I’m so excited to share more workouts with you guys now that I’m programming for Y2 Strength. The workouts are perfect for sharing on my blog because they require minimal equipment and space. The only equipment we are using right now is dumbbells and bands and the workouts are done on yoga mats. Super efficient! I know so many of you appreciate workouts like this that you can do at home, in your own little space at the gym or while traveling. I’m aiming to share one every week or every other week! 🙂
While I love bodyweight workouts and find them to be super effective when I don’t have much to work with, I can’t stress enough the value of adding a few sets of dumbbells to your home exercise equipment. They are relatively inexpensive considering how much variety and intensity they can add to your workouts. For Y2 Strength we are working with a range from 5-20 pounds.
Since I know that photos make it much easier to follow along with a workout than just writing out the exercises, I put together a graphic that provides photo demonstrations along with written instructions to guide you through this dumbbell workout.
Let’s get to it!
33-Minute Total Body Dumbbell Workout
Basic overview: this is a total body workout that features 10 movements that are each performed for 1 minute for a total of 10 minutes per round. Once you complete each 10-minute round, you will take 90 seconds of rest before starting the next. The movements alternate between upper and lower body so know that when you get really fatigued towards the end of the minute that relief is coming!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Minute one: squat to lateral leg raise. Holding one dumbbell at your chest or with bodyweight only, squat and as you lift up perform a lateral leg raise. Alternate sides each time you squat. Be sure you try to point toes forward on the lateral leg lift and not up to the ceiling so that you’re maximizing the work in the abductors.
- Minute two: push ups. Knees or toes. Perfect form!
- Minute three: curtsy lunge on the right. Stand on your right leg. Holding two dumbbells by your sides or using bodyweight only, take a short step with your left leg behind you and to the right a bit so that your thighs cross. Keep your knee and ankle aligned and avoid letting the knee cave in or pitch to far over to the side to keep this safe for the knee. When you come back up you can either step both feet together or lift the left knee into the chest (like demonstrated in the photo) to make it a little more challenging. Really focus on engaging the glutes!
- Minute four: overhead tricep extension.
- Minute five: curtsy lunge on the left.
- Minute six: bicep curl.
- Minute seven: donkey kick. Place one dumbbell behind the knee or work with bodyweight only. Come to all fours with shoulders stacked directly over the wrists and gaze between then hands. Keep your hips square as you lift your right heel straight up to the ceiling and perform small pulses up and down. Keep the knee lifted off the ground the entire time. 30 seconds each side.
- Minute eight and nine: single arm dumbbell row. Kneel down with your left knee in front. Place your left forearm on your left thigh and hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Keep your gaze directly in front of your left foot. Draw the right elbow straight back, keeping it close to the rib cage. Really think about using the upper back and not your bicep or momentum to perform the movement.
- Minute ten: side raise to rotator raise. Start with dumbbells out in front of the hips. Lift them away from you into a side raise, leading with the elbows and not the wrists. Once you’ve found the side raise position, rotate the dumbbells up to make an L-shape with each arm. Retrace the steps to come back down to start position. Note, this will be your lightest weight selection! You want this to be super controlled with perfect form. Think moving like a robot here.
My classes loved this workout and I was definitely sore in a good way from it! Let me know if you have any questions and I’d love your feedback if you try it out.
What exercise equipment do you have at home?
What’s your favorite dumbbell exercise?
Thank you so much for posting this, Jen! I can’t wait to try it.
I don’t belong to a gym so I do all my strength training at home. I have a bunch of free weights and different bands to work with.
My favorite dumbbell exercise is a lateral raise. I LOVE what it does for my shoulders. A close second is skull crushers for my triceps.
Great to hear that this type of workout works well for you. Kuddos to you for having the discipline to strength train at home. That’s awesome.
Thanks for sharing! I was just wondering what my Friday AM workout would look like! Now I know!
This workout looks heart pumping! I love how more and more yoga studios are incorporating strength workouts…they compliment each other perfectly. Excited to learn more about your classes!
I gotta try this one! Curtsy lunges are my fave!
They are very effective at targeting the medial glute!
Oh how I wish I was in Charlotte and could take your class! I would LOVE it! Is it too much to ask for you to do a short video of showing proper form of each move? I know that may be a lot, but it really helps me. I’m a visual learner. I can’t read descriptions–I much prefer to just watch a short video of each move! I think you used to do this back in the day–remember your playground workout videos?! Yes, I’ve been around that long! 😉
Whoa, that playground workout is a throwback! I’ll work on video when I have the time to shoot and edit! I know it’s helpful for many.
I have done this workout twice now, please post more of these type of workouts!! Thank you! 🙂
SO happy to hear this Rachael! Definitely plan on sharing more!
Wishing I looked at this yesterday! I ran home from work and wanted to squeeze in a quick 30 m workout before having to travel….and was at a loss! This looks great! I will be trying it before work one day next week 🙂 Perfect for that! My favorite dumbbell exercise is the goblet squat!! Also, agreed with Laura…SO wish I could take your class!!
Aw, I wish we could have a big group workout together. It would be so much fun!
Hey! WHat shoes are you wearing here? I have been doing more hiit/cross training/weight lifting fitness classes and am looking for suggestions on a good pair of shoes. I wear newton fates as well for running but like to wear different shoes for all activities other than running and was wondering if you had any suggestions 🙂
Thanks for the workout…I tried it this morning and it was a good challenge! 🙂
Yay! Thank you for reporting back!
I love workouts that require minimal space and equipment. I’m excited to try this one out. Thank you for sharing and including photo demonstrations!
You are so welcome! Let me know how it goes!
I like this and am going to try this tonight. Quick question what size dumbbells do you suggest? I am small and have no arm strength so should I go very light or challenge myself with a heavier size?
I would start on the lighter end and increase weights as needed. Form first always! If you get towards the end of the minute and you’re not feeling fatigued, you know to go heavier next time!