When life gets busy, exercise is often the first thing we let slide, waiting for a quieter moment. But even when you’re short on time, it’s still possible to stay active—and this 30-minute full-body strength routine proves it.
Designed by trainer James Stirling (The London Fitness Guy), this quick workout can be done at home with just a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells and an exercise mat. You’ll complete six exercises, working for 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest between moves. The full routine consists of four rounds, with a 90-second break between each one. Use that time to rest, rehydrate, and get ready for the next round
Watch James Stirling’s full-body dumbbell routine
The 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds of rest combination for this routine is what you call a high-intensity resistance training workout. This style of training is an efficient way to improve your strength and fitness at the same time.
As you’ll be working with dumbbells in this workout, you don’t need to worry about working at the fast pace many people associate with a standard HIIT workout. High-intensity training isn’t just about speed, it’s about how hard you are pushing yourself within a set period, and the combination of work time, minimal rest, and volume executed in the session.
Performing each exercise with controlled form and a challenging weight will still elevate your heart rate and lead to muscle fatigue building on the overall intensity of your workout. To maximize your muscle engagement during the 40-second work periods be sure to think about spending time under tension as you work through each exercise.
Also, be smart when selecting your dumbbell size—start with a weight that allows you to complete all reps with proper form but feels challenging by the last few seconds of each set without sacrificing your technique.
Once you’ve selected the right weight and mastered your form, you’ll be ready to dive into this full-body workout. The six exercises are varied to target both your upper and lower body, while also engaging your core throughout the session.
Exercises like the Z-Press, Chest Press, Split Squat, and Sumo Squat all rely on a strong core to maintain balance and proper form. Plus, the deadbug is specifically designed to target your core muscles.
Deadbugs are a particularly good move for strengthening your midsection because they engage the entire core, not just the abs—learn more about the difference between the two in our abs vs core explainer. If you fancy an extra ab finisher at the end of this workout, here’s a deadbug variation to try out.
