This upper body workout is your ticket when time is against you. You won’t need any barbells or machines, not even a weight bench, just a pair of dumbbells, a little space on your living room floor and 30 minutes spare. It may feel short, but its circuit-style format ramps up the intensity so that your chest, back, shoulders, and arms still receive a solid workout.
Beyond helping you fit a workout into minimal time, circuit-style training comes with plenty of other benefits. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, research shows it can significantly increase muscle mass in both beginners and experienced lifters. Plus, thanks to its short rest periods, it also boosts cardiovascular fitness, and it’s an effective tool for fat loss too.
You’re going to work your way through the exercises below, taking a 30-second rest between each exercise, then a one to two-minute rest once you’ve completed an entire round. You’re aiming to complete three to four rounds in total, so have your water nearby and get ready to put in 10/10 effort. The reps are quite high, so make sure you’re using a weight that you can actually complete all the reps for (the last few should feel like a challenge though). Here’s the workout:
- Chest press – 15
- Row – 15
- Z-press – 12
- Bicep curl – 12
- Lateral raise – 12
Upper body complete, now you need a lower body workout. Here’s a 35-minute dumbbell session you can line up for later during the week. Make your final workout a full-body session – like this five-move one – simple, yet will work every muscle from the top to the bottom of your body.
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