You only need five moves and two light dumbbells to strengthen your whole body at home

A woman performs a biceps curl with dumbbells in a living room. Her elbows are bent and the light dumbbells are close to her shoulders. In the background we see a red brick wall, a fireplace and candles. .

Working out at home is a time and cost-efficient way to get your fitness fix, but it does mean sacrificing access to gym machines and equipment.

Handily, experienced fitness instructor and Passion Fit founder Reena Vokoun has designed a five-move full-body workout you can do with just a pair of light-moderate dumbbells.

If you don’t have any dumbbells, you can even give it a go with a couple of water bottles or some cans of beans.

How to do Reena Vokoun’s five-move workout

A post shared by Ruth Gaukrodger | Fitness editor (@ruthgaukrodger)

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• Knee lift with hammer curl 3x10-12
• Thruster 3x10-12
• Deadlift high pull 3x10-12
• Triceps kick back with lunge 3x10-12
• Front raise with sumo squat hold 3x10-12

Perform the exercises above as a circuit. Move through each one in turn, completing three total rounds of the five-move sequence.

Don’t be tempted to rush through repetitions and finish as fast as possible. Instead, focus on moving purposefully, maintaining good technique throughout (read on for form cues from Vokoun). Take a few deep breaths between each exercise to compose yourself, then move on to the next one.

1. Knee lifts with hammer curls

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your arms hanging down at your side. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing you.
• Engage your core and lift your right knee as high as you can in front of you, while maintaining balance on your left leg.
• As you do this, curl both dumbbells up to your shoulders, keeping your chest up, elbows tucked into your sides and your palms facing your body.
• Repeat, alternating the leg you lift with each repetition.

2. Thruster

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a set of dumbbells in each hand at shoulder-height with your elbows pointing in front of you.
• Push your hips back then bend your knees to squat. Lower your hips as low as you can while keeping your back flat and your chest up.
• Squeeze your glutes and drive through your feet to return to standing. As you do this, explosively drive the dumbbells overhead to extend your arms. At the top of the repetition, your biceps should be by your ears.
• Control the dumbbells back to your shoulders to complete the repetition, then repeat.

3. Deadlift with upright row

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your knees slightly soft (not fully locked out). Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips, with your palms facing you and your arms down.
• Hinge at the hips to bend over, lowering the dumbbells while keeping them close to the shins.
• When you feel tension in your hamstrings (the muscles running along the back of your thighs), squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
• As you stand up, pull the dumbbells up to your chin, flaring your elbows out wide and keeping the weights close to your body at all times.
• Control the dumbbells back to your hips to complete the repetition, then repeat.

4. Double-tricep kickbacks with reverse lunge

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward and your elbows bent. Your upper arms should be almost parallel to the floor, and your lower arms hang vertically toward the ground.
• Step backward with your right foot, lowering your right knee to just above the ground so both knees form roughly a right angle. As you step back, extend your elbows so your whole arm is parallel to the ground.
• Drive through your front foot to return to standing, and as you do this return your arms to their starting position.
• Alternate the leg that steps back with each repetition.

5. Front raise with sumo squat hold

Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12

• Start in a wide stance (wider than shoulder-width apart) with your toes pointed out.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing you and your arms in front of your hips.
• Squat down so your knees form roughly a right angle. Hold this position throughout the exercise.
• Keeping your arms straight, lift both arms in front of you until your arms are parallel to the ground.
• Still keeping your arms straight, control the dumbbells back to your hips to complete the repetition then repeat.