holding your elbows out to your sides, push the weights together with your palms (if using a plate, fingers should be facing forward), straight out from your chest. Without releasing tension, returns hands to start position. *If using dumbbells, it’s best to find dumbbells with a flat side so that you can push them together.

Make it easier: use one weight.

Make it harder: increase weight.

Dumbbell Good Mornings

How to: Hold dumbbell with both hands, resting hands against chest. Feet should be hip-width apart. Take a deep breath and begin movement by hinging back at the hips (keep your spine neutral!). As your torso approaches parallel to the floor, you will feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Squeeze your glutes and draw hips forward back to the start position.

Make it easier: no weight.

Make it harder: perform exercise with a barbell.

Dumbbell Single Arm Rows

How to: To get into your starting position, find a bench that you can comfortably place your right knee on, supporting your weight with your right hand on the bench and left leg supporting you on the floor. Your torso should be parallel to the floor. Grasp a single dumbbell in your left hand, arm straight. To begin the movement, retract your left shoulder blade and drive your elbow towards the ceiling, keeping it close to your body. Pull the dumbbell towards your body until it reaches your mid-line, then slowly straighten your arm to return to the start position.

Make it easier: decrease the weight.

Make it harder: increase the weight or slow the movement.

Dumbbell Alternating Arnold Press

Begin by holding a pair of dumbbells and sitting straight up on a bench, hands at your thighs. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height on either side, palms facing your body in front of your shoulders. Slowly raise the dumbbell in your left hand above your head while turning your wrist so that your palm is now facing forward (away from your body). Raise the weight until your arm is fully extended and then immediately lower the dumbbell back down to the start position, twisting your wrist so that your palm is again facing your body. Repeat movement with right arm.

Make it easier: decrease weight used or do not alternate.

Make it harder: increase weight or complete all reps on one side before switching to the other.

Dumbbell Windmill

How to: Press a dumbbell overhead with right arm fully extended. Stand with legs far apart and toes angled about 45 degrees to the side. While keeping the dumbbell above your head (rotate at the shoulder), bend to the left side and slightly to the front. You can bend your knee to make the movement easier. Reach as far towards your toe as possible before pressing back up to the start position.

Make it easier: use no weight.

Make it harder: increase weight, do not bend knee and keep your other hand (without a dumbbell), behind your back.

Dumbbell Tricep Kickbacks

How to: Begin by holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand, palms facing in. Hinge at the hips until your torso is roughly 45 degrees, keeping your elbow next to your rib cage and arm bent at a 90 degree angle. Moving only at the elbow, push the dumbbell back until your arm is fully extended behind you. Pause, and bend elbow to return to the start position.

Make it easier: do single arm kickbacks and support yourself with the non-working arm.

Make it harder: increase weight.

Side Bends

How to: Stand straight with feet hip-width apart, a single (heavier) dumbbell in one hand, palm facing in and close to your side. Brace your torso and bend to the side, moving the dumbbell 6-8″ down your side. Pause, and return to to an upright position.

Make it easier: use lighter weight.

Make it harder: use heavier weight!

Bicep Curls

How to: Begin by holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand, palms facing forward. Tuck your elbows to your sides and bend at the elbows, bringing the dumbbells up towards your armpits. Pause at the top before returning to the start position.

Make it easier: use lighter weights.

Make it harder: alternate arms.

Russian Twists

How to: Sit on your butt on a floor mat, bending at the knees and lifting your heels 1-2″ from the floor. Angle your torso back to create a V shape between your back and upper thighs. Interlock your fingers in front of you. Brace your core and use your abs to twist to the left, back to the center, and then to the right. Repeat.

Make it easier: keep your heels on the floor.

Make it harder: Hold a weight in both hands.

Cool Down

Spend 5-6 minutes posts-workout stretching and moving so that your heart rate and breathing rate slowly returns to normal. This allows your heart to pump oxygenated blood to your depleted muscles before completely coming to a rest.

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More At-Home Workouts

Looking for more workout ideas?

>> Upper Body Dumbbell Workout to Tighten and Tone

or…take on a bigger plan with my 14-Day At-Home Workout Challenge