Quick and Effective: 20-Minute Full-Body Workout with Dumbbells and Resistance Bands

I’ve been a personal trainer for over 35 years and an athlete for even longer. During this time, I trained in some of the most exclusive gyms in the world and used some of the best workout equipment.

Contrastingly, I’ve also worked out in some much less glamorous places. For example, I trained with a champion Gambian bodybuilder in his dusty backyard using equipment made from cement blocks and old car parts.

The point is that while having a well-equipped gym is nice, it isn’t what determines your success. Rather, it’s your effort and commitment that matters. You don’t need access to state-of-the-art equipment to reach your fitness goals, and you don’t need long workouts, either.

Building your workouts around compound or multi-joint exercises means you can achieve amazing results in relatively little time. Just a few 20 to 30-minute workouts per week are all you really need. Use this approach for long enough, and you WILL make progress.

Sure, many people exercise longer and more frequently, but that only works if you can stick to such a demanding schedule. Missed workouts don’t build muscle!

To that end, here is a workout that requires nothing more than a single dumbbell, resistance band, and pull-up bar. Despite the lack of fancy equipment, this program will sculpt your entire body in under half an hour.

Minimalist Workout Overview

Do the following workout three times a week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This schedule provides the ideal balance between work and recovery.

But before laying so much as a finger on a dumbbell, make sure you spend some time preparing your muscles and joints for what you are about to do. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of easy cardio, e.g., jogging or jumping rope, and then do a few dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for your main muscles and joints.

#	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1a	Goblet squat	2	12-20	60-90 seconds
1b	Resistance band good morning		10-15
2a	Resistance band push-up	2	10-15	60-90 seconds
2b	Pull-up		10-15
3a	Single-arm dumbbell press	2	10-15	30-60 seconds
3b	Single-arm dumbbell row		10-15
4a	Dumbbell alternating swing	2	12-20	60-90 seconds
4b	Resistance band dead bug		12-20

Exercises are arranged in supersets or pairs to save time and maximize your energy expenditure for faster fat loss. Do the first paired exercise, designated a), and then immediately do the second exercise, designated b). Rest for the prescribed time and then repeat the pairing.

Re. reps, the ranges provided are for guidance only. Adjust your reps according to the weight of your dumbbell and the strength of the band you are using. The last 2-3 reps of each set should be challenging but without noticeable form breakdown.

Exercise Instructions

When it comes to training safely and efficiently, your exercise form matters. Follow these step-by-step instructions to ensure you get the best results from this workout:

1a. Goblet Squat

Target muscles: Quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, abductors, adductors, core.

Squats are the crowned king of exercises. In fact, in my opinion, a workout is not a workout without a few sets of squats! Goblet squats are one of my favorite squat variations, as they’re safe, comfortable, and effective, and you only need a single dumbbell to do them.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward.
2. Hold your dumbbell in front of your chest with your palms turned up and your elbows tucked into your sides.
3. Brace your core, and pull your shoulders down and back.
4. Bend your legs and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Stand back up and repeat.

Tips:

• Descend below parallel if your flexibility and knee health permit.
• Keep your torso as upright as possible to reduce lower back stress and optimize lower body muscle engagement.
• Dumbbell too light? Work one leg at a time with kickstand squats:

1b. Resistance Band Good Morning

Target muscles: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, erector spinae, core.

While goblet squats are an excellent leg lower body exercise, they tend to emphasize the front of your thighs while neglecting your glutes and hamstrings. Resistance band good mornings flip the script to target the muscles on the back of your legs.

Steps:

1. Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and brace your core.
2. Loop the band over the back of your neck and stand up straight. Hold the band to take some of the pressure off your neck.
3. Hinging from the hips, lean forward and push your butt back until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor.
4. Drive your hips forward and stand up straight.
5. Continue for the prescribed number of reps.

Tips:

• Squeeze your glutes at the top of each rep.
• Take care not to round your lower back, as doing so could cause injury.
• Experiment with the width of your stance to determine what feels most the

2a. Resistance Band Push-up

Target muscles: Pectoralis major, deltoids, triceps, core.

Conventional push-ups are a great exercise but are a little too easy for many people. Using a resistance band makes this classic bodyweight exercise much more challenging and means you won’t have to do as many reps to reach failure. However, only use the band if you have mastered regular push-ups.

Steps:

1. Hold your resistance band in both hands and loop it over your shoulders.
2. Adopt the push-up position with your legs, arms, and body straight. Brace your core.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your chest to within an inch of the floor.
4. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Use a narrow hand position to emphasize your triceps or wider to work your chest more.
• Bend your legs and rest on your knees to make this exercise easier.
• Place your feet on a bench to put more weight on your hands and make this exercise more challenging:

2b. Pull-up

Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, biceps, trapezius, forearms, core.

Pull-ups are a classic calisthenic back and biceps exercise. They’re also one of the best ways to assess your relative strength, i.e., your strength relative to your body weight. One of the quickest ways to get better at pull-ups is to lose weight. As such, they are often the motivator exercisers need to finally lose those unwanted pounds!

Steps:

1. Hang from an overhead bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Bend your legs so your feet are clear of the floor. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
2. Bend your elbows and pull your chin up and over the bar.
3. Descend smoothly and repeat.

Tips:

• Avoid swinging or kicking with your legs, as doing so takes work away from the target muscles.
• Use a supinated (palms towards you) grip to emphasize your biceps.
• Use a resistance band for assistance if required:

3a. Single-Arm Dumbbell Press

Target muscles: Deltoids, triceps, core.

In the not-so-distant past, the overhead press was THE test of upper body strength. Nowadays, most people care more about the bench press. That’s a shame because overhead presses are by far the better, more functional exercise, especially when done one arm at a time.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
2. Hold and raise your dumbbell to shoulder height, palm facing forward.
3. Keeping your torso vertical, press the weight up and overhead.
4. Lower it back to your shoulder and repeat.
5. Switch sides and do the same number of reps with the other arm.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise with a neutral grip, where your palm faces inward.
• Do this exercise seated if you need additional back support.
• Do the same number of reps with both arms.

3b. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

Target muscles: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, deltoids, biceps, forearms.

Where pull-ups are an effective back-widening exercise, rows help build upper back thickness. They’re also an excellent move for improving posture and treating the dreaded “desk slouch.”

Steps:

1. Hold your dumbbell in one hand and stand with your feet hip to shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and pull your shoulders back and down. Brace your core.
2. Hinging from the hips, lean forward and let your arm hang straight down from your shoulder.
3. Keeping your hips and shoulders square, bend your arm and pull the weight up and into your ribs.
4. Extend your arm and repeat.
5. Switch sides and do the same number of reps with the other arm.

Tips:

• Lead with your elbow, tuck your upper arm into your side, and keep your wrist straight to make this exercise as effective as possible.
• Avoid rounding your lower back, as doing so could lead to back pain and injury.
• Place your free hand on a bench for extra back support if required:

4a. Dumbbell Alternating Swing

Target muscles: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, erector spinae, core, deltoids, forearms.

Swings are usually done with both hands and a kettlebell. However, this single-handed dumbbell variation may actually be better. It requires and develops more balance and coordination while providing an excellent anti-rotation core workout.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold your dumbbell in one hand in front of your hips.
3. Push your hips back, lean forward, and lower the weight between your knees.
4. Drive your hips forward and use this momentum to swing the dumbbell up to shoulder height.
5. Switch hands as the dumbbell reaches the top of the swing.
6. Lower the weight and repeat, alternating hands rep by rep.

Tips:

• This is a powerful exercise, so make sure you swing the dumbbell explosively.
• Hinge at the hips rather than bend your knees. This is NOT a squat!
• You can also do this exercise using two hands, but only if your dumbbell is heavy enough:

4b. Resistance Band Dead Bug

Target muscles: Core, latissimus dorsi, hip flexors.

When it comes to abs and core training, most people rely on bodyweight exercises to achieve their health and fitness goals. While such exercises are convenient, they may not be the most efficient way to develop core strength. This banded exercise will hit your abs hard and in less time than sit-ups, crunches, planks, etc.

Steps:

1. Attach your resistance band to a low anchor, e.g., a heavy dumbbell, table leg, or similar. Lie on your back with your head near the band.
2. Hold the band with both hands so your arms are vertical. Shuffle forward to tension the band.
3. Bend your legs so your knees are over your hips. Brace your abs and press your lower back into the floor.
4. Slowly straighten and lower one leg toward the floor. Keep your abs tight and your back pressed into the floor.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

1. Eliminate the band to make this exercise less challenging.
2. Keep your arms pressed toward your feet throughout your set to make this exercise as effective as possible.
3. Stop your set if you cannot keep your lower back pressed into the floor.

Conclusion

You don’t need a huge gym or long workouts to build muscle and burn fat. In fact, like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV, you can get in great shape using basic equipment and even just a few rocks, logs, and calisthenics exercises.  

While there is no need to go “full Rocky” and train outdoors in the snow, it’s good to know that you don’t need the best gym in the world to achieve your fitness goals. Dedication, determination, and perspiration build fitness, not state-of-the-art training facilities.

So, don’t worry if you only have a few basics to train with – that’s really all you need. What matters more is effort and consistency.

Train hard, train regularly, and you WILL transform your body.

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