An expert trainer says this full-body dumbbell workout combines strength training and cardio for the most efficient 10 minutes of your day
These combo exercises hit every major muscle group
It can be difficult to find the time to fit exercise into your day, but it’s worth remembering that even short spells of activity add up to significantly better health.
Sometimes a rejuvenating 10-minute yoga flow is the best option, but at other times, you may want to push yourself a bit harder.
In which case, you’ll want to try this 10-minute full-body dumbbell workout from ACE-certified trainer Melyssa Allen.
“This metabolic conditioning circuit combines cardio and strength training to hit every major muscle group efficiently,” she says.
“The format uses four moves completed in three rounds, making it perfect for anyone short on time but ready to work.”
You’ll do each workout for a set period of time, which makes the workout more suitable for a variety of abilities.
While Allen advises that each time window will typically result in you completing between 10 and 15 reps, remember that form is always more important than speed, so try not to rush. If you can only fit a few reps into the set time, that’s fine.
Run through the following routine three times, and let us know how it goes in the comments.
Watch Allen demonstrate each exercise in the full-body dumbbell workout
Warm-up
Time: 1min
For a quick warm-up, Allen has programmed bodyweight versions of the exercises in the workout. Do each of the following exercises for 15 seconds.
- Side lunge
- Reverse lunge
- Sumo squat
- Squat with overhead reach
1. Side lunge to row
Time: 45sec Rest: 0sec
“The side lunge challenges lateral movement patterns that most workouts skip, while the row adds upper body and core engagement,” says Allen.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing and shoulders relaxed.
- Push your hips back and bend your right knee, lowering the dumbbells to either side of your right knee, keeping your left leg straight, your chest up and your back flat.
- At the bottom of the side lunge, exhale and lift the weights toward your belly button, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Lower the weights, then push through your right foot to return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.
Make it easier: Use one dumbbell instead of two, holding it by both ends.
Bodyweight option: Place your hands on your thighs for support.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, inner thighs (adductors), hamstrings and upper back (rhomboids, lats).
2. Reverse lunge with rotation
Time: 45sec Rest: 0sec
“Adding rotation to a reverse lunge fires up the obliques and improves rotational strength, which is critical for everyday movement and spine health,” explains Allen. “It's a full lower-body and core move in one.”
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell by both ends at chest height.
- Step your right foot back, keeping your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend both knees to 90° lower, keeping your shoulders in line with your hips.
- At the bottom of the movement, rotate your chest to the left, lowering the weight to your left hip in a smooth chopping motion.
- Bring the dumbbell back to center, then push through your left foot to return to the standing position.
- Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.
Make it easier: Try the exercise with no weight, bringing your hands to your chest and rotating your torso over your front knee as you lunge. This bodyweight modification still preserves the core rotation benefit.
Muscles targeted: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, obliques and core.
3. Sumo squat to biceps curl
Time: 45sec Rest: 0sec
“The sumo squat has a wide, turned-out stance that specifically targets the inner thighs and glutes in a way a standard squat doesn't,” says Allen.
“Pairing it with a biceps curl adds upper-body work without losing the lower-body challenge.”
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and your toes angled out at around 45°, holding dumbbells in front of your hips, palms facing away from you.
- Tuck your tailbone under your hips, squeeze your glutes and bend your knees, lowering toward the floor. Keep your knees over your toes.
- Rise to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement. As you’re coming up, bend your elbows to lift curl the dumbbells to your shoulders, then lower with control.
Alternative: You can curl the weights as you lower into the squat and lower them as you come back to standing.
Make it easier: Hold one dumbbell by both ends and perform the same sequence.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, inner thighs (adductors), quads and biceps.
4. Squat to overhead press to triceps extension
Time: 60sec Rest: 30sec
“This triple-threat finisher hits three muscle groups in one fluid sequence—lower body, shoulders and triceps—making it the perfect burnout move to close each round,” says Allen.
“The longer 60-second window accounts for the added complexity of the three-part movement.”
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart or slightly wider, holding dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing and elbows pointing forward.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your chest up and core engaged.
- Drive through your heels to stand, squeezing your glutes and exhaling as you press the dumbbells overhead. At the top of the movement, your biceps should be level with your ears. Keep your shoulders down throughout.
- Bring the dumbbells together above your head, then bend your elbows to lower them behind your head with control. Keep your elbows pointing forward and close to your head.
- Exhale to bring the weights back overhead, then lower to shoulder height.
Alternative: press overhead as you rise from the squat for a smoother flow.
Make it easier: Hold one dumbbell by both ends at the chest. Squat, then press overhead, then lower behind the head. Keep the core tight throughout the overhead position.
Muscles targeted: Quads, glutes, shoulders (deltoids), triceps and core.
Melyssa Allen is an ACE-certified personal trainer, AFAA-certified primary group exercise instructor, size-inclusive fitness specialist and secretary of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Fitness and Medicine member interest group.
She founded her virtual fitness studio, Move with Melyssa, to create inclusive, feel-good fitness experiences for every body.
