This 30-minute dumbbell workout is designed to work all your main muscle groups and is ideal for those struggling to squeeze in meaningful sessions.
It’s rare that we find ourselves with enough spare time to devote to our fitness goals. But you’d be surprised how little time you actually need to make noticeable gains. However, it’s not just a case of picking up your favorite adjustable dumbbells whenever you have half a chance and doing as many curls as you can squeeze in.
To be effective, your sessions should really be targeted, and have a specific goal. If you’re looking for a full-body workout but only have half an hour to spare, you’re in luck. Grab those dumbbells and get ready to take on this 30-minute dumbbell workout.
This workout is designed to challenge all the major muscles in your body – typified by the opening exercise, which will test your quads, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, core stability and proprioception. Each round should take about 10 minutes, meaning you can get in an effective dumbbell workout in the time it takes to watch the news.
Why you can trust the workouts in Men’s Fitness
At Men’s Fitness we pride ourselves on delivering information that serves a singular purpose: to improve some aspect of your health, fitness or wellbeing. For over 16 years, we’ve been publishing authoritative health and fitness content – written by our expert editors and contributors – in the form of the monthly Men’s Fitness magazine. Each of our workouts has been created by either a highly experienced editor or expert contributor, and has been tested and used in real-world situations. This 30-minute dumbbell workout was created by personal trainer, running coach, fitness consultant and co-founder of Track Life Ldn, Omar Mansour.
How to do this dumbbell workout
- Perform each dumbbell exercise for 60 seconds
- Rest for a maximum of 15 seconds between exercises
- Complete 3 rounds in total, with a 60-second rest between each round
Exercises in this 30-minute dumbbell workout
- Reverse lunge dumbbell press
- Dumbbell bent-over back row
- Dumbbell Russian twist
- Dumbbell curtsy lunge
- Dumbbell floor chest press
- Dumbbell biceps curl
- Dumbbell front squat
- Dumbbell single-arm snatch
- Overhead dumbbell triceps extension
1. Reverse lunge dumbbell press
Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, adductors, glutes, core, upper back and shoulders
Why I like it: This is a great compound move, targeting not only glutes, quads and hamstrings but also hitting your shoulders and getting your heart rate up.
How to do a reverse lunge dumbbell press:
- Start with your feet hip-width apart. Rack the dumbbells at shoulder height, keeping the wrists straight
- Drive one leg back into a reverse lunge, dropping the back knee down towards the ground and creating a 90-degree angle with the front knee
- Let the back knee kiss or hover above the floor
- Keeping the core braced at the bottom of the movement, press the dumbbells above the head
- As you stand up out of the lunge, bring the dumbbells back to shoulder height
2. Dumbbell bent-over row
Muscles targeted: Lats, rhomboids, mid & lower trapezius and biceps
Why I like it: If you have a desk-bound job, this is a great posture improver, as it counteracts the effects of sitting hunched over a desk and strengthens the back muscles.
How to do a dumbbell bent-over row:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand (palms facing in towards your body), just wider than shoulder-width apart
- Let the dumbbells hang with your arms extended
- Push the hips back, keeping a soft knee bend, until your torso is parallel with the floor. Keep your spine straight
- Brace your core and squeeze your shoulders together, then row the dumbbells up. Slowly lower them back down again, then repeat
3. Dumbbell Russian twist
Muscles targeted: Obliques, rectus abdominis, hip flexors and erector spinae
Why I like it: In my opinion there are few exercises that annihilate the core quite like the Russian twist. It’s also great for strengthening the lower back and hip muscles.
How to do a dumbbell Russian twist:
- Start by sitting on the floor. Slightly lean back so your torso and legs form a V shape
- Bracing your core, bend your knees and elevate your feet off the ground
- Balancing in this V position, keep your legs stationary and twist your torso from side to side with control
4. Dumbbell curtsy lunge
Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus and gluteus medius
Why I like it: The main advantage of the dumbbell curtsey lunge is its ability to improve hip mobility and balance out your leg development. It’s almost infinitely variable, too, by exchanging the dumbbells for a kettlebell or barbell, or by adding a kick, or crossing your body with a single dumbbell.
How to do dumbbell curtesy lunges:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Take a big step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left. Bend your knees until your left thigh is nearly parallel with the floor.
- Ensure your torso is upright and your hips and shoulders are facing forwards. Keep the majority of your weight on the front leg.
- Return to the start position, then repeat on the other side.
5. Dumbbell floor chest press
Muscles targeted: Chest and triceps
Why I like it: Here you’re increasing chest strength and size while reducing shoulder strain due to the move’s limited range of motion.
How to do a dumbbell floor chest press:
- Start by sitting on the floor in an upright position with your legs straight. Grab two dumbbells and balance them vertically on your thighs
- Slowly lay back while keeping the weights close to your chest, then bend your knees to 45 degrees. Keep your feet in line with your knees
- Press the dumbbells to the sky with full extension by contracting your triceps and chest. Keep squeezing your shoulder blades into the floor
- Slowly lower your arms until both elbows touch the floor, then press both weights back to the starting position
6. Dumbbell biceps curl
Muscles targeted: Biceps
Why I like it: This isolation move is all about building stronger and more well defined biceps, improving elbow flexion and enhancing upper body stability.
How to do dumbbell bicep curls:
- Stand holding two dumbbells at your sides, palms facing forward
- Bend your knees slightly while squeezing the core
- Move your forearms to curl the weights up towards your shoulders
- Keep your wrists straight throughout the movement
- Return to the start position with control
7. Dumbbell front squat
Muscles targeted: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and core
Why I like it: This exercise gives you a great platform for more explosive moves by activating the stabilizing muscles around your knees and ankles.
How to do a front squat with dumbbells:
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Rack the dumbbells under the chin, just in front of your collar bone, palms facing the body in an underhanded grip.
- Keeping the chest proud, core tight and back straight, push the hips back and bend the knees simultaneously until the knees reach an angle of at least 90 degrees.
- Pause, then push the floor away with the legs and return to standing position.
8. Dumbbell single-arm snatch
Muscles targeted: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, back, shoulders, triceps and core (full-body exercise)
Why I like it: As well as hitting the muscle groups above, you’re also improving your coordination and balance and increasing cardiovascular endurance.
How to do a dumbbell single-arm snatch:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand. Push your hips back and lower yourself into a deep squat
- Allow the weight to hang down and touch the floor directly beneath your chest, keeping that arm straight
- Your back should also be straight and you should aim to keep the chest elevated
- Explosively drive the weight up using your legs and back, keeping a close central line to the body
- Once the dumbbell reaches the level of your hips, drive it up with your arm, using the momentum created during the first part of the movement
- As the dumbbell reaches shoulder height, flip your elbow underneath the weight and press it overhead, locking out your elbow
9. Overhead dumbbell triceps extension
Muscles targeted: Triceps and core
Why I like it: The overhead dumbbell triceps extension hits all three heads of the triceps and improves the posture of the upper body by strengthening the shoulders’ stabilizing muscles.
How to do an overhead dumbbell triceps extension:
- Grab a dumbbell and kneel on the floor with your knees shoulder-width apart
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes
- Press the weight overhead until your arms are straight. Keep the elbows tight and close to your ears. Your palms should face each other. This is the starting position
- Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head until your forearms are at least parallel with the floor. Make sure the elbows don’t flare out
- Pause, then straighten your arms by extending your elbows to return to the starting position
Now do two more sets to complete your 30-minute dumbbell workout. Then, follow up with some stretching exercises to prevent any muscle soreness the next day.
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