Training at home will save you time and money, but it can be hard to know where to start.
Fortunately, top trainer James Stirling (better known as the London Fitness Guy) has revealed what he would do if he only had a couple of dumbbells and 30 minutes in which to train.
His answer is a five-move strength training circuit that works every major muscle group in your body. You do 10 repetitions of each move and repeat this sequence for five total rounds, which should take roughly 25 minutes. If you’re new to lifting weights, you might want to scale this back to two or three rounds, then build up to the full five over time.
Bookend this session with a warm-up and cool-down, and that’s your workout done.
Watch the London Fitness Guy’s full-body dumbbell workout
People often scour the internet for obscure exercises promising a plethora of benefits, but Stirling uses common exercises precisely because they're effective.
Consistently performing these tried-and-tested moves over time, and coupling them with the progressive overload principle, is one of the best ways to build strength.
The workout uses compound exercises, which recruit multiple muscles at once. Together, the five moves deliver a full-body workout, incorporating most of the body’s major movement patterns; pushing, pulling, squatting, and hinging.
Compound exercises are excellent for building strength and muscle. They can also improve coordination, movement efficiency, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness, according to the American Council Of Exercise.
Why do compound exercises deliver cardio perks? Because they force you to use more muscles than you would during an isolation move, which is an exercise targeting one muscle at a time, like a biceps curl.
Your heart has to work harder to pump blood to all of the working muscles and provide them with oxygen for fuel, so it gets a workout too.
Need help picking some weights for your home workout? Our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells can help
-
This trainer’s sit-ups alternative will work more of your core and boost your mobility, helping you build serious functional strengthWorkouts Strengthen your core and protect yourself from injury with this little-known bodyweight move
-
A Pilates instructor recommends these five equipment-free exercises for stronger arms and better posturePilates Build strength and improve your stability using this simple but effective bodyweight routine
-
Just one dumbbell and 20 minutes are all you need to train your whole bodyWorkout Pick up a dumbbell and try five to six of these compound exercises for a full-body workout
-
Sculpt and strengthen your upper body in 10 minutes with this super-efficient four-move dumbbell routineWorkout Try out Mr and Mrs Muscle’s upper body dumbbell routine and feel the burn in just ten minutes
