I love a slow gym session, where I get to work through my favorite exercises and stretches at a leisurely pace. But on busy days, I turn to fast dumbbell workouts to get my body moving.
If you pick the right set of exercises, you can still challenge a lot of the major muscle groups in your body and mobilize your joints in 15 minutes or less.
Don’t believe me? Take a look at the workout below from Val Warner, who’s a certified trainer, pre/post-natal fitness specialist and the founder of the coaching platform Wellness by Val.
It targets your lower body, core, back and shoulders in just 12 minutes. It also works your hips, knees and shoulder joints through a wide range of motion—all while getting your heart rate up.
Warner says that beginners should perform the routine slowly and concentrate on getting good form for each move. Doing this will ensure you target the right muscles and minimize your risk of injury.
AMRAP 12-minute full-body dumbbell workout
This is an AMRAP workout, which means you’re aiming to complete the below routine for as many rounds as possible.
Set a timer for 12 minutes and do the following until the alarm rings:
- Dumbbell squat to press x 10 reps
- Single-arm dumbbell rows x 8 reps each side
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts x 12 reps
- Mountain climbers x 30 seconds
It’s a good idea to warm up before with a series of bodyweight squats, lunges, and torso rotations to make sure your body’s primed for movement. Or try this full-body mobility flow before you take on the AMRAP workout.
Follow the guides below on how to do the exercises.
1. Dumbbell squat to press
Reps: 10
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders.
- Bend your knees and push your hips back to squat, lowering until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor.
- Push through your feet to stand back up and press the dumbbells overhead, straightening your arms.
- Lower the dumbbells to your shoulders and repeat.
2. Single-arm dumbbell row
Reps: 8 each side
- Stand with a dumbbell in your right hand.
- Step your left leg forward and bend your left knee, while keeping your right leg straight behind you.
- Lower your torso until it’s nearly parallel to the floor (keeping the back in a straight line).
- Brace your left elbow against your left leg for balance.
- Lower the dumbbell in your right hand toward the floor.
- Engage your core and row the dumbbell toward your ribcage.
- Lower the dumbbell and repeat for the required number of repetitions, then switch sides and repeat.
If you have a flat workout surface available, like a weights bench, you can perform a supported single-arm dumbbell row. This can help if you struggle with balance in the above variation.
3. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Reps: 12
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs.
- Keep a straight back and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
- Hinge at your hips, pushing your butt backward and slowly lower the dumbbells.
- Pause when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to stand.
4. Mountain climber
Time: 30sec
- Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Step your legs back so you’re in a plank position, with your heels, hips and shoulders in a straight line.
- Maintaining this straight line, lift your right foot and bring your right knee toward your chest.
- Straighten your right leg and place the right foot back on the floor behind you.
- Switch legs and repeat.
If you’re new to this move, do it slowly and make sure your core muscles are engaged so that you can hold steady in this position.
When you’ve gotten stronger, you can alternate legs rapidly to get your heart rate up.
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