Traditional strength training can sometimes feel a little dull. Repeat this one movement 10 times, do nothing for a minute, then do it all over again. It's effective, but the time can drag, so it was refreshing to see this fast-paced dumbbell workout from NASM-certified trainer Fernanda Shaw.
This workout targets muscles across your body, including your glutes, quads, shoulders, back and core. Shaw is moving quickly too so it's sure to get your heart rate high for extra cardio benefits. If you only have 20 minutes to move, this session is hard to beat.
How to do Fernanda Shaw's dumbbell workout
Shaw sequences the six exercises in this routine into a circuit workout. Perform the first move for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest, then move on to the next exercise, using the 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off format again. Once you've done this for all the exercises, take an extra minute's rest. That's one round—complete three rounds in total.
This routine combines exercises, such as the lunge-curl-press, or squat-front raise. Because those combos include shoulder exercises (the press and front raise), pick light dumbbells since your shoulder is a complex joint prone to injury.
The combination of exercises work muscles all over your body, raising your heart rate, burning more calories and developing your strength. It also challenges your coordination more than straightforward sets of single exercises, giving your mind something to focus on.
Some of the exercises may be too challenging for some people, regardless of the dumbbell weight chosen, like the renegade row to child's pose push-up. If you can't do a push-up from a plank position, lower your chest to the floor, then drop to your knees before you push back up—this will help you build the strength needed for a full push-up.
You can also put the dumbbells to one side if the dumbbell sit-up is too challenging. You'll find a variation suited to your level in our guide to how to do a sit-up.
The benefits of using dumbbell for strength workouts
Dumbbells are versatile pieces of equipment and all you need to increase muscle mass as long as you follow the principle of progressive overload. This means gradually increasing difficulty of one workout variable—such as the weight of the dumbbells you lift—in each workout. That's why adjustable dumbbells are great if you want to build muscle at home.
Working out with dumbbells also ensures you're training each side of the body independently, rather than relying on your stronger side to get you through a move, as you might with a barbell or weights machine.
If you can iron out any strength imbalances in your body you're less likely to succumb to injury.
Aim to do a workout like this at least once a week, aiming to gradually increase the weight you use and aim to complete as many reps as possible within the given timeframe without compromising on form.
