If you’re in need of an effective workout that trains every single muscle group, but equally doesn’t take up heaps of time, you can’t get better than a full-body workout. In just 25 minutes you can develop functional strength in your upper and lower body, as well as improve your cardiovascular health, using just a pair of dumbbells and a small loop resistance band. It’s perfect for doing at home, or the gym, just make sure you’re wearing your best workout shoes for some extra support.
Whether your goal is to burn calories or develop strength, full-body workouts can tick both these boxes, especially when performed in a circuit-style (which this workout is). This is because you’re rotating between different exercises with short rest periods in between, which elevates your heart rate which (generally) means a greater calorie burn. Add in some extra resistance, in the form of dumbbells or resistance bands, and you're also on your way to improving your strength and building some muscle.
To target the entire body efficiently, this workout is split into three circuits: one for your upper body, one for your lower body and then one to target a little bit of everything and get your heart rate up. For the first two circuits you’ll do each exercise for 40 seconds, with a 15 second rest in between each one. For the final circuit it’s a 10 minute ‘as many rounds as possible’ (AMRAP) workout, where you’ll do each exercise for eight reps as many times as you can within your set time frame. Here’s your workout:
Circuit 1 - upper
40 seconds each, 15 seconds rest between each exercise
Use a dumbbell for all these exercises
- Tricep kickback
- Crossbody curl
- Bicep curl iso hold
Circuit 2 - lower
40 seconds each, 15 seconds rest between each exercise
Use a small loop resistance band for all these exercises
- Hip thrust with band
- Alternative step out squat with band
- Glute bridge abductions with band
10 minute AMRAP circuit
Do eight reps for each exercise
You will need your dumbbell for some of these
- Lunge with bicep curl
- Mountain climber incline push up
- Sit ups
- Dumbbell swing
If you have a dumbbell, but don’t have a band, don’t worry, you can still do the entire workout. If you have a band, but don’t have a dumbbell, just fill up a large water bottle, or look for other household items you could use instead. We've got lots of other full-body workouts you can try too: from this 20 minute low-impact dumbbell workout, that is gentle on the joints, to this full-body workout that uses just a resistance band. No equipment? Here's a workout that'll work all your muscles, but just uses bodyweight exercises.
