Burn calories and build muscle with this 20 minute full-body dumbbell workout

 woman doing dumbbell floor press
woman doing dumbbell floor press

If you’re planning to do an upper body and lower body session this week, but are struggling to squeeze them into your busy schedule, do this full-body workout instead. In just 20 minutes, not only will you be on your way to developing lean muscle, but you'll also burn plenty of calories too (and continue to do so into the following day). All you need is a pair of the best dumbbells.

If you’re looking to lose weight healthily then strength training is without a doubt one of the best ways to do this. According to MyProtein: “Building muscle through lifting weights can help to increase the rate at which you burn calories (your metabolic rate), which in turn will help with overall fat loss." Although you don’t need to just use weights for this (resistance bands are a great option too) dumbbells, particularly adjustable dumbbells, are one of the best pieces of home gym equipment to have for your home set-up.

This workout is a circuit, where you’ll be doing 35 seconds of work followed by a 25 second rest. You’ve got five exercises in total and you’re going to do each one four times. Each exercise only actually requires one dumbbell, so if you have an adjustable dumbbell then this is also perfect. Here’s your workout:

  • Lunge halo

  • Glute bridge

  • Bridge dumbbell pull over

  • Squat with a rotation

  • Dead bug skull crusher

Make sure you stay hydrated throughout your workout with one of the best gym water bottles. If more quick and effective workouts is what you're after then this dumbbell superset workout will help you build strength, whilst also burning calories. While this five-move workout that uses one dumbbell incorporates exercises that are functional and benefit your everyday activities.