This 10-minute express full-body dumbbell workout is designed to boost endurance and strengthen your upper body, lower body, and core. In a nutshell, this workout offers a dynamic full-body challenge.
All you need for this workout is a pair of dumbbells and a workout mat. Select a pair of dumbbells that feels challenging so that the last few reps of the exercise are more difficult to complete, but ensuring you can complete the exercise for the allocated amount of time. Focus on completing each rep with the correct form to help you gain the most benefit.
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Structured as a circuit, this workout targets major muscle groups like the quads, glutes, shoulders, and core with compound movements. Complete the five exercises in each lap, performing each one for the specified time, followed by a 30-second rest, completing for 3 laps total.
Workout warm up
Kelsey recommends taking a few minutes to warm-up prior to working out. 3-5 minutes of cardio, such as jumping jacks, along with some dynamic stretches such as leg swings and arm swings will help increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles ahead of your session. It will also help increase your range of motion and help to reduce your risk of injury.
Kelsey Wells’ 10-Minute full-body dumbbell workout
- Lateral Lunge 30 seconds
- Weighted Squat 30 seconds
- Mountain Climber 30 seconds
- Romanian Dead Lift 30 seconds
- Dumbbell Curl & Press 30 seconds
REST 30 seconds
Repeat for 3 laps
Lateral lunge
- Step 1: Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
- Step 2: Inhale. Keeping your right foot on the floor, release your left foot and take a big step to your left. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend your left knee, ensuring that your right leg remains straight.
- Step 3: Exhale. Extend your left knee and transfer your weight onto your right foot. Step your left foot inwards to return to the starting position.
- Step 4: Inhale. Keeping your left foot on the floor, release your right foot and take a big step to your right. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend your right knee, ensuring that your left leg remains straight.
- Step 5: Exhale. Extend your right knee and transfer your weight onto your left foot. Step your right foot inwards to return to the starting position. Continue alternating between left and right for the specified amount of time.
Weighted squat
- Step 1: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
- Step 2: Inhale. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips.
- Step 3: Exhale. Push through the heels of your feet and extend your legs to return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified amount of time..
Mountain climber
- Step 1: Place both hands on the yoga mat shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. Gently draw your ribs to your hips to engage your core. This is your starting position.
- Step 2: Keeping your left foot on the floor, bend your right knee and bring it in towards your chest.
- Step 3: Extend your right leg to return to the starting position.
- Step 4: Keeping your right foot on the floor, bend your left knee and bring it in towards your chest.
- Step 5: Extend your left leg to return to the starting position. Continue alternating between right and left for the specified amount of time.
Romanian dead lift
- Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip (palms facing towards your body) in front of your legs. Draw your shoulder blades down and back to push your chest out slightly and draw your belly button to your spine to engage your core. This is your starting position.
- Step 2: Bend your knees slightly hinge forward from your hips and allow the dumbbells to run along the length of your thighs and halfway down your shins. Ensure you keep a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement as you maintain a proud chest. Your body should form a nice straight line from torso to head and you should feel tension in your hamstrings (back of your legs).
- Step 3: As the dumbbells reach halfway down your shins, push through your heels and use your glutes and hamstrings to bring your body upright, then extend your knees and hips to return to the starting position. Ensure that the dumbbells remain in contact with your legs. Repeat for the specified amount of time.
Dumbbell curl and press
- Step 1: Holding a dumbbell in each hand in a neutral grip (palms facing inwards) with arms extended on either side of your body, plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
- Step 2: Inhale. Bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells in towards your chest, ensuring that your elbows remain in close contact with the sides of your body.
- Step 3: Exhale. Using the muscles in both your shoulders and arms, extend your elbows and press dumbbells up above your head, ensuring that arms are in line with your ears on either side of your head.
- Step 4: Inhale. Extend your elbows to lower the dumbbells and return to the starting position. Repeat for the specified amount of time.
Workout cool down
Kelsey recommends completing a cool down session after your workout. 3-5 minutes of walking will help to slowly lower your heart rate to normal levels and help your body to cool down after a workout. You might also like to complete some static stretching as part of your cool down, where you hold a single position for twenty seconds or longer. Static stretching works to lengthen your muscles with the aim of increasing your flexibility and range of motion.
Kelsey Wells is a Sweat trainer, Redefine Fitness podcast host, wife and mother. Kelsey is a certified personal trainer with additional expertise in post-natal training. Most of all, she is passionate about empowering women to strengthen their bodies, and feel amazing both inside and out.
