Drop me in the middle of an overcrowded gym, and I’ll be looking for the nearest exit. Busy gyms can feel intense, and waiting for equipment can feel like a waste of time. Instead of letting that stop me, I prefer finding a workout I can do in a free space on the gym floor with minimal equipment. Enter this lifesaver of a dumbbell-only workout that targets the upper body and core.
The workout takes just 25 to 30 minutes to complete and it focuses on building strength and muscle definition while also boosting your heart rate. And who can we thank for this efficient routine? Online fitness trainer Kayla Itsines, whose Instagram is a goldmine for those seeking workouts that require minimal equipment (often none at all) and little time.
Whether you’re doing this dumbbell routine at home or at the gym, all you need is a pair of dumbbells, one of the best yoga mats, and the energy to get your body moving.
Watch Kayla Itsines' Upper Body and Core Dumbbell Workout
- Hammer Curl to Press, 8 reps
- Shoulder Taps, 16 reps (8 each side)
- Single-Arm Bent-Over Row, 16 reps (8 each side)
- Tricep Dips, 12 reps
- Side Raises, 8 reps
- Ab Bikes, 40 reps
- Bent-Leg Jackknife, 10 reps
- Mountain Climbers, 20 reps
- 3 rounds
You'll be working through a mix of exercises, the majority using dumbbells and then a few others that challenge you with just your body weight. If you watched Itsines' demonstrations above, you will see she incorporates a plyometric box for the bent-over rows and tricep dips, which tends to be a very easy piece of equipment to find in most gyms. Or, if you're doing this workout at home, a sturdy couch works just as well.
There are three rounds of the routine to work through so you have plenty of opportunity to master the correct form for each move. Good form is really important in a strength workout as it allows you to get the most out of your efforts and helps you avoid injury.
If you feel like you aren't quite nailing the form of one of the exercises or you don't feel like it's hitting where it should, slow things down and focus on what you are doing with your body.
Increasing time under tension is something worth implementing in your strength sessions. This involves keeping your muscles engaged for longer and can help improve form, help ensure you are activating the right muscle groups, and make each rep more effective. To do this, try lowering the weight slowly for three to four seconds before pressing or lifting back up to maximize muscle engagement.
I’ve tried this routine myself and can confirm that the post-workout pump feels incredible, especially after targeting so many key muscle groups up top. I used to favor lower-body strength days and wasn’t a big fan of upper-body workouts, but that changed when I started experimenting with more beginner-friendly routines like this one and focused on engaging the right muscles with proper form. Now, I love them.
It's also interesting to feel how much core engagement is required to stabilize your body during upper-body moves. You’re not just working your core through obvious ab exercises like ab bikes, jackknifes, and mountain climbers but also activating it throughout the entire workout, making every move a core workout in itself.
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