Buying a pair of dumbbells is a great way to start strength training at home, but after a few months you may find lifting the same weights stalls your progress.

Pippa Sealey is a personal trainer who regularly trains with dumbbells and she has a couple of tricks that can help keep your workouts challenging without having to buy extra equipment.

“I like to use shorter rest periods and unilateral movements rather than bilateral moves when there isn’t access to as heavy loads at home,” Sealey says.

One tried-and-tested technique for shorter rest periods are supersets, where you do one set of an exercise, immediately followed by a set of a different exercise.

“You may also want to use more agonist supersets,” she suggests, explaining that this involves pairing exercises that target the same muscle groups to increase the challenge to that area of the body.

Below, Sealey has shared a workout that uses these two techniques—unilateral exercises and supersets. It’s designed for people who are already confident performing fundamental movements like squats and deadlifts and are looking to increase the challenge.

How to do the at-home superset dumbbell workout

This workout uses supersets and tri-sets. In both cases, you do one set of exercise A, then one set of exercise B and, where applicable, one set of exercise C, before resting. Once you’ve completed that sequence three times in total, move on to the next group of exercises.

Here’s an overview of the workout, followed by instructions for how to do each exercise.

• 1A. Deficit calf raise x 10-12
• 1B. Hamstring bridge march x 6 each side
• 1C. Wall sit x 60sec
• 2A. Dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift x 12 each side
• 2B. Dumbbell split squat x 12 each side
• 3A. Push-up x as many as possible with good form
• 3C. Single-arm dumbbell row x 10-12 each side
• 4A. Side plank hip lift x 12 each side
• 4B. Plank dumbbell pull-through x 6-8 each side
• 4C. Dumbbell sit-up x 12

1A. Deficit calf raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step, with your heels hanging off the edge.
• Slowly lower your heels below the level of the step, feeling a stretch through your calves.
• Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible, squeezing your calves at the top.
• Lower your heels slowly and with control, keeping a slight bend in your knees.

1B. Hamstring bridge march

Sets: 3 Reps: 6 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels on the floor.
• Engage your core and push through your heels to lift your hips off the floor until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Keeping your hips level, slowly lift one foot, bringing your knee toward your chest.
• Lower your foot back down and repeat on the opposite side, alternating legs while keeping your hips stable throughout.

1C. Wall sit

Sets: 3 Time: 60sec Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your back against a wall and your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, positioned slightly in front of you.
• Step your feet away from the wall to slowly slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your knees are bent to 90°.
• Engage your core and hold this position, keeping your knees in line with your toes and breathing steadily throughout.

2A. Dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 12 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding a dumbbell in one or both hands.
• Shift your weight onto your left leg.
• Hinge forward from your hips, lifting your right leg behind you and lowering your torso and the dumbbell, keeping your hips square to the floor.
• Stop when you feel a stretch through your supporting hamstring.
• Drive your hips forwards to return to the starting position, keeping your core engaged and movement controlled.

2B. Dumbbell split squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with one foot in front of you and one behind you, with your left foot in line with your left hip and your right foot in line with your right hip, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Engage your core and bend both knees to lower, keeping your torso upright.
• Lower until your back knee is just above the floor, keeping your front knee tracking in line with your toes.
• Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
• Complete all the reps on one side before switching legs.

3A. Push-up

Sets: 3 Reps: As many as possible with good form Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, then step each foot back so your body is in a straight line from head to heels—this is your starting position.
• Engage your core and glutes.
• Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest, keeping your elbows angled slightly backwards rather than flaring straight out to the sides.
• Push through your palms to straighten your arms and return to the starting position.
• Complete as many controlled reps as possible while maintaining good technique.

3B. Single-arm dumbbell push press

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder height.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your knees slightly to dip down, keeping your torso upright and heels planted.
• Drive powerfully through your legs, generating momentum to help press the dumbbell overhead, fully extending your arm.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell back to shoulder height with control.
• Complete all the reps on one side before switching sides.

3C. Single-arm dumbbell row

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your left foot in front of you, in line with your left hip, and your right foot behind you, in line with your right hip, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Hinge your torso forward from your hips and place your left hand on your left thigh for support.
• Engage your core.
• Lift the dumbbell towards your right hip, bending and lifting your elbow so it brushes past your torso, squeezing your shoulders together.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position, allowing a controlled stretch through your upper back before repeating.

4A. Side plank hip lift

Sets: 3 Reps: 12 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your right side with your right elbow directly underneath your right shoulder and your legs extended, and your left foot on top of your right.
• Engage your core and lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from your head to your feet.
• Slowly lower your hips towards the floor without fully relaxing, keeping your core engaged and shoulders active.
• Complete all the reps on one side before switching sides.

4B. Plank dumbbell pull-through

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Start in a high plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and a dumbbell on the floor inside your left hand.
• Engage your core and glutes.
• Keeping your hips level and your body in a straight line, pick up the dumbbell in your right hand and move it to the right side.
• Place your hand back on the floor and repeat with the opposite arm, avoiding twisting or rocking your hips.

4C. Dumbbell sit-up

Sets: 3 Reps: 12 Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in front of your chest in both hands.
• Engage your core.
• Slowly lift your upper body until your torso is vertical.
• Slowly lower your torso back towards the floor with control, keeping tension in your abdominal muscles.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2026 took place in Culver City, California, on Sunday night and it saw some of the world’s biggest models and celebrities take to the stage. It featured the longest-serving Victoria’s Secret Angel—which is how the brand describes their signature models—Adriana Lima.

Lima, 45, has always been dedicated to working out—in 2023 she shared footage of her boxing to show support for Amanda Nunes ahead of Nunes’ UFC bout.

In the last 24 hours, her trainer Walter Savage shared a post on Instagram with some of the exact moves he used to get Lima ready for Sunday night’s show, and they’re surprisingly simple.

What is Adriana Lima’s workout routine?

The workout routine Savage shared consists of dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. They include:

• Biceps curls
• Straight-leg kickbacks with ankle weights
• Push-ups
• Triceps dips
• Single-arm bent-over rows

Savage doesn’t specify whether this is just part of Lima’s workout, or the entire thing, but we can assume this is an upper-body-focused workout and that the model does a separate routine to train her legs. However, the moves she is doing here are surprisingly simple and beginner-friendly, much more so than the exercises revealed in Jessica Biel’s Matchbox workout last week.

You might be surprised that someone who has been training seriously for more than 20 years chooses such basic moves, but according to Laura Johnson—a master trainer at 1Rebel who just launched their strength-focused Reshape Reps classes—simple workouts are often the most effective.

“The basics are the basics for a reason,” she says. “Curls, press-ups, dips and rows work every major muscle in your upper body, and because there's nothing complicated to think about, all your attention can focus on control, tempo and form.”

“These four moves cover pushing and pulling, so the front and back of your upper body both get worked, ensuring nothing gets left behind,” Johnson continues. “If you keep progressing them with more reps, a slower tempo or a harder variation, they’ll keep working for you, whatever your level.”

As someone who has been going to the gym for many years, I’ve always, perhaps unfairly, assumed that home workouts aren’t quite as effective as gym workouts.

However, I recently moved to a new area and I haven’t been able to find a gym I enjoy training at, so I’ve switched to home dumbbell workouts and I’ve been surprised by how much progress I’ve made.

But, working out at home means you don’t necessarily have the variety of equipment that you get at the gym. So, I asked personal trainer Pippa Sealey to put together a workout that mimics a varied gym-based workout with just a pair of dumbbells.

How to do this home dumbbell workout

“This workout allows you to increase the intensity at home by adding more sets, reps and a more challenging tempo,” Sealey explains. You’ll notice that as well as sets and reps, two of the exercises include tempo advice, which refers to how many seconds you should spend on each section of the move.

For example, if the tempo of a squat is 3111, that means you should spend three seconds lowering, one second at the bottom of the movement, one second to stand up and one second at the top of the movement.

Focusing on tempo can increase the time your muscles are under tension, which is a great way to help promote muscle growth, replicating the type of stimulus you achieve in the gym with a heavier weight.

This workout also incorporates supersets, which means you do two exercises back-to-back with no rest. “Adding in supersets is a good way of adding intensity at home,” says Sealey.

Complete all the reps of exercise A, then all the reps of exercise B to complete one superset. Continue until all the sets are complete, then move onto the next pair of exercises.

1A. Deficit calf raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step, with your heels hanging off the edge.
• Slowly lower your heels below the level of the step, feeling a stretch through your calves.
• Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible, squeezing your calves at the top.
• Lower your heels back down slowly and with control, keeping your legs straight without locking your knees.

1B. Single-leg bridge

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Engage your core and lift your left foot off the floor.
• Push through the heel of your right foot to lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from shoulders to your right knee.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top, making sure your hips are level and you’re not arching your lower back.
• Slowly lower your hips to the floor.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

2A. Dumbbell goblet squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 12-15 Tempo: 3111 Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Hold a dumbbell vertically against your chest with both hands, keeping your elbows close to your body and your feet approximately shoulder-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower, keeping your chest upright, until your hips are at knee height or lower—take three seconds to complete this movement.
• Pause for one second, keeping your heels planted and your knees directly above your feet and pointing in the same direction as your toes.
• Push through your feet to stand upright, taking one second to complete the movement.
• Pause for one second and squeeze your glutes.

2B. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Sets: 4 Reps: 10–12 Tempo: 3111 Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your knees slightly bent.
• Push your hips backwards to lower the dumbbells, keeping them close to your legs and maintaining a neutral spine, stopping when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings—take three seconds to complete this movement.
• Pause for one second.
• Drive your hips forwards to return to standing, taking one second to complete the movement.
• Pause for one second and squeeze your glutes.

3A. Half-kneeling single-arm dumbbell press

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Start in a half-kneeling position with your left knee on the floor and your right foot flat on the floor in front of you, with both knees bent to 90°.
• Hold a dumbbell at shoulder height in your left hand.
• Engage your core.
• Press the dumbbell overhead, avoiding leaning backwards, arching your lower back or letting your ribs flare.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell back to shoulder height with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

3B. Dumbbell reverse lunge

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Step one foot backwards and bend both knees to 90° to lower.
• Keep your chest upright, core engaged and your front knee tracking in line with your toes.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides, or alternate sides with each rep to make it more difficult to maintain your balance.

4A. Dumbbell side bend

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 each side Rest: 0sec

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand by your right side.
• Engage your core.
• Slowly bend from your waist to the right side, lowering the dumbbell down the outside of your leg.
• Lower only as far as you can comfortably without twisting your torso or leaning forward.
• Use your obliques (the muscles on the sides of your torso) to lift your torso back to an upright position, moving slowly and with control.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

4B. Dumbbell dead bug pull-over

Sets: 3 Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back, holding one dumbbell securely with both hands above your chest with your knees bent at 90° and legs raised with your knees directly above your hips.
• Engage your core and gently press your lower back into the floor, keeping your ribs down throughout the movement.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell overhead while extending and lowering one leg, maintaining tension through your core.
• Return to the starting position with control, then repeat with the opposite leg, alternating legs with each rep.

Shop adjustable dumbbells

To get a gym-like experience at home without taking over a spare room with a weight rack, it’s a good idea to buy a pair of adjustable dumbbells, which allow you to add or subtract plates from one set of handles. Here is our top three picks from our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells.

There is plenty of expert advice and evidence backing the need for strength training as we age—particularly for women in midlife. The importance of developing and maintaining power, though, is often overlooked.

“When we talk about power in exercise, we’re talking about the ability to produce force quickly,” explains Kylie Hansen, a NASM-certified personal trainer and coach at Busy Bariatrics.

“That means being able to use your strength at speed—a skill that matters when you need to catch yourself after a trip or move quickly to regain your balance.” It also helps you move rapidly when you need to, like dodging people on a busy sidewalk.

“This becomes particularly important as we get older because the muscle fibers that help us produce quick, powerful movements can decline with age and inactivity,” she says.

Training power might sound intimidating, but you don’t need to start with big jumps or complicated lifts.

“For beginners, we can take familiar movements, use appropriate modifications and focus on moving with control and intent in a safe manner,” says Hansen.

Below, Hansen shares three exercises for producing force quickly, plus a core stability move to complement them.

How to do the four-move power workout

Complete two or three sets of each exercise, then move on to the next exercise. Rest for 60–90 seconds between sets.

Hansen says that the aim is quality reps, rather than pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion.

“Power drops as fatigue builds,” says Hansen, “so I’d rather see someone perform a small number of crisp, purposeful repetitions, take adequate rest, and repeat them well than turn these exercises into a high-repetition cardio workout.”

1. Burpee

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees to place your hands on the floor in front of your feet.
• Step or jump your feet back into a high plank, engaging your core to keep your body in a straight line.
• Step or jump your feet back in toward your hands.
• Return to standing and reach your arms overhead with a small jump.

Modification: Step back instead of jumping your feet back, and/or rise onto your toes instead of jumping vertically.

How it helps train power: “The burpee uses the whole body and there’s lots of room to adjust the intensity,” says Hansen. “A beginner can step through the movement, while someone more experienced can move faster with a jump at the end. When performed explosively, it requires your body to produce force quickly while coordinating the upper and lower body.”

2. Squat jump

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees to sit your hips back and lower your buttocks, keeping your chest upright.
• Push firmly through your feet and swing your arms up to propel you into a vertical jump.
• Land softly, allowing your hips and knees to bend to absorb the impact.

Modification: Rise onto your toes instead of jumping.

How it trains power: “Squat jumps introduce lower-body power using a movement most people will already recognize,” explains Hansen.

3. Squat to upright row

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 Rest: 60-90sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells in front of your thighs.
• Bend your knees to sit your hips back and lower your buttocks, keeping your chest upright.
• Push firmly through your feet to stand upright and use the momentum generated to pull the dumbbells toward your chest as you rise, moving your elbows up and out to the sides.
• Lower the weights with control.

How it trains power: “This movement combines lower and upper-body movement, so you have to coordinate them at once,” says Hansen.

4. Plank dumbbell pull-through

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6 each side Rest: 60-90sec

• Start in a high plank with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in a straight line from head to heels and your feet apart for stability, with a dumbbell on the floor on the inside of your left hand.
• Engage your core to keep your hips as stable.
• Use your right hand to move the dumbbell to your right side.
• Repeat on the other side.

Make it easier: Perform the movement from your knees.

How it supports the workout: “This exercise is slightly different from the explosive lower-body exercises—the challenge comes from quickly creating stability as your base of support changes,” says Hansen.

This move challenges your core to keep your hips and torso steady as you shift your weight onto one arm to move the dumbbell across the floor. It complements the explosive exercises by training stability and control.

You’ve probably heard about the importance of strength training as you age—it’s one of the most effective ways to preserve muscle mass and bone density.

However, lifting heavy weights isn’t the only thing you should be focusing on for your long-term health, according to Antonietta Vicario, chief training officer at PVOLVE.

To boost your longevity, you should also incorporate exercises that actively challenge your stability and balance.

“As we age, maintaining stability becomes increasingly important because it supports our ability to move through life with confidence and control,” Vicario explains.

“Balance and stability aren't just fitness skills. They're part of maintaining independence and continuing to do the things we love, increasing our healthspan.”

To build better stability, Vicario recommends mixing up your routine with exercises that require your core to keep you steady while other parts of your body are in motion.

“You’re asking your muscles and joints to create strength and control while your position is changing,” she says.

“Your deep core and smaller stabilizing muscles have to communicate with the rest of the body to keep you centered, aligned, and in control.”

One prime example is the leg flutter: lying on your back with your legs extended and torso lifted, you flutter your feet up and down.

While it looks simple, it’s surprisingly hard for your core muscles to stabilize your body and prevent your torso from rocking side-to-side.

To bolster your balance, you need to do unilateral work, like single-leg deadlifts or lunges.

Combined, these styles of exercises strengthen your core muscles and train them to stabilize you when your balance is tested.

Vicario has created a workout that contains both types of moves, so you can hone these skills at home.

All you’ll need is two dumbbells—a lighter option and a slightly heavier weight—along with 20 minutes of free time.

I always tell my clients they don’t need to spend hours at a gym to get a good workout.

In fact, one of my go-to routines takes just 10 minutes and only requires a single dumbbell.

On days when my schedule is packed, I use this sequence to target my legs, arms, back and core.

It’s a circuit workout, which means you’ll do one set of reps for each exercise before moving on to the next. Perform all the exercises to complete one round of the circuit.

I always aim to do two rounds, but you can do more rounds if you have the time.

1. Single-arm bent-over row

Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Engage your core muscles, hinge from the hips and lean your torso forward until your back is nearly parallel to the floor.
• Squeeze your right shoulder blade and pull the dumbbell toward your hip.
• Pause briefly when the dumbbell is near your hip.
• Lower the dumbbell with control.
• Complete all the repetitions, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Use your other hand to brace yourself on a chair, table, or other solid surface. You can also place one foot in front of the other and place your hand on your thigh for support. Avoid rounding your spine or allowing your lower back to arch excessively. Relax the shoulders and keep the elbow close to your body as you lift the dumbbell.

2. Goblet squat

Reps: 10

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell by one of its ends with both hands.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
• Pause briefly.
• Push through your heels to stand.

Trainer tips: Push your hips back before bending the knees. If you’re a beginner, place a chair behind you and aim your hips towards the seat. Keep your spine straight and avoid leaning forward excessively. If you are leaning forward, use a lighter weight or practice the move without a dumbbell. Don’t let your knees cave in as you stand up, and keep your heels on the floor throughout the movement.

3. Dumbbell halo

Reps: 10 each direction

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell by each end in front of your chest.
• Engage your core muscles and move the dumbbell towards your right shoulder.
• Circle the dumbbell behind your head, bringing it to your left shoulder.
• Bring the dumbbell back to your chest.
• Continue circling the dumbbell in this direction 10 times, then repeat in the other direction.

Trainer tips: Keep the dumbbell as close to your body as possible. Avoid letting your elbows splay out to the side as you take the dumbbell behind your head. Keep your core engaged throughout.

4. Dumbbell woodchop

Reps: 10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the shaft of a dumbbell in both hands.
• Engage your core muscles, hinge at the hips slightly as you bring the dumbbell to the outside of your left hip.
• Drive your hips forward and swing the dumbbell above your right shoulder.
• Hinge your hips behind you as you bring the dumbbell back to the left hip.
• Continue for 10 repetitions, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Stay in control of the movement at all times, and avoid letting momentum take over. Keep your spine straight and don’t let your back round or arch excessively.

GLP-1 medications are an integral part of many people’s weight-loss journeys.

One of those is NASM-certified personal trainer Kylie Hansen.

“I’ve had bariatric surgery, I currently use a GLP-1 and I’m a personal trainer and nutrition coach,” Hansen tells Fit&Well.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned through my own weight-loss journey is that seeing the scale go down and building a strong, healthy body are not the same thing.

“At this point in my journey, I’m much less interested in exercising just to burn calories or make the scale move. I want muscle.”

She adds that she sees muscle as an insurance policy that allows her to live an active life.

“I want to be strong, capable and able to continue doing the things I love as I get older.”

Hansen favors dumbbell workouts and strength training with machines at the gym, as the added stability gives her the confidence to lift heavier weights.

“I’ve had spinal surgery, and I find that dumbbells allow me to move in a way that feels more natural for my body,” she says.

“I don’t believe there is one perfect way to strength train,” says Hansen.

“Find movements that work for your body, start where you are and give yourself opportunities to get stronger. These are three movements I personally love.”

1. Goblet squat
2. Walking lunge
3. Dumbbell punch

1. Goblet squat

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest with both hands.
• Brace your core and keep your chest upright.
• Bend your knees and lower your hips as low as comfortable, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
• Push through your feet to extend your legs and return to standing.

Why Hansen recommends this exercise: “Squats train a lot of muscles in one movement, particularly the quads and glutes, while also involving the hamstrings, core and other muscles that help stabilize the body,” says Hansen.

“If I had to choose one movement, squats would definitely be on my list because there is so much you can do with them.

“You can do a sit-to-stand from a chair, a bodyweight squat, goblet squat, sumo squat, heel-raised squat, close-stance squat—the list goes on.

“I love that because you can meet yourself where you are instead of thinking you have to perform a certain version of an exercise for it to count.

“Maybe today your squat is simply getting out of a chair without using your hands. That's still something worth working on.

“Eventually that might become a bodyweight squat. Then maybe you hold a dumbbell.

“Over time, you can gradually challenge yourself with more resistance or a variation that's appropriate for you.”

2. Walking lunge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-10 each side Rest: 60-90sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and take a step forward with one foot.
• Bend both knees, lower your back knee toward the floor.
• Push through your front foot to bring yourself forward, stepping directly into the next step with your opposite leg leading.
• Continue alternating legs until all reps are completed.

Form tip: Keep your leading foot stable, your torso stable and chest upright.

Make it easier: If walking lunges aren't comfortable or you're still wobbly, perform a supported or stationary lunge.

Make it harder: Hold dumbbells if you're ready for more.

Why Hansen recommends this exercise: “I love walking lunges because they challenge each side of your body independently,” says Hansen.

“They also require balance, coordination and control while building lower-body strength.

“Walking lunges work the quads and glutes while also involving the hamstrings, calves and core.”

3. Dumbbell punch

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec Rest: 45-60sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent and your core engaged.
• Hold a pair of light dumbbells in front of your shoulders.
• Drive one arm forward in a controlled motion, without locking your elbow.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
• Continue alternating while maintaining control.

Form tip: Keep your core engaged throughout the movement and avoid using momentum to throw the weights around.

Why Hansen recommends this exercise: “This one might not be the first exercise people think of when they hear strength training, but I love it because movement doesn't always need to feel intimidating,” says Hansen.

“Not every exercise has to be complicated. Especially for someone who is just beginning to exercise or coming back to it after a long time. I think there's value in finding movement you actually enjoy doing.

“Sometimes picking up a couple of very light dumbbells and moving can help someone begin seeing themselves as a person who exercises.

“I would use this as a lighter resistance movement rather than treating it as a replacement for progressively loaded strength exercises like squats, lunges, presses or rows.”

“Light dumbbell punches involve the shoulders and arms while your core stabilizes your body as your arms alternate.”

Hansen’s tips for exercising on GLP-1s

You’ve got the GLP-1, you’ve got the workout; you’re sorted, right? Maybe not.

Hansen found that her relationship with motivation changed dramatically while on GLP-1 medication.

“The medication helps me eat less, so the scale can move without me feeling like I'm doing a tremendous amount of extra work,” she explains, “and my brain says, ‘Oh, I don't need to do anything!’ That's where I have to challenge myself.”

She adds that weight loss and building a healthier body aren't necessarily the same thing.

“I still have to decide to exercise. I still have to think about my nutrition. I still have to work on the habits I want to have long after losing weight stops being my immediate goal,” she says.

“A GLP-1 doesn't strength train for me. It doesn't build my habits for me. That's still my job.”

“Whether you're taking a GLP-1, you've had bariatric surgery, or neither applies to you, your mind is one of the most powerful tools you have.

“We have to learn to recognize and challenge the thought patterns that either move us toward the person we want to become or keep us stuck where we are.”

Many of my personal training clients over age 60 are unable to get down to the floor. That prevents us from doing traditional core exercises like crunches, sit-ups, or planks.

Luckily, my favorite deep core moves are done while standing upright, anyway.

Training your abs and wider core muscles while standing can improve your balance, help you maintain good posture, and make everyday activities easier. These moves can also be quite challenging, even if you’re relatively strong and fit.

That’s why I give the following standing core exercises to both my younger clients and seniors alike.

How to do the workout

You’ll need a pair of moderately heavy dumbbells for this workout. The right weight will allow you to do all of the reps in a set without needing to rest, but leave you feeling fatigued by the end of your set.

Start by doing one set of each exercise, and progress to three sets as you get stronger. I’d suggest doing this workout for a minimum of three times a week to see progress.

These exercises are doable for most, but if you’re a beginner, consider meeting with a certified personal trainer for guidance on proper form.

1. Farmer’s carry

Sets: 1-3 Time: 20-30sec

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Walk for 10-15 seconds.
• Turn around and walk in the opposite direction for 10-15 seconds.

Trainer tips: Keep your spine extended and your chest up throughout the exercise. Don’t let your body tilt to one side as you walk.

2. Dumbbell woodchop

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 10-12 each side

• Stand holding a dumbbell.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Hinge at your hips, push your buttocks back behind you and bring the dumbbell to your left side.
• Drive your hips forward and swing the dumbbell above your right shoulder.
• Bring the dumbbell back to your left side.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Stay in control of the swing motion at all times and avoid letting momentum take over.

3. Overhead march

Sets: 1-3 Reps: 10-12 each side

• Stand holding dumbbells.
• Engage your core and lift the dumbbells overhead, extending your arms.
• Lift your left knee to hip height, bending it to 90°, and hold it in this position for one second.
• Lower your left foot to the floor.
• Repeat the movement with your right knee.
• Continue alternating knee lifts, aiming for 10-12 reps on each side.

Trainer tips: Don’t let your lower back arch excessively. If you find that happening, use lighter dumbbells or practice the exercise unweighted. Avoid rushing and keep the dumbbells aligned with your shoulders throughout the movement.

My 73-year-old dad has always been active, but he’s recently neglected his strength work. He cares for my mother, who has Parkinson’s, so he ends up with little time for himself.

But at his age, maintaining and building strength is vital.

As we get older, muscle mass naturally declines, joints become stiffer and reduced grip strength impacts everyday activities.

Maintaining these things takes work. So with my personal trainer hat on, I stepped in with a plan.

I bought him a rack of light-to-medium dumbbells and refreshed his memory on proper form—how to hold a weight close to your chest, how to engage your core, and the importance of maintaining an upright position when lifting weights.

We spent a few weeks focusing solely on bodyweight movements, practicing good technique for the squat, hip hinge, lunge and pushing movements.

Given his limited time, I suggested focusing on three essential moves to build functional, full-body strength and maintain his mobility: the dumbbell goblet squat, dumbbell row and dumbbell overhead press.

Here’s how to do them and why they’re so effective.

1. Dumbbell goblet squat

Why it’s important: This functional exercise mimics moves everyone does daily—standing up from a chair, getting off the toilet or bending down to pick something up. Practicing it improves strength, balance and stability. The weight adds resistance, helping to strengthen bones and muscles in your glutes, legs and core.

How to do it:

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outward slightly and a dumbbell held vertically at your chest.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor or lower.
• Keep your chest upright, core engaged and knees out, over your toes, not caving in.
• Push through your heels to return to standing.

Make it easier: Perform a bodyweight squat until you build the confidence and strength to add weight. For extra support, use a chair for a sit-to-stand exercise.

2. Single-arm dumbbell row

Why it’s important: This move builds your back and strengthens the pulling action everyone needs in everyday life (think picking your bags up from the floor). It also helps to counteract the forward-leaning tendency that’s common with older age. Rows also strengthen your shoulders, which can help protect them from injury.

How to do it:

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand with the other hand on a sturdy surface beside you.
• Hinge at your hips, keeping a slight bend in your knees, lowering your torso to a 45° angle. Keep your back flat and your core engaged.
• Pull the weight toward your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blade at the top of the movement.
• Lower with control.

Make it easier: Perform this kneeling on one knee for more stability.

3. Dumbbell overhead press

Why it’s important: Reaching for shelves, lifting objects and even dressing involve overhead pressing power. Doing this move will also improve your core strength and shoulder health.

How to do it:

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your shoulders—palms facing your ears.
• Engage your core, keep your chest upright and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Push the weights overhead.
• Pause briefly at the top, arms extended.
• Lower the weight back to your shoulders.

Make it easier: Perform a seated overhead press on a sturdy chair with back support. Or focus on using one arm at a time if bilateral pressing is too challenging.

Make it harder: Use a heavier weight if you’re comfortable and make it a push press instead of a strict press. The knee bend and leg drive in a push press will generate more power, allowing you to lift more weight overhead.

Most of my personal training clients have work and family commitments that make it hard to find time to exercise.

For those days when a workout seems impossible, I suggest this 15-minute routine full of compound movements that target the upper body, lower body, and core.

It’s a circuit-style workout, which means you’ll repeat each exercise 12 times before moving on to the next one. Once you’ve done all the exercises, repeat the routine from the beginning.

If you’ve just started to work out regularly, this routine may take you a bit longer than 15 minutes. That’s okay—move at a comfortable pace and rest as needed.

As you build strength and endurance, challenge yourself to rest for shorter periods and move at a quicker tempo.

Don’t sacrifice your form for speed, though. Be sure you’re doing each exercise correctly. Improper form can lead to muscle imbalance, pain and injury.

These exercises should feel challenging, but never cause sharp pain. If at any point you feel pain beyond muscle fatigue, stop immediately and check in with your doctor.

1. Dumbbell squat to press

Sets: 3 Reps: 12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Engage your core.
• Bring the dumbbells to shoulder level.
• Hinge your hips behind you, as if you were about to sit down, and bend your knees to lower into a squat.
• Pause briefly when your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Stand and extend your arms overhead to raise the dumbbells.
• Bring the dumbbells back to shoulder level and repeat.

Trainer tips: Avoid rounding the spine or letting your torso lean forward. If you notice either of those things happening, choose a lighter dumbbell.

2. Dumbbell deadlift to row

Sets: 3 Reps: 12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs.
• Bend your knees slightly.
• Hinge forward from your hips and lower your dumbbells to the floor, keeping your arms extended.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift the dumbbells to your hips.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower the dumbbells back to the floor.
• Squeeze your glutes and stand.

Trainer tips: Keep your spine neutral and aim to bring your torso parallel with the floor. Don’t allow your shoulders to shrug as you lift the weights toward the hips. If you’re a beginner, practice the deadlift portion of the exercise without weights first to master the proper form.

3. Dumbbell lateral lunge to curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and core engaged, holding a dumbbell in each hand near your thighs.
• Step your right foot to the side.
• Bend your right knee and lower your hips toward the floor, keeping your left leg straight. Keep your arms extended so the dumbbells lower toward the floor.
• Push off your right foot and return to standing.
• Bend your elbows and lift the dumbbells to your shoulders.
• Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
• Step your left foot to the side.
• Bend your left knee and lower your hips toward the floor, keeping your right leg straight.
• Push off your left foot and return to standing.
• Bend your elbows and lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
• That’s one repetition.

Trainer tips: Don’t let your torso lean forward excessively, and don’t allow your back to round or arch. Hinge your hips behind you as you bend the knee. Keep your elbows drawn in toward your ribcage as you lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders.

4. Dumbbell glute bridge to chest press

Sets: 3 Reps: 12

• Lie on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your elbows resting on the floor and the dumbbells elevated.
• Engage your core and lift your hips off the mat.
• Extend your arms and press the dumbbells toward the ceiling.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower the dumbbells.
• Continue for 12 repetitions, then lower your hips.

Trainer tips: If you’re a beginner, lower your hips back to the mat between each repetition. Avoid any excessive arching in your lower back. Keep the glutes engaged throughout the set and aim the dumbbells directly above the shoulders.

In my 15 years as a certified personal trainer, I’ve worked with lots of clients who can’t easily get onto the floor.

Most assume core workouts are off-limits because of this, but some of my favorite abdominal exercises can be done standing up.

Standing core moves challenge your stability and balance, while building the strength you need to protect your spine and improve your posture.

This 15-minute standing core workout is beneficial for everyone—all you need to do it is a moderately heavy dumbbell.

How to do the 15-minute standing core workout

This workout is structured as a circuit, meaning you’ll do one exercise for the given number of repetitions, rest briefly, and then move on to the next exercise.

Once you’ve finished one circuit of the exercises, start over from the beginning.

Aim to do three full circuits, but adjust this to suit your fitness level.

You should feel muscle fatigue at the end of every set, but never sharp pain. If you do feel pain, stop the workout immediately and consult your doctor.

1. Reverse woodchop

Reps: 10-12 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in your hands.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Bend your knees slightly, hinge forward from your hips, and bring the dumbbell to your left side.
• Swing the dumbbell above your right shoulder, keeping your arms straight.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower the dumbbell back to your left side.
• Complete 10-12 reps, and then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout. Stay in control of the movement and don’t let momentum take over.

2. Weighted overhead march

Reps: 10-12 marches for each arm

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and raise it overhead.
• Engage your core muscles.
• Lift your left knee to 90°.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your left foot to the floor.
• Lift your right knee to 90°.
• Pause briefly.
• Lower your right foot to the floor.
• Continue alternating, completing 10-12 marches overall, then repeat the exercise while holding the dumbbell in your left hand.

Trainer tips: Keep the dumbbell aligned with your shoulder. Avoid rushing through the movement—stay balanced on one foot for several seconds before dropping it back down. Keep your shoulder blades engaged and your back straight.

3. Wall plank

Time: 15-30sec

• Stand facing a bare section of wall.
• Step back about six inches.
• Engage your core.
• Lean forward and place your forearms against the wall.
• Keep your body in a diagonal line, from your head to your feet.
• Hold in this position for 15-30 seconds.

Trainer tips: The further away you are from the wall, the harder the exercise will be. Don’t let your hips hinge behind you or sink towards the wall.

4. Weighted side bend

Reps: 10-12 each side

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.
• Engage your core.
• Place your right hand behind your head.
• Lower the dumbbell toward the floor, bending your torso to the left.
• Pause briefly, then rise and bend your torso to the right.
• Continue for 10-12 reps, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Don’t allow the torso to twist out of alignment. Keep your hips and shoulders square throughout the exercise.

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.

Personal trainers often talk about correcting imbalances, because identifying a weakness on one side of your body when performing an exercise, then correcting it, can reduce the risk of injury. But what does that actually look like in practice?

That’s exactly the topic addressed in the Arnold’s Pump Club newsletter with a unilateral dumbbell workout.

Designed to “find your weakness”, the five-move workout alternates between a one-sided lower- and upper-body lift, then another one-sided move for the core.

Working one side of your body at a time, the editors of Pump Cub write, “will make it harder to avoid your strength imbalances, meaning you’ll know what you need to work on if you want to become stronger and more durable.”

I think it’s a fantastic workout for everyone to try, but it requires two sets of dumbbells, which many people don’t have, so I’ve offered an alternative approach for people who only have a pair of medium dumbbells to hand.

Once you’ve used the workout to identify any imbalances, I also have a suggestion for how to use the same workout to fix those imbalances over time.

How to do the workout

In the original workout (scroll to the bottom of this Pump Club newsletter to read it) the first of two circuits is performed doing 10 reps with the lighter dumbbells, while the second circuit is performed doing 5 reps with heavier dumbbells.

Going lighter, then heavier will help you “better understand whether the imbalance applies to muscular endurance, strength or both,” the editors write.

If you only have one set of medium-heavy dumbbells, as I do, aim for 12-15 reps for the lower-body lifts and 8-10 reps for the upper-body moves in the first round.

On the second round, do 5 reps, then finish with an isometric hold—pausing for five seconds halfway through the rep—to test your joint stability and control.

Here’s how to do my revised version, followed by form guides.

Circuit 1

Do two rounds of the following.

1. Single-leg Romanian deadlift (left side)
2. Single-arm overhead press (right side)
3. Single-leg Romanian deadlift (right side)
4. Single-arm overhead press (left side)

Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Reps: 12-15; 5, plus 5-10sec hold

How to do it:

• Hold the dumbbell in your right hand and keep your left foot planted.
• Hinge forward at the hips to lower your torso and the dumbbell and lift your right leg behind you.
• On the second round, pause at this lowest point with the greatest tension in the hamstrings of your standing leg.
• After five to 10 seconds, drive your hips forward to return to the start.

Single-arm overhead press

Reps: 12-15; 5, plus 5-10sec hold

How to do it:

• Stand holding a dumbbell in your right hand by your right shoulder.
• Extend your arm to press the dumbbell straight up.
• On the second round, pause with the weight at its highest point, keeping your ribs down, your biceps close to your ear and core engaged.
• After five to 10 seconds, lower the weight under control to complete the rep.

Block 2

Do two rounds of the following.

1. Bulgarian split squat (left side)
2. Single-arm row (right side)
3. Bulgarian split squat (right side)
4. Single-arm row (left side)

Bulgarian split squat

Reps: 12-15; 5, plus 5-10sec hold

How to do it:

• Holding a dumbbell or dumbbells, place the top of your right foot on a bench behind you.
• Bend your left knee to lower.
• On the second round, pause at this lowest point with the greatest tension in the quadriceps of your standing leg.
• After five to 10 seconds, push through your left foot to return to the starting position.

Single-arm row

Reps: 12-15; 5, plus 5-10sec hold

How to do it:

• Support your weight with your left hand on a bench and hold a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Create a stable base between your supported hand and feet.
• Lift the dumbbell to your right hip.
• On the second round, pause with the weight at its highest point, focusing on keeping the dumbbell tucked close to your hip and back muscles retracted and engaged.
• After five to 10 seconds, lower the weight under control to complete the rep.

Block 3

Do two rounds of the following.

1. Suitcase carry (left side)
2. Suitcase carry (right side)

Suitcase carry

Time: 40sec each side

• Stand holding a dumbbell in your left hand by your left side, with your back flat and chest facing forward.
• Walk forward, or in a figure of eight if space is limited, for 40 seconds.
• Concentrate on keeping your body upright and not allowing the weight to pull you over to one side.

What to do if you identify an imbalance

If you do identify an imbalance with an exercise, the best course of action is to work on rebuilding your strength with your weaker side as the baseline.

That will mean doing fewer reps than you can manage on your stronger side while the weaker side catches up, but that will eventually allow you to progress your strength on both sides evenly.

For example, if you can manage 10 overhead press reps on your right arm but only eight on your left, next time you perform the workout aim for eight reps on both sides.

Stick with that for a week, repeating the workout once or twice, then next week aim for nine reps each side. The following week, go for 10, or increase the weight fractionally.

That gradual progression will help rebuild your strength evenly, ensuring one side of your body isn’t compensating for the other, thereby lowering the risk of injury over time.

Increasing the distance of your run or hike every time you work out is rarely the smartest way to become a better runner or hiker.

Best case scenario, you’ll hit a plateau where your fitness stalls. Worst case, your body will break down from overuse.

A safer bet, according to personal trainer, ultramarathon runner and realbuzz ambassador Sam Tomlinson, is to strengthen the muscles and joints that help propel you from A to B.

“Running alone can develop excellent endurance, but it rarely provides enough resistance to build the strength and control needed to tolerate higher mileage and tougher terrain,” he tells Fit&Well.

Instead, Tomlinson has come to rely on a set of common lower-body strength exercises that can be performed with a set of dumbbells and a mini band, at home or in the gym.

“I recently completed my strongest ultra to date, and being consistent with this type of leg strength work played a major part in how well my body handled the demands of the event,” he says, referring to the 100km and 6,500m elevation of Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB he covered in 26 hours.

Even if you don't have the same gargantuan challenge ahead of you, regularly performing this workout should make your lower body more resilient when you next run or hike.

The six-move workout he swears by includes bilateral exercises like squats and Romanian deadlifts that are powered by the larger muscles around the hips and thighs.

It also features unilateral moves like the reverse lunge and single-leg bridge that train the body to “repeatedly absorb and produce force through one leg at a time”.

Banded lateral walks make an appearance, strengthening muscles around the outside of your hips, which help control the position of your knee and pelvis when your foot lands, and which can become compromised with fatigue.

And the final exercise is the calf raise, given that “the calves and Achilles tendon absorb and return a large amount of force during every stride”.

Here’s how to try Tomlinson’s session yourself.

How to do this lower-body strength workout for runners

Tomlinson's six-move lower-body workout is split into three blocks of two moves each.

Perform each block three times, completing exercise A and B back to back and resting a minute or two between blocks.

Tomlinson says the full routine should take around 25 to 35 minutes and is best performed on a running rest day or after a short, easy run to keep your legs fresh.

Start off by performing it once a week, gradually increasing that to twice a week as your strength and recovery improve, while slowly increasing the weights to ensure progression.

1A. Heel elevated goblet squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

• Hold one dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest, cupped in both hands.
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your heels on the edge of a weight plate or sturdy hardback book.
• Turn your feet slightly outward and lower into a squat to a comfortable depth.
• Keep your torso upright, resisting the pull of the weight forward.
• Drive through your heels to stand without letting your knees cave in.

Make it easier: Perform a bodyweight squat to a bench or box behind you.

Make it harder: Increase the dumbbell load or pause at the bottom of each repetition.

1B. Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs and a slight bend in your knees.
• Push your hips back to lower the dumbbells, keeping them close to your legs, and your back flat and shoulders engaged.
• Pause when you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.
• Push your hips forward as you return to standing.

Make it easier: Use one lighter dumbbell held in both hands.

Make it harder: Increase the load or perform a staggered stance Romanian deadlift with one foot back and heel slightly lifted to target one leg more than the other.

2A. Reverse lunge

Sets: 3 Reps: 8 each side

• Stand with your feet close and your hands on your hips for balance.
• Take a big step back with one foot and lower your back knee toward the floor.
• Keep your torso upright rather than collapsing over your front foot.
• Maintain a 90° angle in your front knee aligned over your foot.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing.
• Alternate sides with each rep.

Make it easier: Hold onto a wall or stable surface for balance. Reduce the depth of how far you lower your back knee.

Make it harder: Hold dumbbells by your sides to increase the load.

2B. Single-leg calf raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-15 each side

• Stand beside a wall or stable surface for balance if needed.
• Raise one foot, hovering it off the floor.
• Press through the ball of your standing foot to raise your heel.
• Lower slowly to lightly tap your heel on the floor and repeat.
• Complete all reps on one side, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Perform the movement with both feet then progress to single leg.

Make it harder: Hold a dumbbell or perform the movement from the edge of a step so you increase how far your heel drops with each rep.

3A. Single-leg hip thrust

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 10 each side

• Sit with a weight bench or couch behind you.
• Prop up onto your arms with your support roughly across your shoulder blades.
• Raise your left foot off the floor, moving from your hip.
• Press through your right foot to raise your hips until you form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause and squeeze your right glute.
• Lower your hips back to the floor with control.
• Complete all reps on one side, rest for a few breaths, then switch sides.

Make it easier: Remove the raised platform, performing a glute bridge with your shoulders on the floor instead.

Make it harder: Hold a weight across your hips or slow down the lowering phase of each rep to increase the time your muscles are under tension.

3B. Banded lateral walk

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 20-25 each side

• Stand with a mini resistance band round the balls of your feet.
• Take controlled steps to your side, avoiding your knees collapsing inward.
• Keep your feet facing forward, chest up and a slight bend in your knees.
• If space is limited, perform five reps one way, then five the other until you’ve completed all the reps.

Make it easier: Use a lighter resistance band or reduce the number of steps.

Make it harder: Use a heavier resistance band.

A strong core is the foundation of our day-to-day movement, but building core strength is about more than endless planks, crunches or sit-ups.

“Not all core exercises are created equal,” says Courtney Goldate, strength director and lead personal trainer at Lionheart Gym & Wellness, who favors standing moves.

“With standing ab exercises, the core is forced to build strength in a more natural position,” she explains. “It focuses on movements we do daily.”

Goldate’s three-move standing ab routine mimics movements we perform as part of our everyday lives, from carrying groceries to reaching up to a high shelf.

“These exercises stabilize the spine and transfer force while the rest of the body moves,” she explains. “Other benefits include more total core activation, a challenge to balance and proprioception [your body’s sense of where it is in space], and better bracing.”

With minimal equipment needed, it’s also an easy routine to do at home.

“The core needs counterweight to challenge its engagement,” Goldate explains. “For this workout, you will need two equal-weight dumbbells or kettlebells, or you can use household items such as buckets, water jugs or tins of equal weight.”

How to do the standing ab workout

Goldate recommends doing the standing ab workout two to three times a week.

You can do it as a standalone workout or stack it onto another strength workout as an ab finisher.

Here’s an overview of the workout, followed by explanations of how to do each exercise.

1. Farmer carry
2. Overhead march
3. Suitcase carry

1. Farmer’s carry

Sets: 3-4 Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding weights by your sides, ensuring your ribcage is directly above your hips.
• Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Walk forward, ensuring your feet remain hip-width apart as you move—imagine walking on train tracks, not a tightrope.

2. Overhead march

Sets: 3-4 Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Hold weights overhead, with your arms extended.
• Engage your core, and tuck your pelvis so your ribcage and hips are stacked on top of each other.
• Exhale as you lift and bend your right knee towards your chest, moving slowly and with control.
• Inhale as you return your right foot to the floor.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Suitcase carry

Sets: 3-4 Time: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one weight by your side, ensuring your ribcage is directly above your hips.
• Engage your core and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Walk forward, keeping your torso from pulling toward the weighted side.

Lifting weights is one of the best ways to future-proof your body against injury and the physical effects of aging. That’s because adults lose between 3% and 8% of their muscle mass each decade after they reach 30.

Weightlifting can help combat this muscle loss, which is why Holly Fivian founded Holsm, a strength workout platform for midlife women.

If you’re completely new to exercise, Fivian recommends starting with bodyweight movements to help you get used to fundamental movement patterns like squats, push-ups and lunges. But if you’ve tried these movements before, adding a couple of dumbbells to your workouts could make all the difference.

“Once these movement patterns become habitual and you know what good form looks and feels like, you can start playing around with movement,” Fivian explains.

“You can add heavier weights, change your arm or hand position, try different squat, hinge, push, pull and lunge variations or change your tempo or range of movement.

“This is where training becomes fun.”

Below, Fivian has shared the dumbbell workout she always starts beginners with. Choose a pair of medium dumbbells and give it a go.

Holly Fivian’s beginner dumbbell workout

Fivian’s workout consists of five moves:

1. Goblet squat: 3 x 30sec
2. Romanian deadlift: 3 x 30sec
3. Lunge: 3 x 30sec
4. Chest press: 3 x 30sec
5. Bent-over row: 3 x 30sec

Workout timer

Form guides

1. Goblet squat

Sets: 3 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Cup the top head of a vertical dumbbell in both hands, holding it in front of your chest.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outwards.
• Engage your core.
• Inhale as you push your hips back and down, and bend your knees, keeping your weight through your heels and gently pushing your knees outwards so they stay in line with your toes.
• Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to return to standing, exhaling through pursed lips.

Trainer tip: “Think: knees gently out, heels grounded, glutes on.”

2. Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, with your palms facing you and a slight bend in your knees.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back, allowing the dumbbells to lower close to your legs as your torso tips forwards. Keep your head in line with your spine and maintain a long, strong back.
• Stop when you feel a stretch through the backs of your thighs, then exhale and drive your hips forwards and squeeze your glutes to return to standing.

Trainer tip: “This is a hinge rather than a squat. Think about sending the hips backwards.”

3. Lunge

Sets: 3 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Cup the top head of a vertical dumbbell in both hands, holding it in front of your chest.
• Stand tall and engage your core.
• Step forwards (or backwards if that feels more comfortable) and bend both knees to lower, maintaining an upright posture and keeping your front knee tracking over your foot, rather than allowing it to collapse inwards.
• Push through your heel to return to standing, exhaling through pursed lips.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tip: “Use a wall or chair for additional stability if needed.”

4. Dumbbell chest press

Sets: 3 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Lie on your back holding dumbbells next to your chest, with your elbows bent to 90° and upper arms resting on the floor.
• Engage your core.
• Press the dumbbells straight up, extending your arms and exhaling through pursed lips.
• Lower the weights slowly and with control as you inhale.

Trainer tip: “Engage the core by tucking the ribs and the pelvis before pressing the dumbbells overhead.”

5. Bent-over dumbbell row

Sets: 3 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing you and a slight bend in your knees.
• Push your hips back, allowing the dumbbells to lower close to your legs as your torso tips forwards—this is your starting position.
• Exhale as you lift the weights to your torso, drawing your elbows backwards towards your mid-back or hips, rather than towards the ceiling.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells as you inhale, keeping your torso still and avoiding shrugging your shoulders.

Trainer tip: “Keep your head in line with your spine, shoulders away from your ears and torso strong and still. The movement comes from your arms and back, not from swinging your body to get the weights up.”

Pilates is great if you want to improve your mobility, posture and core strength

But as you age, Rebecca Daodun, Pilates instructor and founder of Pilates Prescription, says another type of workout is also needed.

Daodun recently qualified as a strength trainer, alongside her Pilates practice, because she realized that weight training is important if you want to age well.

“Perimenopause can start as young as 35 and we may not even have symptoms but our estrogen levels and hormones are fluctuating, while we're also losing muscle mass and bone density,” says Daodun.

“Strength training—lifting something heavy—is one of the only ways to counter that.”

Daodun has found that combining strength training with Pilates is the ideal approach.

Pilates helps you build and maintain strength through your core and the smaller stabilizing muscles, while lifting weights targets larger muscle groups like your glutes (buttocks), legs and shoulders.

“Pilates is going to stop you getting injured, but strength training is going to build your bones and muscles,” she says.

Below, Daodun has shared four dumbbell exercises for beginners. They can complement your Pilates training by helping you build full-body strength.

Four beginner dumbbell exercises to complement Pilates

1. Weighted Pilates bridge

Reps: 8-12

• Lie on your back with knees bent and your feet flat on the floor hip-width apart.
• Place a dumbbell across your hips and hold it in place.
• Press through your feet to raise your hips, engaging your core and squeezing your glutes.
• Pause briefly, while keeping the dumbbell stable and avoiding over arching your lower back.
• Slowly lower your hips.

2. Dumbbell squat

Reps: 8-12

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees and pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower.
• Keep your chest upright and core engaged.
• Drive through your feet to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.

3. Dumbbell forward lunge

Reps: 8-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Step one foot forward, lower your back knee toward the floor, keeping your front knee at a 90° angle over your ankle.
• Push through your front foot to return to standing and repeat on the other side.

4. Dumbbell floor press

Reps: 8-12

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Hold dumbbells with your elbows bent at 90° and your upper arms on the floor roughly 45° from your torso, palms facing forward.
• Press the dumbbells over your chest.
• Lower and repeat.

When you have minimal time to exercise, it's important to have a routine that's both effective and easy to remember.

That way, you can jump straight into your workout the second you're free.

If you're currently on the hunt for something that ticks those boxes, try this upper body routine from Ani Oksayan, personal trainer and vice president of fitness at Chuze Fitness.

It's designed to be approachable, easy to follow, and simple to repeat.

“These five foundational exercises target the biceps, triceps and shoulders—the muscles responsible for many of the pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying movements we perform every day,” she says.

There is a particular order you must follow for this workout, so don’t switch it up.

“By alternating muscle groups, you can keep moving while one area recovers, making the workout both efficient and effective,” Oksayan explains.

Five exercises for stronger arms

1. Biceps curl
2. Overhead triceps extension
3. Lateral raise
4. Hammer curl
5. Triceps kickback

“Choose a weight that makes the final two or three repetitions feel challenging while allowing you to maintain proper form,” says Oksayan.

“Quality movement will always produce better long-term results than lifting heavier with poor technique.

1. Biceps curl

Primary muscles: Biceps and forearms

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, holding dumbbells.
• Bring your arms to your sides, palms facing forward.
• Lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders without swinging your torso.
• Pause briefly at the top, squeezing your biceps.
• Slowly lower back to the starting position with control.

Form tips:

• Focus on controlling the lowering phase slowly, without letting the weights drop, to work your muscles in both directions.
• Keep your elbows tucked close to your body throughout the movement

2. Overhead triceps extension

Primary muscles: Triceps

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, holding a dumbbell vertically with both hands cupped around the top.
• Raise the dumbbell overhead, arms extended straight.
• Slowly bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head, as far as comfortable.
• Raise the weight back overhead, fully extending your arms.

Form tips:

• Keep your upper arms as stable as possible—the movement should come from your elbows, not your shoulders.
• Keep your elbows pointed forward and close to your ears.

3. Lateral raise

Primary muscles: Middle deltoids

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, core engaged, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing inward.
• Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise both arms out to your sides to shoulder height.
• Slowly lower the weights back to your sides.

Form tips:

• Focus on control, not momentum, and avoid swinging the weights.
• Avoid shrugging your shoulders toward your ears at the top of the movement.

4. Hammer curl

Primary muscles: Biceps, brachialis and forearms

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing inward (neutral grip).
• Bend your elbows to lift the weights toward your shoulders.
• Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat.

Form tip:

• A neutral grip helps strengthen your biceps and the muscles that support grip strength for everyday lifting and movement.
• Keep your elbows close to your torso.

5. Triceps kickback

Primary muscles: Triceps

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 60sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells.
• Hinge forward from your hips so your torso is almost parallel with the floor, while keeping your back flat and core engaged.
• Bend your elbows to roughly 90°, keeping your upper arms close to your torso.
• Extend your arms straight behind you.
• Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Form tips:

• Avoid swinging the weights.
• Think about extending through your elbows and squeezing the back of your arms with every repetition.

While sitting is a normal part of life, spending long periods in the same position can leave your body feeling achy and stiff, and may even compromise how it functions.

Slouching on the sofa and hunching over your screen of choice can also contribute to neck and back pain.

While no one move can fix poor posture from prolonged sitting, strengthening the muscles around your shoulders and upper back can help you hold an upright posture for longer, so you feel less stiff (although it’s still important to take regular movement breaks).

This workout features five moves to target those muscles. So if you feel like a curled-up prawn after a day at your desk, this workout is for you.

How to do this workout

Perform each of the five exercises below for 40 seconds, taking 20 seconds between exercises to get set up for the next move and to rest. Perform all five exercises to complete one round. Perform four rounds in total.

1. Bent-over rear delt flye
2. Dumb waiter to Y-raise
3. Arnold press
4. Arm circles
5. Bent-over row to triceps kickback

1. Bent-over rear delt fly

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a slight bend in your knees, holding a dumbbell in each hand down by your sides, palms facing inward.
• Hinge at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor, keeping your back flat and core engaged.
• Raise both arms out to the sides to shoulder level, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, pausing briefly at the top of the move.
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back to start position.
• Avoid using momentum to lift the weights.

How it helps: Strengthens the muscles around the back of your shoulders and shoulder blades, helping counter the rounded-shoulder position many people slip into when working at a desk.

2. Waiter to Y-raise

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and core engaged.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent at 90° in contact with your waist, forearms extended in front, palms facing up and dumbbells touching.
• Rotate your forearms outward as far as possible. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
• Press the weights to a 45° angle, creating a Y-shape with your arms.
• Pause briefly at the top then slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position.

How it helps: Stretches your chest and strengthens your lower trapezius muscles, which help control shoulder blade movement. Improves overhead shoulder mobility and encourages better movement through your shoulder blades, helping to reduce stiffness around your shoulders and neck.

3. Arnold press

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Sit or stand holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your face, palms facing you and elbows bent at 90°.
• Rotate your arms out to your sides so your palms are facing forward, then press the weights overhead, extending your arms fully.
• Pause briefly at the top then reverse the move with control.

How it helps: Improves shoulder mobility and strengthens the muscles that support good posture. Moves your shoulders through a wide range of motion, helping counter the fixed positions of desk work.

4. Arm circles

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a light weight in each hand.
• Raise your arms out to your sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
• Rotate your arms backward making small circles.
• Every 10 seconds pause and rotate in the opposite direction.

How it helps: Improves shoulder mobility and increases blood flow to the muscles around your shoulders and upper back.

5. Bent-over row to triceps kickback

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing.
• Engage your core.
• Hinge forward from your hips and push your hips back to lower your torso to a 45° angle, keeping a slight bend in your knees.
• Lift the dumbbells toward your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blades at the top of the movement, keeping your arms tucked close to your body.
• Extend your arms fully behind you, straightening them at the elbows.
• Slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position.

How it helps: This move strengthens your upper-back muscles that help support an upright posture and encourages you to keep your core braced as you work through the movement. The kickback strengthens your triceps, the muscles on the back of your upper arms, which helps improve shoulder alignment

If you want to build strength in your arms at home, it’s hard to beat dumbbell exercises. Get yourself a pair of dumbbells and because you can work each arm individually, you will address any strength imbalances in your arms—a surprisingly common occurrence.

Personal trainer Stevie Griffin has just launched a new program on the workout app Ladder, featuring dumbbell-only workouts so I took the opportunity to ask her for her top three dumbbell moves for toning your arms.

“Together they hit the shoulder and both sides of the arm for a balanced, strong result, and they’re all easy to learn and load progressively,” she says.

“The shoulder press builds strong, capable shoulders and hits the triceps too, so you get a lot of upper-body payoff from one move, and it translates directly into everyday life, like lifting things overhead.

“Skull crushers isolate the triceps, which make up about two-thirds of your upper arm, so if you want that toned, defined look on the back of the arm, this is the move that gets you there.

“Lateral raises build the side of the shoulder, which creates that lean, capped shape that makes the whole arm look sculpted.”

Here’s how to do each move in Griffin’s routine.

1. Shoulder press

Sets: 2-4 Reps: 8-15

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing forward.
• Engage your core.
• Press the weights overhead until your arms are extended, but don’t lock out your elbows and avoid hunching your shoulders.
• Lower the weights slowly back to the start.

2. Skull crusher

Sets: 2-4 Reps: 8-15

How to do it:

• Lie on your back on a weight bench with your feet flat on the floor.
• Hold the dumbbells directly above your chest with your arms straight.
• Keeping your upper arms stable, bend your elbows to lower the weights behind you until they reach the tops of your shoulders.
• Extend your arms straight to return to the starting position.
• Avoid swinging your upper arms, maintaining control throughout the movement.

3. Lateral raise

Sets: 2-4 Reps: 8-15

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Raise the dumbbells out to the sides to shoulder height, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
• Lower the weights slowly and with control, avoiding swinging or using momentum.

What weights are best for beginners?

One of the most common questions trainers on the internet get asked is what weights they use, but the answer to that will almost always be different to the weight you should use.

According to Griffin, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Your dumbbell weight will also depend on the move and the muscles it uses—you might find you can lift more in a shoulder press than a lateral raise.

“The biggest thing I want people to understand is that it isn’t about picking a certain weight, it’s about choosing a weight that’s challenging for you,” Griffin says.

“My rule of thumb is that the last two or three reps of every set should feel challenging while still allowing you to maintain great form. If you finish your set and feel like you could have done another eight to 10 reps, it's probably time to increase the weight.”

It’s also worth keeping in mind that the weight you use should probably be adjusted for each exercise. For instance, you might find you can lift more in a shoulder press than a lateral raise.

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.

1. Side lunge
2. Reverse lunge
3. Sumo squat
4. 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.

Muscular imbalances are a fact of life. Unless you’re truly ambidextrous (mixed-handed), you probably have a dominant side that you rely on more than the other.

While imbalances are common, they can become a problem. If your body has to compensate for the imbalance, it might lead to injury with increased strain on muscles, joints and tendons on the side that works harder.

It may also limit your ability to strength train, with your weaker side holding your stronger side back during bilateral movements.

One of the best ways of tackling muscular imbalances is through unilateral movements.

If you complete all reps on your weaker side first and match them with your stronger side, you can work toward reducing muscle imbalances in the long term, according to Richard Bennett, strength and conditioning coach and owner of Calibre Performance.

He has shared the following two upper-body exercises, which he encourages you to incorporate into your regular workout routine.

As always, consult a physical therapist or healthcare provider for individualised advice and if you think a muscular imbalance may be impacting your daily life or training.

1. Dumbbell row

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

“This exercise makes it harder for your dominant arm to take over the movement, as it might with a bilateral row.”

“The main muscles trained are the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius and rear deltoids,” says Bennett. “The biceps and forearm muscles assist, while the trunk works to maintain a neutral position.”

“The supported position reduces the amount of lower-back fatigue, which can be useful when rowing is programmed alongside squats and hinges.”

How to do it:

• Place your left knee and left hand on a weight bench, with your right foot firmly on the floor.
• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with your arm extended.
• Maintain a neutral spine and engage your shoulders and hips so they remain stable against the pull of the weight.
• Pull your right elbow toward your hip, lifting the dumbbell to your ribs.
• Lower with control until your arm is fully extended.
• Complete all your repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

2. Single-arm dumbbell bench press

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 each side Rest: 60-90sec

“This exercise engages your pectoralis major, anterior deltoid and triceps. Your trunk stabilizers work to prevent your body from rotating toward the loaded side,” says Bennett.

“As the resistance is only on one side, your trunk must prevent rotation while your upper body produces force. This gives the exercise an additional stability demand.”

How to do it:

• Lie on a weight bench holding a dumbbell in your left hand by your left shoulder, with your feet flat on the floor.
• Have your right arm extended out to your side in the air for counterbalance.
• Engage your core, pressing your lower back into the bench.
• Extend your arm straight up to press the dumbbell overhead.
• Bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell with control, avoiding any rotation in your body.
• Pause at the bottom of the movement, maintaining tension in your balancing arm.
• Complete all your repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Form tip:

• Keep your elbow roughly 30-45° away from your torso rather than flaring it directly sideways.

If you’re someone who lifts weights regularly, you might assume that working out with 1lb or 2lb weights would be too easy. But a workout known as barre will prove you wrong.

Barre is a mix of ballet, Pilates and yoga, and one of its unique features is how it targets the small, stabilising muscles, and it’s ability to develop your muscular endurance, strength, stability and balance.

“I love barre arms because they’re sneakily challenging,” says instructor Tara Riley, explaining that barre uses light weights to challenge endurance.

“If you look at ballet dancers, their arms are always so beautifully placed, and they effortlessly hold them up,” Riley says, “but if you’ve ever actually held your arms out to the sides for longer than a couple of minutes—it’s tough.”

Below, she’s shared a barre arms workout that will challenge you even if you only have access to 1lb or 2lb weights. In fact, Riley advises against going any heavier.

“You’re going to start to lose your form if you lift too heavy,” Riley says. “I’d rather you tire the muscle and work the endurance of the muscle.”

“There are so many exercises we can do with heavy weights—these are not those exercises,” she adds.

Tara Riley’s barre arm workout

1. Rotating arm press

Reps: 8 each side

• Stand holding dumbbells, with your feet wider than hip-width apart, with your toes pointing outwards.
• With your upper arms touching your torso, bend your elbows to 90°, lifting the dumbbells in front of you.
• Keeping your upper arms connected to your torso, externally rotate your shoulders to move your forearms out to the sides with your palms facing up.
• Bend your knees to lower into second position plié, keeping your torso upright—this is your starting position.
• Extend one arm out to the side and rotate through the shoulder, so that your palm faces behind you.
• Reverse the movement back to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Try an extra challenge:

• Move both arms at once and extend your knees to rise.

2. Row to triceps kickback

Reps: 16

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart,holding dumbbells with your palms facing.
• Bend your elbows to lift your forearms so they point forward—this is your starting position.
• Pull your elbows slightly behind your torso, then extend your elbow to point your forearms behind you.
• Reverse the movements back to the starting position.

Try an extra challenge:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down, so your hips are at knee height.
• From this position, complete the row and triceps kickback exercise, then stand up to complete one rep.

3. Ab curl with chest opener

Reps: 16

• Sit upright on a mat holding dumbbells, with a Pilates ball behind your glutes, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Bend your elbows to 90°, lift your forearms to vertical and bring your arms together.
• Lean back onto the ball and open your arms out to the sides, so they're in a cactus shape.
• Bring your arms back in front of your face and raise your torso back to the starting position.

Try an extra challenge:

• Lean back and hold this position.
• Open your arms out to the sides and pulse your arms an inch up, and then an inch down, 16 times.

4. First position lateral raise

• Stand with your heels together and your feet turned outwards (this is first position), holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing forward and a slight bend in your elbows.
• Raise your arms in front of you to shoulder height, keeping a slight bend at your elbows.
• Lower with control.

Try an extra challenge:

• Lift your heels as you raise your arms, then lower your heels in sync with your arms.
• Lift your heels off the floor and hold this position. Raise your arms and pulse them up an inch and down an inch 16 times.

Upper-body strength has never been high on my priority list.

I’m more of a legs, glutes and core girl—give me a squat over a biceps curl any day of the week.

That was until I moved house twice in the space of three months. I realized that strong arms and shoulders would have been pretty useful for unpacking boxes, scrubbing dirty floors and putting heavy items away in those high-up kitchen cupboards.

Since then, I’ve been a little more interested in arm workouts, particularly the quick and functional kind.

So, this 20-minute arm workout, designed for Fit&Well by NASM-certified personal trainer Rosie Borchert, is just the thing for me.

“This quick dumbbell workout targets the biceps, triceps and forearms—with some love for the shoulders too,” says Borchert, who works with REP fitness.

“Building muscle here supports daily movements like carrying, pushing, lifting, pulling and opening that stubborn pasta sauce jar.”

How to do the 20-minute upper-body workout

“We’re working in a hypertrophy rep range for this workout, which means you’ll choose a moderate weight that you can control through a higher rep range,” Borchert says.

1. Farmer’s walk

Sets: 3 Time: 45sec Rest: 30-45sec

“This is a full-body exercise that targets the forearms, trapezius and core, and also improves grip strength,” explains Borchert.

How to do it:

• Set your dumbbells at either side of your feet, which should be a little wider than hip-width apart.
• Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to pick up your dumbbells, keeping your back flat and your chest lifted.
• Grasp your dumbbells, then extend your hips and knees to stand up straight again, with the dumbbells held at your sides.
• Pull your shoulder blades back, engage your core and keep an upright posture as you walk forward.
• Walk for 45 seconds, changing direction where necessary.
• Then, hinge at the hips and bend your knees to lower your dumbbells back to the floor.

2. Shoulder press

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 30-45sec

“This shoulder exercise targets the deltoids, trapezius and triceps,” says Borchert.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
• Hold your dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward.
• Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
• Extend your arms to press the dumbbells overhead, making sure you don’t arch your back.
• Lower the dumbbells with control.

3. Overhead triceps extension

Sets: 3 Reps: 15 Rest: 30-45sec

Borchert explains that “this move recruits all three heads of the triceps.”

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell vertically, with both hands cupping the highest end of the dumbbell.
• Engage your core and lift the dumbbell overhead, keeping your elbows close to your ears.
• Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head, keeping your upper arms stationary.
• Extend your arms to lift the dumbbell overhead again—you should feel a little pull in the triceps at the top of the movement.

4. Biceps curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 15 Rest: 30-45sec

“Biceps curls target the biceps brachii when using a standard, supinated (palms-up) grip,” explains Borchert.

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing forward.
• Engage your core.
• Keeping your upper arms pressed against your torso, bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells toward your shoulders.
• Don’t twist your hands as you lift—keep your palms in position.
• Lower the dumbbells with control back to the start.

Beyond a basic biceps curl, I used to feel stuck on what to do when faced with the dumbbell rack, often opting for a kettlebell workout or gym machines instead.

I imagine I’m not alone in this, which is why it’s useful to have a professional share their experience on how to use dumbbells for the best results.

Luckily for you, Ngo Okafor, celebrity trainer and founder of Iconoclast Fitness, has shared a circuit that goes back to basics with three moves that cover four fundamental movement patterns—a squat, lunge, push and pull—and hit most major muscle groups.

Give it a go and let us know in the comments how you fare.

How to do the full-body dumbbell circuit

Perform three rounds of the following three exercises.

1. Squat press
2. Stationary lunge
3. Bent-over row

Rest for 10 seconds between exercises, and for 30 seconds between rounds.

1. Squat press

“The squat press is a highly efficient full-body movement that combines lower-body strength with upper-body pressing and cardiovascular conditioning,” says Okafor.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells by your shoulders.
• Engage your core.
• Push your butt back and bend your knees to lower until your hips are in line with your knees, keeping your chest upright.
• Push through your heels to stand back up, pressing the dumbbells overhead.
• Lower the weights back to your shoulders.

2. Stationary lunge

“Lunges improve unilateral strength, balance, coordination and lower-body muscular endurance,” says Okafor.

How to do it:

• Stand holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Take a large step back, adopting a staggered stance.
• Bend both knees to lower, until your rear knee is just above the floor.
• Push through your front foot to extend your legs.
• Complete all your reps on one side, then repeat on the other side.

3. Bent-over row

“Rows strengthen your posterior chain and upper back muscles, which are critical for posture, shoulder health and balanced strength development,” says Okafor.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing.
• Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back flat and shoulders retracted.
• Pull the dumbbells to your ribcage, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
• Lower the weights slowly.

While some of us would love to have the toned arms of Jennifer Aniston (my personal arm inspo celeb), training the muscles in your upper body is about more than just aesthetics.

I recently talked to a physical therapist who described the upper body as your “main interface with the physical world”, so it pays to keep it strong and functional. The PT suggested a workout for seniors to begin reclaiming upper-body muscle, but what if you’re of working age and want to invest some of your time maintaining the muscle you have?

So I asked Rosie Borchert, a NASM-certified personal trainer for REP Fitness, for a short but effective upper-body workout.

“This quick, simple workout will efficiently target the major muscle groups and get the most out of your time,” says Borchert.

“It’s an upper-body dumbbell circuit that hits your shoulders, back, biceps and triceps. I’ve also added a finisher to tax your chest,” she says.

How to do the 10-minute upper-body workout

You will need dumbbells for this workout.

Set a timer for nine minutes, then perform the first four exercises as a circuit, resting only when you need to. Borchert suggests aiming for three rounds in nine minutes, but always move with control to ensure good form. Here are the four exercises:

1. Standing shoulder press x 10
2. Bent-over row x 10
3. Overhead triceps extension x 10
4. Hammer curl x 10

For the final minute, complete as many push-ups as possible.

How to do the exercises

1. Standing shoulder press

Reps: 10

Targets: Deltoids, trapezius and triceps

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees.
• Hold dumbbells by your shoulders, with your palms facing forward.
• Keeping your chest upright, engage your core and squeeze your glutes.
• Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead, without arching your back.
• Inhale as you bring the dumbbells back to your shoulders.

Form tip: Adjust the angle of your elbows for best results—point them forward and raise them slightly rather than flaring them straight out to the sides as you press.

2. Bent-over row

Reps: 10

Targets: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids and trapezius

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells with your palms facing.
• Engage your core and hinge forward from your hips, pushing your hips back, maintaining a neutral spine throughout.
• Exhale as you lift the weight toward your ribs, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
• Inhale as you lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with control.

3. Overhead triceps extension

Reps: 10

Targets: Triceps brachii

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding one dumbbell vertically, cupping the top head of the dumbbell in both hands.
• Lift the dumbbell overhead—this is your starting position.
• Inhale as you bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head.
• Exhale as you extend your elbows, lifting the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Form tip: Keep your upper arms stationary throughout the movement.

4. Hammer curl

Reps: 10

Targets: Brachialis and brachioradialis

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing
• Engage your core and move your shoulders back and down.
• Exhale as you bend at your elbows to lift the dumbbells to your shoulders.
• Inhale as you lower the dumbbells back to the start.

Form tip: Avoid rotating your wrists.

5. Push-up finisher

Time: 1min Reps: As many as possible

Targets: Pectoralis major, triceps brachii and anterior deltoids

How to do it:

• Set your hands about shoulder-width apart on the floor, arms extended and your legs extended behind you.
• Engage your core, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
• Inhale as you bend your elbows to lower your chest to the floor, allowing your elbows to move to the sides, so your upper arms are at a 45° angle to your torso when seen from above.
• Exhale as you push yourself back to the start.

You might not notice it, but you twist (and resist twisting) your body all the time in everyday life. When you drive and reach behind you (in my case, to pass snacks to my kids in the back), carry groceries or change direction while walking, you are performing spinal rotation.

This movement helps to protect your spine and keep your muscles flexible and resilient, reducing stiffness often linked to back pain.

Adding intentional and controlled twisting into your fitness routine through rotational and anti-rotational exercises is a fantastic way to strengthen your core and protect your spine for the long term.

In the workout below, the woodchop squat trains your core to generate power through rotation, while the dumbbell press-out works the opposite way—teaching your body to resist movement (anti-rotation) and remain as stable as possible.

Master both movement patterns and you won’t just build strength, you’ll boost stability, balance and resilience in your core. Rotation and anti-rotational exercises also target the deep core—often overlooked abdominal muscles that support and stabilize your spine, protecting it from injury.

Standing abs exercises—like the ones featured in the 15-minute workout below—are effective as they engage your whole body, forcing your hips, core and even your feet to stay stable as you move.

Over time, you’ll notice the difference in how well and comfortably you move through your day.

The workout

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds (changing sides halfway through for single-sided moves), followed by 15 seconds of rest. Complete each circuit twice and take 30 seconds of rest before moving on to the next circuit.

All you need is a pair of dumbbells at moderate-light weight (3-5kg). You want to feel your core working rather than your arms taking over the move.

Circuit 1:

• Woodchop squat
• Standing oblique twist
• Cross-body punch

Circuit 2:

• Dumbbell press-out
• Stir the pot
• Overhead press and single-leg balance

Circuit 3:

• Dumbbell halo
• Squat hold and punch
• Side crunch

How to do the moves

1A. Woodchop squat

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands over your right shoulder.
• Move the weight diagonally down to your left hip, as you bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat.
• Push through your feet to return to standing, lifting the dumbbell back to your right shoulder.
• Swap sides after 15 seconds.

1B. Standing oblique twist

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands at chest height.
• Twist your torso to one side. Return to the center, then rotate to the other side.

Trainer tip: Move slowly and with control, avoiding jerky movements.

Make it harder: Perform the exercise with your arms held straight out in front of you.

1C. Cross-body punch

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding light dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing.
• Turn your torso to the left and punch your right arm across your body to your left side.
• Then turn your torso to the right and punch your left arm across to your right side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

2A. Dumbbell press-out

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the weight with both hands horizontally at your chest.
• Extend your arms forward at shoulder height.
• Bring the dumbbell back to your chest.
• Continue at pace.

2B. Stir the pot

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the handle of a dumbbell in both hands, so the dumbbell is vertical.
• Move the dumbbell out to the left and forward, then back and to the right, keeping it at shoulder height and drawing an imaginary circle with the dumbbell.
• Change direction halfway through the set.

2C. Overhead press and single-leg balance

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in your right hand over your shoulder.
• Extend your right arm to press the weight overhead.
• Bend your left knee and raise it up to hip height, lifting your left arm out to the left side or placing it on your hip to balance.
• Hold for time, then switch sides.

3A. Dumbbell halo

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell horizontally in both hands just above your head.
• Slowly circle it around your head.
• Change direction halfway through the set, or alternate directions after each repetition.

3B. Squat hold and punch

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding light dumbbells in front of your chest.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as close as your mobility allows.
• Holding this squat position throughout, turn your torso to the right and punch your left arm across your body to your right side.
• Return to the center, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tip: This move is more challenging than in circuit one as you’re holding a squat position throughout, challenging your core and leg muscles to maintain your balance.

3C. Side bend

Sets: 2 Time: 30sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Moving from your hips, bend to the left, lowering the dumbbell in your left hand down your left side, feeling a stretch in your left side.
• Using the muscles on the right side of your torso, straighten back up, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

In January, model and endurance athlete Kori Sampson swept to victory in the debut season of Trainer Games—a six-episode reality competition to crown the next iFIT trainer.

Described as the world’s toughest job interview, the London fitness professional prevailed, reaching a mountaintop summit ahead of his rivals.

Speaking to Fit&Well, the newly minted iFIT trainer credited his background in long-distance running and ultramarathons for his success.

But, he says, a solid grounding in strength training was also essential—and he’s shared a comprehensive full-body workout that he says will build resilience, strength and injury-preventing muscle.

“Although my main sport is running and ultrarunning, I like to train like I’m bodybuilding in the gym, which was my first love,” he says.

“I believe [resistance training] is essential for maintaining muscle and strength, especially while training for races.”

Sampson says he typically completes one push, one pull and one legs workout every week, and he’s digested this down into an efficient seven-move routine when short on time, or tapering for a race, he uses this seven-move routine for maintenance.

How to do the workout

Before getting started, Sampson recommends preparing the body with dynamic movements that will replicate the exercises detailed in the main session.

For example, this could include performing 30-45 seconds of bodyweight squats, good mornings, single-leg deadlifts, push-ups and bent-over rows with light dumbbells.

The workout detailed below begins with two supersets, meaning you should perform exercises A and B back-to-back with minimal rest.

Sampson uses a descending rep range from 12 to six for each of these exercises, ensuring adequate volume and intensity to encourage muscle and strength gains.

For these, perform one warm-up set with a light weight, then pick a weight that allows you to perform 12 reps with good form. Increase the weight slightly and perform 10 reps. Do the same again for eight reps, and again for six.

You should be able to hit these rep targets but not perform many more reps at each weight to ensure it is challenging enough for your ability.

“For beginners, I’d really focus on form over weight,” he adds, stressing the importance of performing each exercise with good technique, reducing the weight you lift if necessary.

The workout concludes with a tri-set of dumbbell exercises, targeting the shoulders, triceps and biceps. As with the superset, perform these moves back-to-back, then rest and repeat.

1A. Dumbbell squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 12-10-8-6 Rest: 0sec

• Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, toes pointing slightly out, holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing.
• Brace your core and keep your chest facing forward as you sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower.
• Keep your weight centered over your mid-foot, your heels down, your knees wide apart and your back in a neutral position to avoid rounding or over-arching.
• Descend as far as you can while keeping your heels on the floor.
• Push the floor away through your heels and mid-foot to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.

1B. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift

Sets: 4 Reps: 12-10-8-6 Rest: 60sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
• Engage your core and slightly retract your shoulder blades to brace your upper back muscles.
• Keep your back neutral as you hinge at the hips and push your butt back to lower the weights along your legs.
• Only lower as far as you can while keeping your back flat and keep your gaze on the floor in front of you rather than looking straight ahead.
• Reverse the movement by driving your hips forward to straighten up, finishing the rep by squeezing your glutes, but avoiding leaning back at full extension.

2A. Dumbbell bench press

Sets: 4 Reps: 12-10-8-6 Rest: 0sec

• Lie on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand beside your chest, palms facing toward your feet.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor and back imprinted into the bench.
• Inhale, then as you exhale, powerfully press the weights above you.
• Pause, then slowly lower the weights with control to the start position.

2B. Dumbbell bent-over row

Sets: 4 Reps: 12-10-8-6 Rest: 60sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing.
• Engage your core and slightly retract your shoulder blades to brace your upper back muscles.
• Keep your back neutral as you hinge at the hips to lower the weights down your legs.
• Your legs—and in particular your hamstrings—should be working to maintain a stable position, rather than your lower back.
• Lift the dumbbells to your torso, squeezing your back muscles at the top of the lift.
• Pause for a second, then lower the weights under control.
• If you feel tightness building up in your lower back, straighten up, reset and then resume the set.

3A. Dumbbell lateral raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 0sec

• Hold a relatively light pair of dumbbells by your sides, palms facing each other.
• Brace your core, then raise the weights out to the sides to shoulder height.
• At the top of the lift, slightly tilt the front of the dumbbell down to fully target the lateral deltoids in your shoulders.
• Lower the weights with control.

3B. Dumbbell skull crusher

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 0sec

• Lie on a bench holding dumbbells above the top of your head, with your arms extended.
• Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows to slowly lower the dumbbells to either side of your face.
• Extend your arms back to the start position, using the triceps in the back of your upper arms to power the movement.

3C. Dumbbell biceps curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 10 Rest: 60sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing forward.
• Keeping your upper arms pinned to your torso, bend your elbows to lift the dumbbells to your shoulders.
• Pause and squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the lift, then lower the dumbbells to the start position under control.

Of all the exercise techniques I use when training clients (and myself), slowing down the movements is one of my favorites. And I’m not the only fan.

“Tempo training is excellent because it increases time under tension,” says Steven Chung, physical therapist at VSI Spine Solutions in Reston, Virginia.

“Slowing down your reps—especially during the eccentric lowering phase—forces your muscles to work longer per rep, which is a major driver of muscle growth (hypertrophy) and strength.”

Chung explains that this approach also helps to improve technique and control. “Intentionally slowing down means you can’t rely on momentum to do the move,” he tells Fit&Well.

“This exposes your weak points, and it also forces you to maintain good positioning, ultimately cleaning up movement quality.”

It is also an effective way to strengthen weak spots in the body. “Tempo training puts the emphasis on the hardest part of a movement—for example, the bottom of a squat—which helps to build strength where you’re typically weakest,” adds Chung.

Does that sound appealing? Chung suggests starting with the following five exercises and explains how to incorporate tempo training when doing them.

Tempo training workout for beginners

Chung has chosen “compound, functional movements that we perform on a day-to-day basis.” You will need dumbbells for some of the moves. The five exercises are:

1. Goblet squat
2. Push-up
3. Split squat
4. Romanian deadlift
5. Floor press

“Squatting mimics daily tasks like sitting, standing and lifting heavy objects. The push-up and dumbbell floor press target the chest, shoulders, triceps and core, which mimics daily tasks like pushing doors open.

“Split squats mimic the unilateral (single-sided) nature of running, sprinting and jumping, helping people improve performance in these areas. They also mimic the daily task of kneeling down to tie your shoe or to get to a lower cabinet.

“Romanian deadlifts require proper hip-hinge movement, which improves the mechanics and efficiency when lifting heavy items.”

Chung suggests employing a 3-2-1 tempo. To put that into practice:

• Take 3 seconds to lower: this part of the exercise is known as the eccentric phase, where the muscle lengthens under tension.
• Pause for 2 seconds: this part of the exercise is known as the isometric phase, the static pause between the muscle lengthening and shortening.
• Take 1 second to lift: this part of the exercise is known as the concentric phase, when the muscle is shortening.

Chung suggests aiming for between three and five sets, with six to eight reps in each set, and a one to two minute rest break between sets.

Start at the lowest end of the range, then gradually add more reps or sets over subsequent workouts as you get stronger.

1. Goblet squat

Sets: 3-5 Reps: 6-8 Rest: 1-2min

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out, holding a weight against your chest with both hands.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, keeping your back straight, chest facing forward, and knees aligned over your toes.
• Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as close as your mobility allows.
• Push through your feet to stand upright.

2. Push-up

Sets: 3-5 Reps: 6-8 Rest: 1-2min

• Begin on all fours, placing your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Step your feet back one at a time so your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Engage your core and squeeze your glutes to maintain this position, ensuring your hips don’t sag or pike throughout the movement.
• Inhale as you bend your elbows to lower. Seen from above, your upper arms should form a 45° angle with your torso.
• Pause when your nose is just above the floor.
• Exhale as you push through your palms to extend your arms and return to the starting position.

3. Split squat

Sets: 3-5 Reps: 6-8 Rest: 1-2min

• Stand with one foot in front of the other, about shoulder-width apart, with your rear foot on your toes.
• Engage your core.
• Bend both knees to lower your hips straight down, keeping your chest facing forward.
• Pause when your rear knee is just above the floor. Your front knee should be directly above your front ankle.
• Push through your front foot to rise back to the starting position.

4. Romanian deadlift

Sets: 3-5 Reps: 6-8 Rest: 1-2min

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back to lower the dumbbells down your thighs, keeping your back flat.
• Pause when you feel a stretch in the back of your thighs.
• Squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to lift the dumbbells back to the start.

5. Floor press

Sets: 3-5 Reps: 6-8 Rest: 1-2min

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells above your chest with your arms extended, palms facing toward your feet.
• Engage your core.
• Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells.
• Pause when your upper arms are just above the floor.
• Extend your arms to lift the dumbbells back to the start.

Light dumbbells are one of the most convenient pieces of home workout equipment, but you may feel like you quickly outgrow them.

However, there are plenty of ways to use light weights so they still pose a challenge, such as this workout by Pilates instructor Bianca Wise, who recently launched a workout series on ALO Wellness Club.

“This program uses classic Pilates precision with circuit-style training,” Wise tells Fit&Well.

“The beginner-friendly workout builds strength, improves coordination and elevates your heart rate in under 15 minutes.”

Below, she’s shared a workout inspired by the programme.

Bianca Wise’s 15-minute dumbbell workout

The workout is a mix of bodyweight moves and light weight exercises, although all moves can be done without weights if required.

You’ll need a mat and a pair of light dumbbells: 3lb (1kg) hand weights are ideal, but you can even use a couple of water bottles or food cans if you don’t have dumbbells at home.

Start with Wise’s quick warm-up, then do two rounds of circuit one, followed by two rounds of circuit two.

Complete each of the moves for 45 seconds before moving straight onto the next move, taking a short rest between rounds as needed. Finish with Wise’s cool-down.

The workout should take around 15 minutes to complete, depending on how long you rest for between circuits.

Warm-up

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a few deep breaths in.
• Slowly roll down through the spine, letting your head and arms hang heavy toward the floor. Bend your knees as needed.
• Roll back up one vertebra at a time.
• Repeat five times.
• Finish with 10 gentle arm circles in each direction.

Circuit one

Complete each move for 45 seconds, moving straight onto the next move. Complete the entire circuit twice, taking rests between rounds as needed.

1. Modified reverse burpee

Time: 45sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart at the top of a mat.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to sit on the mat, placing your hands on the floor behind you.
• Roll back onto your upper back and shoulders.
• Roll back up to standing and jump straight up.

2. Downward dog to plank

Time: 45sec

• Start in a high plank position, on your hands and toes, with your legs extended, shoulders directly above your wrists, and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
• Push back through your hands and lift your hips, keeping a soft bend in the knees, so your body is in an inverted-V shape.
• Slowly shift forward back to a high plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists.
• Alternate between these two positions.

3. Kneeling push up

Time: 45sec

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands just wider than shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from head to knees.
• Engage your core, then bend your elbows to lower your chest.
• Extend your arms to press back up to the start.

4. Kneeling arm pulse

Time: 45sec

• Kneel, holding light weights (or no weights) by your sides.
• Set your shoulders back and down.
• Move your arms backwards a few inches, then return to the start.
• Continue at pace, pulsing your arms, squeezing your triceps (the muscles on the back of your upper arms).

Circuit two

Complete each move for 45 seconds, moving straight onto the next move. Complete the entire circuit twice, taking rests between rounds as needed.

1. Standing leg kick

Time: 45sec

• Stand holding light weights by your sides (if you struggle with balance, place your hands on a wall instead of holding dumbbells).
• Shift your weight onto your right foot and slowly lift your left leg behind you.
• To make it more challenging, bend your elbows and lift your right arm in front of you and your left arm behind you in a running motion.
• Return to the starting position with control, then repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

2. Seated abs twist

Time: 45sec

• Sit on the mat with your knees bent and heels on the floor, holding a light dumbbell in both hands in front of your chest.
• Engage your core and lean your torso back to 45°.
• Extend your arms to hold the weight in front of you.
• Rotate your torso slowly from side to side, keeping your hips and knees stable and pointing forward throughout.

3. Kneeling triceps kickback

Time: 45sec

• Kneel on the mat holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back flat, and letting your elbows bend but keeping your upper arms pressed against your torso. This is your starting position.
• Extend your arms to lift the dumbbells behind you.
• Pause and squeeze your triceps.
• Slowly bend your elbows to return to the start.

4. Modified plank hold

Time: 45sec

• Lie on your front propped up on your forearms with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders.
• Engage your core and lift your hips so your body is in a straight line from head to knees. (For more of a challenge, lift your knees as well.)
• Hold this position, making sure your hips don’t rise or sag.
• Focus on your breathing and take breaks as needed.

Cool-down

• Circle your arms a few times, taking deep breaths.
• Lift your right arm, then bend your right elbow to place your right hand at the base of your neck. Gently pull your right elbow to the left with your left hand to stretch your triceps.
• Repeat on the other arm.
• Perform a few shoulder rolls in each direction.

Shop light dumbbells

When you hear the words core workout, you may feel a chill run down your spine at the thought of endless variations on abdominal crunches. Trust me, I get it.

Sometimes, for me, it’s less about the crunches and more about my reluctance to get down on a gym floor covered in other people’s footprints and who knows what else.

In these cases, unless I see someone approaching with a mop, I choose standing exercises instead.

Thankfully, there are a lot of exercises you can do to target your core using just a set of dumbbells. What’s more, you’ll hit a range of other muscle groups in the process.

The following deep core workout was designed by NASM-certified personal trainer Joe Ghafari, who runs LGBTQ+ fitness retreats with Visiting Wrld.

Give it a try, and let me know in the comments how it goes.

1. Dumbbell squat

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, resting dumbbells on your shoulders with your elbows pointing forwards.
• Brace your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Push through your heels to stand back up.
• Squeeze your glutes, then begin the next rep.

Muscles targeted: Quads, glutes, hamstrings and the transverse abdominis.

“Dumbbell squats are arguably one of the best core exercises in existence,” says Ghafari. “The weight is trying to pull your torso forward, so your deep core and lower back muscles must fire rapidly to keep your spine aligned and upright.”

2. Dumbbell hammer curl to shoulder press

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing.
• Keeping your upper arms close to your torso, bend your elbows to lift the weights to your shoulders.
• Pause briefly, then press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
• Slowly reverse the movements back to the start, keeping your body as still as possible.

Muscles targeted: Biceps, anterior and lateral deltoids and rectus abdominis.

“Pressing weight overhead shifts your center of gravity,” says Ghafari. “Your core has to act as a rigid pillar to prevent your lower back from arching.

“This exercise teaches your abdominals how to stabilize your spine under a vertical load.”

3. Dumbbell front raise and Y raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

How to do it:

• Stand holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
• Keeping your arms straight, raise the dumbbells in front of you to shoulder height, then lower them slowly.
• For the next rep, raise the dumbbells outward at a 45° angle, then lower them slowly. That’s one rep.
• Alternate between the front raise and the Y raise.

Muscles targeted: Anterior deltoids, lower traps and core stabilizers.

“As you move the weights further away from your body, the leverage changes, and the weight tries to pull you off balance,” says Ghafari.

“Your core has to fight hard to prevent your torso from swaying backward, making this a stealthy anti-extension core drill.”

4. Dumbbell side bend

Sets: 3 Reps: 12-15 each side

How to do it:

• Stand holding a relatively heavy dumbbell in your right hand, with your left fingers lightly touching your left temple.
• Keeping your chest up and shoulders square, bend to the right from your waist, sliding the dumbbell down your leg.
• Ensure you don’t lean forward or backward.
• Use the left side of your core to pull your torso back to the starting, upright position.
• Complete all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

Muscles targeted: Internal and external obliques, quadratus lumborum.

“This exercise directly targets the spine’s lateral stabilizers,” says Ghafari.

“Having strong obliques isn’t just about aesthetics; it prevents lateral shear forces on your spine during everyday activities and lifts.”

Building a strong core is probably one of the most common goals among my personal training clients.

It’s a great goal to have. Strengthening the abdominal muscles supports the spine and pelvis and helps the body move effectively with less risk of injury.

And you don’t need to spend hours doing core exercises to see results. Just 15 minutes two to three times a week is enough.

To help you meet that target, I’ve created a 15-minute dumbbell core workout. It targets every layer of the core from the deep stabilizing muscles to the visible abs, while challenging your balance and coordination.

All you need are a pair of light dumbbells, a medium or heavy dumbbell, and a mat.

How to do my 15-minute dumbbell core workout

The moves:

1. Dumbbell dead bug
2. Kneeling front raise
3. Russian twist
4. Sit-up circle
5. Plank pull-though

Do each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by a 20 second rest. Complete three sets of each exercise before moving on to the next. The workout will take 15 minutes in total.

1. Dumbbell dead bug

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back holding light dumbbells above your shoulders with your arms extended.
• Lift and bend your knees so they are directly above your hips and are bent to 90°.
• Engage your core, gently pressing your lower back into the mat.
• Slowly lower your right arm behind you while lowering and extending your left leg.
• Pause when your hand and foot are just above the floor, then return to the start with control.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Form tips: The movement should be slow and controlled. It’s important not to arch your back. If this happens, don’t lower your arm and leg so far. You can also do this move without dumbbells until you build up strength.

2. Kneeling front raise

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Kneel holding the ends of one dumbbell against your thighs.
• Engage your core and lean back until you feel some tension in your quads.
• Keeping your back straight and arms extended throughout, raise the dumbbell to shoulder height.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell to the start.

Form tips: Don’t use momentum to swing the weight up. Keep the movement slow and controlled and start with a light weight. If you can’t maintain a straight back, or you feel twinges in your back, don’t lean back until your core is stronger.

3. Russian twist

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Sit on the mat with your knees bent and heels on the floor, holding a dumbbell by the handle in both hands in front of your chest.
• Engage your core and lean your torso back slightly.
• Maintaining the angle of your torso, rotate your torso and the dumbbell to the right.
• Return to the center and continue to rotate to the left in a smooth movement.
• Continue rotating from side to side.

Form tips: Don’t round your back. Make sure you are moving your torso and not just your arms.

4. Sit-up circle

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, and your fingertips touching the sides of your head.
• Engage your core and lift your head and shoulders just off the floor and gaze at the ceiling, keeping your neck in a neutral position.
• Use your abdominal muscles to circle your head and shoulders.
• Change direction halfway through the 40 seconds.

Form tips: Don’t lift your head with your hands—the movement needs to come from your abs, not your neck. If this is too challenging to start, lower your head and shoulders back to the floor between circles.

5. Plank pull-through

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Get on your hands and knees, with a dumbbell just below your left hand.
• Engage your core and step your feet back so your body is in a straight line from your head to heels, and your shoulders are stacked over your wrists.
• Lift your right hand and reach across to pick up the dumbbell and move it to the right.
• Return your right hand to the floor and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Form tips: This is an anti-rotation exercise, which trains your body to resist being pulled out of position, so keep your torso and hips as still as possible throughout. Widen your stance to make it easier.

I love the simplicity of dumbbells.

They’re versatile, straightforward to handle, it’s easy enough to work out what weight suits you best, and they’re great for weight training at home.

All of this also makes them great for people who are at the start of their fitness journey.

Denise Chakoian, a certified fitness trainer and owner of Core Cycle and Fitness LaGree, has compiled five dumbbell exercises that together hit every muscle group.

Even more enticing is that Chakoian’s workout is just five minutes long.

“They're all compound movements, meaning multiple muscles working at once, which is the best way to make a five-minute workout worth doing,” she says.

“The order is intentional too, starting with bigger, lower-body moves first, while you're fresh, with a core finisher at the end when everything else is tired.”

The exercises target the quads, glutes, hamstrings, back, shoulders, biceps and core, without repeating a single move. It’s advisable to add a quick warm-up before doing the workout.

If you have slightly longer to work out, add more sets of each exercise, or an extra round, or two—running through exercises one to five, then repeating them all again from the beginning.

Five-minute dumbbell workout

1. Squat to press

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your shoulders, palms facing, and engage your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your hips are in line with your knees, keeping your chest facing forward.
• Push through your feet to return to standing and press the dumbbells overhead in a single, fluid movement.
• Lower the dumbbells to shoulder height with control.

2. Renegade row

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Place your dumbbells on the floor and grasp the handles, with your shoulders directly above your hands.
• Engage your core and step your feet back so you are on your toes and your body is in a straight line from head to heels.
• Lift one dumbbell to your hip, bending your elbow and drawing it up past your torso, keeping your hips square and your legs still.
• Lower the dumbbell to the floor with control and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Romanian deadlift

Work: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet slightly closer than hip-width apart holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
• Bend your knees slightly, engage your core, then push your butt back, hinging at the hips to lower the dumbbells down your legs until you feel a slight stretch in the back of your thighs.
• Drive your hips forward to return to standing.

4. Reverse lunge with curl

Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees to lower until your right knee gently taps the floor—your right knee should be directly under your right hip and your left knee should be directly above your left foot.
• Bend both elbows to lift the dumbbells to your shoulders.
• Reverse the movements to return to standing, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Sit-up press

Work: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells with your upper arms on the floor by your torso, elbows bent to 90°.
• Brace your core and lift your torso, pressing the dumbbells overhead at the top of the movement.
• Lower back to the starting position with control.

If you want an exercise that trains your glutes, hamstrings, quads, core, lower back and even your grip, the deadlift is hard to beat. It’s a highly effective, full-body move—but for beginners, it can feel intimidating, especially since proper technique is essential.

Ben LaNeve, an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist and personal training lead at Life Time Annapolis, suggests starting with the dumbbell deadlift instead.

“You don’t need a barbell. You don’t need a weight rack. You don’t need a garage gym that looks like it belongs on YouTube,” he tells Fit&Well. “A pair of dumbbells and a few square feet of space will do just fine.” That makes it especially good for people who are new to strength training or if you’re working out at home.

One of the biggest benefits of the deadlift—dumbbell or otherwise—is how effectively it strengthens the posterior chain—the muscles along the back of your body. Building strength here can improve athletic performance, particularly for activities like running.

Additionally, LaNeve says, “this exercise improves core and bracing strength for squats and other lifts.”

The move also teaches what he names the most important movement pattern in strength training: the hip hinge. And it’s not just needed in the gym.

“Instead of squatting down or rounding your back to pick things up, you learn to push your hips back, brace your core and drive through your glutes. That’s how you safely lift a suitcase, a heavy box or your kid off the floor,” he says.

“And because the weight is free rather than fixed like a barbell or resistance machine, it makes your stabilizing muscles stronger. This helps improve balance and coordination while reinforcing proper lifting mechanics.

“By mimicking picking objects up safely it can help reduce the risk of lower-back pain when lifting things in real life.”

The irony is that people often avoid deadlifts because they worry about hurting their back. But when done correctly, deadlifts actually make your back more resilient because they strengthen the erector spinae—a group of muscles along both sides of the spine—the deep core stabilizers that act as a supportive corset around your middle, and the glutes, the large muscles in your butt that reduce stress on the lower back.

“This single move trains your glutes, hamstrings, quads, core, back and grip all at once,” LaNeve says. “For beginners, that’s a huge return on investment. More muscle working means more strength built and faster progress.”

For those just starting out, dumbbells are especially beginner-friendly. They’re easier to control than a barbell and allow you to focus on mastering the movement.

“Start light and master the hinge,” LaNeve advises. “Then add weight gradually.”

How to do a dumbbell deadlift

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, a slight bend in your knees, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing you.
• Engage your core.
• Hinge forward from your hips, pushing your butt back, to lower the dumbbells down your legs—keeping your back straight and shoulders pinned back throughout.
• Pause when the dumbbells reach mid-shin level or when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (in the back of your thighs).
• Push through your heels and drive your hips forward, squeezing your glutes, to return to standing.

To make it easier: Use light dumbbells or just your bodyweight to master the move first and to warm up before adding weight.

Trainer tips

• Keep your shoulders pulled slightly back and down.
• Maintain a neutral spine—imagine holding a straight line from head to tailbone.
• Keep the weights close to you throughout the move, tracking along your legs and shins.
• Engage your core, tightening it like you’re about to be poked in the stomach.
• Avoid rounding your back or locking your knees.
• If you feel the move mostly in your lower back, you might be rounding your back or not engaging your glutes or core enough.

Building strong, toned arms isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s one of the best things you can do for your long-term health and everyday functional strength.

If you’re not sure how to get started, this five-move workout with just a pair of dumbbells is one that midlife strength training coach Edwina Jenner recommends.

“This is my go-to session for strong and more defined arms because it focuses on fast and efficient moves in just three strong sets,” she tells Fit & Well.

While anyone can do this workout and see results, this style of upper-body work becomes increasingly important in midlife.

“From a physiological standpoint, women naturally lose muscle mass from their mid-30s and this accelerates as estrogen declines in perimenopause,” Jenner explains.

“If you’re not actively preserving and building your muscles, you will lose them and that impacts everything from metabolism to joint stability.”

Jenner’s routine focuses on movements that help build and maintain lean muscle, and improve muscle tone. At the same time, strength training workouts will support weight management and joint health.

As you get more comfortable with the moves, gradually increase the weight of the dumbbells you use from one workout to the next—this keeps the exercises challenging so you continue seeing results.

“Women will start to feel stronger within six weeks and they will start to notice better control, less fatigue and more confidence using weights,” says Jenner.

“At 12 weeks, they will begin to see significant development and strength gains provided they are consistent and progressively lift heavier weights to support progress,” Jenner adds.

By the third set of each exercise, the weight should feel challenging but still allow you to maintain good form and posture.

Jenner adds that this shouldn’t be the only upper-body workout in your weekly strength training plan.

“This routine focuses on triceps and biceps, but it doesn’t include larger compound movements for your chest, back or shoulders, which are important for overall strength,” she says.

Jenner recommends doing this sequence once per week, alongside one or two full-body or other upper-body workouts that include exercises such as rows, presses, and push movements to form a well-rounded training plan.

You can find three full-body dumbbell workouts in our strength training routine for beginners.

How to do the dumbbell arms workout

The five exercises in this arms workout are:

1. Crossbody curl
2. Triceps kickback
3. Hammer curl
4. Triceps extension
5. Single-arm biceps curl

1. Crossbody curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your thighs with your palms facing.
• Bend your right elbow to lift the dumbbell to your left shoulder.
• Lower slowly, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tip: Keep your elbow close to your body throughout the movement.

2. Triceps kickback

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Hinge forward from your hips, pushing your butt back and bending your knees slightly.
• Press your upper arms into your torso, and bend your elbows to 90°. This is your starting position.
• Extend your right elbow to lift the dumbbell behind you.
• Squeeze your triceps, then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tip: Remember to keep your elbows high and reset them after each movement.

3. Hammer curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides, palms facing.
• Bend your elbows to lift the weights to your shoulders.
• Lower slowly.

Trainer tip: Keep your elbows stable and close to your torso throughout.

4. Triceps extension

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the end of one dumbbell in both hands overhead.
• Bend your elbows to lower it carefully behind your head.
• Extend your elbows to lift the dumbbell back to the starting position, squeezing your triceps at the top.

Trainer tip: Keep your elbows pointing forward as you bend them.

5. Single-arm biceps curl

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells by your thighs, with your palms facing.
• Bend your right elbow to lift the dumbbell to your right shoulder.
• Lower slowly, then repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tip: Keep your elbows close to your body and avoid swinging.

Certified trainer and We Run coach Amanda Grimm says that strength training can make life easier.

Doing something as straightforward as dumbbell workouts builds functional strength for everyday life—especially useful in later years.

“In most cases, the intention of a dumbbell workout within your training session isn’t to get the physique of a bodybuilder, but to help make daily tasks easier—such as getting shopping out of the car, picking things off the floor, and even climbing the stairs without running out of breath,” she says.

Even a 15-minute dumbbell workout like the one below can make a significant difference to your joint health, especially when done regularly, she says.

“Try to complete the workout two to three times a week consistently to see improvements in muscle strength, bone, cardiovascular and even mental health levels.”

How to do this 15-minute dumbbell workout

Perform the following five exercises as a circuit, doing one exercise after the other, resting for between 15 and 30 seconds between exercises. Complete two rounds in total.

1. Romanian deadlift x 8-10
2. Goblet squat x 10-12
3. Shoulder press x 8-10
4. Reverse lunge x 6-8 each side
5. Bent-over row x 10-12

Aim to pick a dumbbell that allows you to perform every rep with good form, but the final few reps of each exercise should be hard work. This will probably mean you need a few pairs of dumbbells, or adjustable dumbbells.

Grimm recommends spending at least two minutes warming up with light mobility work to prepare your body for the movements ahead. Try some head, neck, arm and waist circles to prepare your joints.

1. Romanian deadlift

Reps: 8-10 Rest: 15-30sec

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.
• Engage your core and hinge forward from your hips and push your hips back, lowering the dumbbells down your legs.
• Keep your spine neutral, shoulders back and core engaged.
• Lower until you feel a stretch in your buttocks and the backs of your thighs.
• Press your feet into the floor, drive your hips forward to return to standing upright.

Trainer tips: It should take you two or three seconds to lower the weights to the bottom of the movement.

2. Goblet squat

Reps: 10-12 Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out.
• Hold one end of a dumbbell in front of your chest with your hands wrapped around the top end and your elbows pointing down.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your butt as low as you can, keeping your back flat and chest upright.
• Pause and then push through your feet to stand back up.

Trainer tips: If your heels come off the floor or your knees go forward over your toes, try a wider stance to allow more space for your hips to sink. Aim for your hips to be in line with your knees or lower at the bottom of the movement.

3. Shoulder press

Reps: 8-10 Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward.
• Inhale and engage your core, then extend your arms up to press the weights overhead.
• Lower the weights slowly back to the starting position with control—don’t let gravity pull them down.

Trainer tips: The shoulder press can also be performed seated. If your back is arching pushing the dumbbells up, reduce your weight. Only increase the weight when you can keep your spine and core stable. Keep your core braced as you push the weights overhead.

4. Reverse lunge

Reps: 6-8 each side Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Step one foot back, lowering your knee toward the floor.
• Keep your front knee directly above your ankle and your back and chest upright.
• Drive through your front foot to return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side and continue alternating to complete your repetitions.

5. Bent-over row

Reps: 10-12 Rest: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides.
• Hinge forward from your hips and push your butt back, keeping your back flat.
• Lift the weights to your hips, drawing your elbows past your torso.
• Pause and squeeze your shoulder blades.
• Extend your arms with control to lower the dumbbells.

Trainer tip: In this hinged position, your arms should be doing all the work so keep your core engaged and torso as stable as possible.

Shop dumbbells

There are many reasons why you might want to exercise, but maintaining functional strength and mobility as you age is one of the most vital, allowing you to live well and independently for as long as possible.

Muscle mass and bone density decline with age for everyone (although more rapidly in women), so strength work to maintain them should be non-negotiable.

You don’t need a bodybuilding program or a lot of home gym equipment—you can get an effective, full-body workout targeting major muscles and movement patterns with just one dumbbell.

Here’s a workout I program for my personal training clients, and do myself, that ticks those boxes.

How to do the workout

All you need is one medium-weight dumbbell for this workout.

If you have access to different weights and want an extra challenge, choose a heavier one for the lower-body moves and a lighter weight for the seated shoulder press that allows you to complete 10 repetitions on each side instead of five.

Complete the whole circuit three to five times in total, depending on the time available and your fitness capacity, taking one to two minutes of rest between rounds.

Workout overview

1. Goblet squat x 10
2. Goblet side lunge x 5 each side
3. Romanian deadlift x 10
4. Seated single-arm shoulder press x 5 each side
5. Single-arm farmer’s carry x 20-30sec each side

1. Goblet squat

Reps: 10

This is an all-around lower-body strengthener that also promotes hip and ankle mobility, and core activation.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outward.
• Hold a dumbbell vertically close to your chest, palms under the upper head.
• Bend at your hips and knees to lower until your hips are in line with, or lower than, your knees.
• Keep your knees directly above your feet, and your weight in your heels, not your toes.
• Push through your feet to return to standing.

Make it harder: Increase the weight, add more repetitions or increase the pace of your squats without losing good form.

2. Goblet side lunge

Reps: 5 each side

This move supports hip mobility with lateral movement, and it activates and strengthens your core, back and upper body.

How to do it:

• Stand holding the dumbbell vertically close to your chest, palms under the upper head.
• Take a large step out to the side, bending your leading knee and pushing your hips back.
• Push through your leading foot to return to the center.
• Repeat on the other side.

Make it harder: Increase the weight you hold, drop lower to increase your range of motion or hold for a few seconds at the bottom of the lunge to increase time under tension.

3. Romanian deadlift

Reps: 10

This move activates, lengthens and strengthens the muscles in the back of your body (the posterior chain) that can weaken with age. The hip-hinging movement is also great for hip mobility and core strength.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbell in both hands in front of you.
• With a slight bend in your knees, push your hips back to lower the weight down your legs.
• Keep the weight close to your shins, your core engaged and your shoulders pinned back to avoid rounding your spine.
• Return to standing with control.

Make it harder: Increase the weight you hold, or slow your tempo as you lower the weight, and hold for a second at the bottom.

4. Seated single-arm shoulder press

Reps: 5 each side

A shoulder press builds upper-body strength and doing it seated offers more stability, allowing you to focus on your shoulders and using your core to help power the movement.

How to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you, or on a workout bench with a back support if available, holding a dumbbell at one shoulder.
• Engage your core, then push the dumbbell overhead.
• Lower to the starting position with control.

Make it harder: Increase the weight without losing good form, add more repetitions or slow the lowering portion of the movement.

5. Single-arm farmer’s carry

This single-arm movement trains your core to keep you stable and upright against the sideways pull of the dumbbell.

Time: 20-30sec each side

How to do it:

• Stand holding a dumbbell in one hand, core engaged.
• Walk for time or distance, keeping your posture straight.
• Repeat on the other side.