Build muscle all over and boost your metabolism with this five-move dumbbell workout

Heading to the gym for an hour-long workout is one way to build muscle, but it's not the only way. If you prefer training at home, you only need two weights and this five-move routine to develop full-body strength. 

Grab some of the best adjustable dumbbells, a bench or any elevated surface sturdy enough to hold your weight as you step up onto it, and ready yourself to take on trainer Sandy Sklar’s quick full-body circuit. 

The beauty of this workout lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. This high-intensity approach keeps your heart rate elevated, promoting cardiovascular endurance while sculpting and strengthening your muscles.

The goal is to complete all five exercises back to back with minimal rest between exercises, take a for 60-90-second break, and repeat for up to six rounds to maximize your results and challenge your muscles.

It's vital to do each move with perfect form to get the most from your training and avoid injury, especially when working with weights. So, practice your technique with Sklar's demonstrations before you start.  

Watch Sandy Sklar's five-move dumbbell workout

Full-body workouts are an efficient way to exercise, as they use several muscle groups simultaneously, especially during multi-muscle compound exercises like the Romanian deadlift (RDL). 

The dumbbells add resistance to the RDL to stimulate muscle growth, develop lower-body strength, and work your arm muscles like your triceps during the front squat phase, and promote balanced upper-body development. 

There are a few moves that you'd often find in a plyometrics workout, like the plyo push-up variation, which targets your triceps, engages your chest and shoulders, and works your core muscle. 

A full-body strength workout like Sklar’s plays a significant role in fat loss and body composition. Building lean muscle mass boosts your metabolism, leading to increased calorie burn, even at rest.

As you engage multiple muscle groups during a workout, your body utilizes more energy, resulting in greater fat oxidation. Over time, this can lead to a reduction in body fat percentage and a more toned appearance. 

However, you don't have to have visible muscle as a goal — exercising for happiness is a worthwhile target too. Just be sure to pick up a bag of the best protein powders for weight loss to help promote recovery and ease muscle aches.