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45-Minute Dumbbell Strength Workout

Get Strong All Over and Sweat Like Heck With This 45-Minute Total-Body Dumbbell Workout

Jan 18 2021

You might be surprised what you can do with a couple of dumbbells. These classic fitness tools aren't just made for bicep curls and overhead presses; you can work your whole body with two weights as long as you have the right routine, and that's where we come in.

This 45-minute dumbbell strength workout from ISSA-certified personal trainer and AFAA-certified group fitness instructor Ashley Chapman, who trains clients on the Bright App, incorporates 10 different exercises with the goal of hitting every major muscle group in the body. You'll notice that these are all compound moves, meaning they target multiple groups of large muscle at once. Benefits-wise, these exercises are a true double-whammy. They help you burn more calories, since you're incorporating larger muscle groups and working more of your body at once. (More movement equals more calories burned!) And thanks to those handy dumbbells, you're also efficiently building strength in those muscles.

Check out the workout below, keep reading to see how to do each move, and get ready to put those muscles and dumbbells to the test!

45-Minute Dumbbell Strength Workout

Equipment needed: A pair of medium dumbbells. Choose a weight that challenges you, Chapman said, but isn't so heavy that you'll lose proper form. Here are more tips on choosing the right weight.

Directions: Warm up with three minutes of light cardio (such as a brisk walk, jog in place, or jumping jacks) and these dynamic bodyweight moves. Then, begin the first circuit of the workout. Do the designated reps for each move, resting for 45 seconds to one minute between exercises. After the fifth exercise, go back to the first exercise and repeat the circuit for a total of two rounds. Rest for two minutes, then complete two rounds of the second circuit, resting at the same intervals. When you're done, cool down with a full-body stretch routine.

Circuit 1 Reps
Squat to overhead press 15 reps
Alternating lunge 15 reps, alternating sides
Kneeling core twist and press 15 reps
Seated dumbbell twist 15 reps
Lying chest press 10 reps on each side

Circuit 2 Reps
Plank row 10 reps on each side
Sumo squat with upright row 15 reps
Bent-over row to triceps kickback 15 reps
Alternating toe touch 15 reps, alternating sides
Weighted squat jump 15 reps

Love trying new workouts? Want a community to share your fitness goals with? Come join our Facebook group POPSUGAR Workout Club. There, you can find advice on making the best out of every sweat session and everything else you need to help you on your road to healthy living.

Image Source: Getty / gradyreese

1. Circuit 1, Exercise 1: Squat to Overhead Press

  • Start standing with your feet hip-width apart. Hold your dumbbells up by your shoulders, elbows tucked in and pointed forward, palms facing toward each other. Pull your core in toward your spine to keep it engaged.
  • Looking directly forward and keeping your chest lifted, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips.
  • Brace your abs and press through your heels to straighten your legs while simultaneously pressing the dumbbells overhead. Squeeze your glutes at the top and make sure the dumbbells are directly over your shoulders.
  • Lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height as you come back into the squat.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 15 reps.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

2. Circuit 1, Exercise 2: Alternating Reverse Lunge

  • Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart, core pulled in toward your spine. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in.
  • Keeping your feet shoulder-width apart, step your right foot back with control and land softly on your toes. Bend both knees to lower into a lunge, lowering your right knee as close to the floor as you can without touching. Your left knee should stay in line with your toes, bringing your left thigh about parallel to the floor or as close to that as you can get. Both knees should be at 90-degree angles. Keep your back straight and core tight, keeping the weights directly below your shoulders.
  • Drive through your left heel and push off your right toes to straighten your legs, simultaneously stepping your right foot back to return to the starting position.
  • This counts as one rep. Complete 15 reps, alternating legs.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

3. Circuit 1, Exercise 3: Kneeling Core Twist and Press

  • Start kneeling on your left knee with your right foot out in front, your right thigh parallel to the floor. Your right knee should be over your right ankle and your left knee directly under your hip with both knees bent at a 90-degree angle. (If you need extra cushioning on your left knee, grab a mat or a towel.) Hold one dumbbell at your collarbone, holding it horizontally in both hands, and pull your core in toward your spine.
  • Brace your core as you twist your torso towards the right while simultaneously pressing the dumbbell overhead with both hands. Start the movement from your core, keeping your hips facing forward and tucked under your torso. Make sure to pull your abs tight throughout the movement.
  • Lower the weight with control as you twist your torso back to the starting position.
  • This counts as one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

4. Circuit 1, Exercise 4: Seated Dumbbell Twist

  • Begin seated with your legs out in front of you, knees slightly bent and feet flexed so your toes point up and your heels are on the ground. Hold a dumbbell up by your collarbone in both hands and lean back just slightly onto your tailbone, keeping your back straight as you tighten your core.
  • Pull your abs toward your spine and twist slowly to the right. Keep the movement smooth and controlled, initiating it from your ribs and not from your arms swinging.
  • Twist back to the centre and repeat on your left side.
  • Twist back to the centre starting position, making sure to keep your abs tight and your back straight throughout the whole movement.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 15 reps.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

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5. Circuit 1, Exercise 5: Lying Chest Press

  • Begin seated with your legs out in front of you, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground.
  • With one dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs, lie back onto the ground. Make sure your back is totally flat, pulling your abs in to press your lower back against the floor. Adjust your feet if needed; you should just be able to touch your heels with the tips of your fingers.
  • Hold the dumbbells above your chest, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. Make sure your palms are facing forward (away from your face) and your hands are over your elbow.
  • Press both dumbbells up, exhaling as you fully extend your arms. Your hands should be directly over your shoulders and core tight.
  • Keep your left arm straight and stationary and exhale as you lower your right arm back down to your side with control, bending your elbow to form a 90-degree angle. At the bottom of the movement, your upper arm should be straight out from your shoulder, forming a 90-degree angle with your side.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 10 reps with your right arm, then switch for 10 reps with your left arm.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

6. Circuit 2, Exercise 1: Plank Row

  • Start on your hands and knees, shoulders directly over wrists and hips over knees, holding a dumbbell against the ground in each hand. Brace your core and extend your legs back behind you, tucking your toes under to lift your knees off the ground and spreading your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. This wide-legged high plank is your starting position. (You can modify by placing your hands on an elevated surface, like a bench, couch, or sturdy chair.)
  • Pull your core toward your spine and squeeze your glutes as you lift the right dumbbell off the ground, pulling it to your right armpit. Make sure your right elbow is pointing up and your right shoulder blade is squeezing in.
  • Lower the weight to the ground with control, bracing your core and glutes and doing your best to minimize any rocking movement from side to side.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 10 reps with your right arm, then switch for 10 reps with your left arm.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

7. Circuit 2, Exercise 2: Sumo Squat to Upright Row

  • Start standing with your feet wider than hip-width apart and turned out slightly. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at the centre of your body, palms facing toward your body, and pull your core toward your spine.
  • Looking directly forward and keeping your chest lifted, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Keep your arms extended so the dumbbells remain in the centre of your body, and work to keep your back flat and shoulders back without slumping. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips.
  • Brace your abs and press through your heels to straighten your legs while simultaneously pulling the dumbbells up to your armpits, letting your elbows go up and out to the side. Squeeze your glutes at the top as the dumbbells come up to your chest.
  • Lower the dumbbells with control while simultaneously lowering back into the sumo squat.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 15 reps.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

8. Circuit 2, Exercise 3: Bent-Over Row to Triceps Kickback

  • Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in.
  • Lean your torso forward to a 45-degree angle and slightly bend both knees, bracing your core and keeping your back flat. Make sure your knees are in line with or behind your toes.
  • Extend your arms so they're straight, allowing the dumbbells to come just below your shoulders. Make sure to keep your chest lifted and shoulders back so you don't slump forward.
  • Lift the dumbbells straight up to chest level, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do. Be sure to keep your elbows in and pointed upward and your back flat, not arched.
  • Straighten your arms behind you with your palms facing in until your arms are parallel with the floor. You should extend from the elbow, but don't allow your elbows to move up, down, or side to side.
  • Bend your arms with control to return the weights to your chest.
  • Lower your weights slowly and extend your arms to return to the starting position. Keep your core braced and glutes squeezed throughout the movement.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 15 reps.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

9. Circuit 2, Exercise 4: Alternating Toe Touch

  • Begin lying flat on the ground with your arms and legs spread wide and fully extended, forming an "X" with your body.
  • Pull your core tight as you lift your right arm and left leg, crunching upward to tap your left toes with your right hand (or get as close as you can.) Keep your left arm and right leg extended and flat on the ground.
  • With control, lower back down to the starting position.
  • This completes one rep. Repeat for 15 reps, alternating sides.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

10. Circuit 2, Exercise 5: Weighted Squat Jump

  • Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding your dumbbells on the outside of your hips with your palms facing in. Pull your core in toward your spine to keep it engaged.
  • Looking directly forward and keeping your chest lifted, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Work to keep your back flat and shoulders back without slumping forward. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. You should be in a deep squat position with your butt as low to the ground as you can while keeping your knees in line with your toes.
  • Drive through your heels to straighten your legs and jump off the floor, letting your arms hang straight down to the sides of your legs. Keep your core tight.
  • Land softly and lower directly back to your squat position to absorb the impact.
  • This counts as one rep. Repeat for 15 reps.
  • To modify, do this exercise without weights.
Image Source: The Bright App / Ashley Chapman

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