With just a pair of dumbbells and 30 minutes, you can build strength, tone muscle, get your heart rate up, and improve your functional fitness.
You can perform this routine with a single size of dumbbell, as long as you have a weight that feels comfortable for a range of exercises targeting different muscle groups. However, owning a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells is convenient for full-body workouts like this one, as they allow you to easily change the weight for different exercises using just one set.
The workout, led by fitness trainer Heather Robertson, is structured as a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) session. If you're not a fan of HIIT workouts that involve a lot of jumping and burpees, you'll likely enjoy this one. It's designed to be low-impact while still maintaining a high intensity to deliver effective results.
If you have any existing injuries or health conditions, please consult a qualified medical professional before trying out a new exercise routine.
What is the 30-minute dumbbell HIIT routine?
There are two circuits to work through, both you will complete two rounds of. In true HIIT style, you will work hard for a duration (40 seconds) on each exercise, followed by a shorter rest period (20 seconds), and repeat until you reach the end.
Maintaining good form during each exercise is key to making sure you're using the correct muscles and avoiding putting unnecessary stress on your joints. It also allows you to target specific muscle groups more efficiently and get better results.
If you don't have time to hit up the gym, this workout is an excellent alternative for building strength and muscle at home. Robertson has packed plenty of compound exercises into the circuits such as the Squat Raise & Curl, Lunge, Press & Twist, and Push Up & Pass, which work multiple muscle groups in one exercise. So even if you're short on time, these moves will ensure you work plenty of muscles and improve your strength.
There are also lots of exercises in this dumbbell HIIT session that will benefit your functional strength. Moves that involve squatting, lunging and pressing mimic everyday movements, and when you mix these into a dumbbell routine you will challenge and enhance your strength, coordination and balance.
If you plan to use this routine regularly and want to avoid hitting a plateau as your strength improves, incorporating progressive overload into your training will be key. You can do so by gradually increasing the weight of your dumbbells if you have multiple sizes available. Alternatively, you can level up the challenge by increasing the number of repetitions you do for each exercise.
Even though this workout is low-impact, it still delivers the key benefits of traditional HIIT, including the afterburn effect. After you finish exercising, your body continues to burn calories at an elevated rate due to post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). This process helps boost your metabolism and can accelerate fat loss, helping to reap the rewards of your workout long after you’re done.
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