Arnold Schwarzenegger's 30-minute dumbbell workout for full-body gains
Increase your strength and muscle mass in the time it takes to make tea – what’s not to love?


If you don’t go to the gym you may see this as a reason not to workout. Arnold Schwarzenegger would strongly disagree, however (and rightly so). In his latest Pump Club newsletter, the Austrian Oak has shared a full-body workout that you can do straight from your living room to help pack on muscle with just two dumbbells. It’ll only take you 30 minutes too, which means you can easily slot it in during your lunch break or whilst the tea's cooking, so no excuses!
“Back by popular demand, here’s another workout consisting of three blocks that will help pack on new strength and muscle in less than 30 minutes per session,” says Schwarzengger. The workout essentially consists of three 8-minute AMRAPS – which stands for ‘as many rounds as possible’ – utilising a mixture of compound lifts and isolation exercises. This type of training model is ideal if you’re crunched for time, as it allows you to accumulate lots of volume and train at a high intensity, which can facilitate muscle growth and muscle endurance.
For each of the three AMRAPs you’ll have three exercises to complete and you want to rest for as little as possible between each one. However, they key is to maintain good form throughout the entire 8 minutes, so the moment it begins to break down, rest – we want no sloppy reps here! After you’ve completed the first block, Schwarzengger says to rest for 2-3 minutes, then move onto the next block, following the same format as you did for the first. Here’s the workout:
AMRAP 1
- Dumbbell chest press – 5-8 reps
- Dumbbell row – 5-8 reps
- Dumbbell Russian twist – 8 (per side)
AMRAP 2
- Dumbbell Romanian deadlift – 6-8 reps
- Dumbbell goblet squat – 8-12 reps
- Dumbbell step-up – 8-12 reps (per leg)
AMRAP 3
- Seated dumbbell clean and press – 8-10 reps
- Dumbbell bicep curls – 8-12 reps
- Dumbbell lying tricep extension – 8-12 reps
For more 30-minute strength sessions that you can do at home, check out this six-move workout, which focuses on the squat, hinge and press movement patterns, ideal for building build functional strength and making everyday activities easier. If you don't own any dumbbells though, then you can still get stronger with Arnold's 25-minute bodyweight workout – it leaves a massive pump afterwards.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. She is a certified personal trainer and also a part-time fitness instructor. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
No plank needed – build a stable core with this 8-minute upright ab workout
You can build a strong core without getting on the ground
-
Boost lower body muscle and burn fat with this speedy 20 minute dumbbell workout
Leg day doesn’t have to be skipped, especially with quick, effective sessions like this
-
Sculpt full-body strength and muscle with two dumbbells and these seven exercises
No gym required
-
Time crunched? This five-move dumbbell circuit builds muscle and burns fat
No need to skip your workout, this 30-minute circuit has your entire body covered
-
Loosen stiff hips in five minutes with these three bodyweight exercises
Better hip mobility equals better movement quality
-
This calisthenics beginner workout builds full-body functional strength
Looking to build strength with minimal to no equipment? This workout has got you covered
-
Two dumbbells and this four-move wrist-friendly workout for upper body muscle
Say bye-bye to wrist pain and hello gains with these smart exercise swaps
-
Forget boring cardio – this three-move barbell workout crushes through calories
And builds plenty of muscle too!