This celebrity trainer works with stars like Jessica Biel, but he says his mother-in-law is his “model student”—here’s the beginner-friendly workout she does

Ben Bruno is a trainer for boldface names like Jessica Biel, Chelsea Handler and Kate Upton, but his “model student” isn’t any one of these celebrities.

According to a recent Instagram post that Bruno shared, it’s his mother-in-law, Tracey, who he started training three years ago.

She had been diagnosed with osteopenia and was dealing with significant shoulder and lower-back pain. At that point, she’d never lifted weights before.

Bruno put together a workout to help her build strength and improve her health, but she couldn’t do any of it.

Bruno says this experience was one of the reasons he designed his beginner strength training guide (available to buy at benbruno.com), so Tracey and his mother had something they could do safely.

Since then, Tracey has progressed from using 5lb to 20lb dumbbells, just by sticking to a set of exercises she knows she can do safely, and gradually increasing the weights she uses.

Tracey now lifts weights for 20 to 30 minutes two to three times a week, and is pain-free. It goes to show that strength training doesn’t have to be complicated—you can experience life-changing benefits just by consistently showing up and challenging your muscles with progressive, strength-building exercise.

The beginner-friendly dumbbell workout Ben Bruno created for his mother-in-law

We love this full-body workout and if you’re confident performing all the movements, it’s a routine you could rely on for years to come, as long as you keep increasing the challenge as you get stronger.

But it’s not the only option available to you. You’ll find plenty of accessible alternatives, including in our beginner strength training plan, which has three full-body dumbbell workouts.

Getting in-person coaching is also advisable when you’re starting out, so you can learn how to perform each movement safely.

Here’s some more information on how to perform the workout Bruno shared.

1A. Squat

Sets: 2 Reps: 10

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing out slightly.
• Engage your core.
• Push your butt back and bend your knees to lower.
• Push through your feet to stand upright.

In the video: You’ll see Tracey hold a dumbbell by her chest, which is a good way to increase the challenge once you’re comfortable with the unweighted movement. She also taps her butt on the seat of a couch, which can help ensure you’re lowering to a consistent depth. She also has a small looped resistance band around her legs. Pushing out against the band is a good way to make sure your knees don’t cave in as you perform the squat.

1B. Single-arm row

Sets: 2 Reps: 8-10 each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your right foot in front of the left, holding a dumbbell in your left hand.
• Hinge forward from your hips and place your right hand on something sturdy, like the armrest of a couch.
• Lift the weight towards your hip, bending your elbow and drawing it past your torso.
• Lower the weight slowly and with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

2A. Romanian deadlift

Sets: 2 Reps: 10

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs.
• Push your hips backwards while keeping your back straight, lowering the dumbbells down your legs.
• Push your hips forwards to stand upright.

2B. Bridge-position press

Sets: 2 Reps: 8-10

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells either side of your chest, with your palms facing your feet and your upper arms resting on the floor.
• Push through your feet to lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees—this is your starting position.
• Press the dumbbells straight up.
• Lower with control.

3A. Reverse lunge

Sets: 2 Reps: 8 each side

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower until your right knee is just above the floor—your left knee should be directly above your left ankle.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.

In the video: Tracey holds on to a long foam roller in one hand to keep her stable and a dumbbell in the other to increase the challenge.

3B. “Elbows out” triceps extension

Sets: 2 Reps: 12-15

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells above your chest with your arms extended.
• Bend your elbows and move them out to the side to lower the dumbbells to your chest.
• Extend your arms to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.

3C. Plank

Sets: 2 Time: 1min

• Lie on your front, propped up on your forearms with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.
• Engage your core.
• Lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Hold the position without letting your hips drop or rise, breathing steadily throughout.