If you have limited time to workout, then your best bet is to opt for a full-body workout, like this one. Not only is it time efficient (it will only take you 30 minutes), but it will target all the major muscle groups in your body, so nothing get's left behind – perfecto. Just grab a pair of dumbbells, two kettlebells, or fill up two bottles of water – you pick!
As well as an effective way to develop strength and muscle, full-body workouts are also an excellent way to burn lots of calories. This is because they're made up of compound exercises, which are exercises that work multiple muscles at one, like squats or push-ups. "Exercises that use more muscle tissue also eat up more oxygen, which helps you burn more calories overall," says MyFitnessPal. While, according to the American Council of Exercise, this also increases EPOC levels (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption), so you continue to burn calories even once you've stopped exercising.
For this workout there's five exercises to get through in total. As this is an interval workout, you'll do 40 seconds of work, followed by a 20 seconds rest and you're aiming to complete five rounds in total. Opt for a pair of dumbbells where your last few reps feel challenging, but so you can still complete the exercise for the set amount of time. Ready? Here's your workout:
- Bent-over dumbbell row into Romanian deadlift
- Reverse lunges (on both legs) into a squat
- Dumbbell clean and press
- Push-up climbers (alternative: knee push-ups)
- Single arm overhead dumbbell march
- Dumbbell twists
If you enjoyed this workout then there's plenty more where that came from! Need something a little shorter? Try this four-move full-body workout, you'll also need a pair of dumbbells for it. If, however, you do have more time to spare here's another 30 minute workout, but this time you'll only need one dumbbell (or you could even use a single kettlebell) which is great for building muscle.
