Bodybuilding can be very time-consuming. Doing four or more workouts a week, you need to find the time and energy to hit the gym and put everything you’ve got into your training. Consistency and effort are the keys to your success, and missing workouts will severely undermine your progress.
Unfortunately, life has a way of undoing the best intentions. Sometimes, even the most determined lifters are unable to make it to the gym. Sure, you MAY be able to catch up on a missed workout later in the week, but that’s not always possible.
One of the best ways to protect yourself from missed workouts is to keep a set of dumbbells at home and fill the gaps in your training with occasional short but intense training sessions.
While this approach may not be ideal for long-term bodybuilding, it’ll be enough to maintain your gains until you get back to the gym and return to your regular workout schedule. Also, if you are unused to this type of training, it could be enough to trigger some additional hypertrophy.
So, for this article, we’ve got a dumbbell-only workout that takes less than 30 minutes to complete. You don’t even need a workout bench!
Do this workout anytime you can’t make it to the gym. And remember; any training is better than no training!
Related: The 11 Best Time-Saving Workout Tips for Busy Bodybuilders
30-Minute Full-Body Dumbbell Workout – Overview
All you need for this workout is a set of adjustable dumbbells. Sure, you could go all-out and buy a full rack of fixed-weight dumbbells, but that’s not really necessary. After all, you probably don’t need all the dumbbells contained in a full set, and you’ll need a whole lot of space, too. A full set of dumbbells can set you back several thousands of dollars.
In contrast, adjustable dumbbells aren’t just easier on your bank balance; they take up very little space, so they’re ideal for occasional use.
On the downside, adjustable dumbbells usually top out at around 50-60 lbs., which may be considerably lighter than you are used to.
Get around this lack of weight by:
Doing more reps – studies suggest that it doesn’t matter if you do low reps with heavy weights or high reps with light weights. So long as you hit failure, your muscles will respond by getting bigger and stronger (1).
Take shorter rests between sets – shorter rests mean that subsequent sets are more challenging than if you rested longer, making light weights feel heavier. As an added advantage, you’ll be able to complete more training in less time.
Higher quality reps – make light dumbbells feel heavier, and your workout more productive, by doing each rep with perfect form. Use a slow, controlled tempo and lift and lower the weights through the largest safe range of motion possible.
The Workout
Do this workout anytime you are unable to make it to the gym. But, before you begin, spend a few minutes warming up and getting your body ready for what you’re about to do. Start off with some light cardio, e.g., jogging or jumping rope, followed by some dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for your major joints and muscles.
30-Minute Full-Body Dumbbell Workout
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps* | Recovery |
| 1 | Paused goblet squat | 3 | 8-12 | 45-60 seconds |
| 2 | Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8-12 | 45-60 seconds |
| 3a | Bridge floor press | 3 | 8-12 | 45-60 seconds |
| 3b | Dumbbell seesaw row | |||
| 4a | Arnold press | 3 | 8-12 | 45-60 seconds |
| 4b | Top-down biceps curl | |||
| 5 | RKG plank | 3 | 15-20 secs | 45-60 seconds |
*Note: Reps ranges are for illustrative purposes only. The actual number of reps per set will depend on the weight of your dumbbells. Just continue to failure – the actual number of reps isn’t really all that crucial. Exercises 3a and 3b and 4a and 4b are supersets.
For example, do exercise 3a and then, without resting, do exercise 3b. Rest for the designated time and then repeat the pairing twice more. Supersets save time while increasing workout intensity.
Exercise Descriptions
There is a right way and a wrong way to do any exercise. The right way keeps the tension on the muscles you want to work while reducing your risk of injury. The wrong way is usually less effective and more dangerous. So, choose the right way for better results with a lower risk of injury!
1. Paused goblet squat
With no barbell or squat rack, you may be wondering how you’re going to overload your legs. After all, your quads, glutes, and hamstrings are powerful muscles. Paused goblet squats make a little weight go a long way, and, combined with those short rests, your legs will soon be screaming for mercy.
You could also use blood flow restriction bands to make your workout even more intense!
How to do it:
- Hold a single dumbbell in front of your chest just beneath your chin. Step out and into a shoulder-width stance, toes turned slightly outward. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your knees, push your hips back and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Hold this position for 3-5 seconds.
- Stand up and then repeat.
2. Romanian deadlift
Where goblet squats emphasize your quadriceps, Romanian deadlifts focus more on your glutes and hamstrings. Between them, these two exercises work all your major lower body muscles, as well as your lower and even your upper back. Go as heavy as you can with this exercise, taking care not to round your lower back, which could lead to injury.
How to do it:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back. Look straight ahead.
- Without bending your knees further, push your hips back and hinge forward, lowering the weights down the outside of your legs. Descend as far as you can without rounding your lower back.
- Drive your hips forward, stand up straight, and repeat.
Related: Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
3a. Bridge dumbbell floor press
The bench press might be your go-to chest exercise, but you need a bench and a barbell to do it. The bridge dumbbell floor press is an old-school chest exercise. Still, it’s practically perfect for home training, making it ideal for this workout. As an added benefit, it also works your glutes and hamstrings, albeit isometrically or statically.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat. Press and hold your dumbbells up to arms’ length over your shoulders. Use a neutral or pronated grip as preferred.
- Drive your feet into the floor and push your hips up to the ceiling. Keep your hips up for the duration of your set.
- Bend your arms and lower the dumbbells until your triceps lightly touch the floor.
- Press the weights back up and repeat.
3b. Dumbbell seesaw row
Single-arm bent-over rows are a great exercise, but because they involve working one arm at a time, they’re quite time-consuming. Seesaw rows also work one arm at a time but using a more time-efficient alternating action.
How to do it:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hinge forward from the hips and lean over, so your torso is just above parallel to the floor. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back. Let your arms hang straight down.
- Bend one arm and pull the weight up and into your lower ribs.
- Extend your arm and row the other weight up and in.
- Continue alternating arms for the duration of your set.
4a. Arnold press
Named after bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, this shoulder exercise is one of the few that works all three deltoid heads relatively equally. You can do it seated or standing as preferred. Control both your ascent (pushing upward) and descent (lowering the weight).
Steady, smooth movements will increase muscle engagement and time under tension while reducing your risk of wrist, shoulder, and elbow pain.
Read more about the Arnold press here.
4b. Top-down biceps curl
Biceps exercises typically start with your arms straight. This variation begins with your arms bent, increasing time under tension. As an added benefit, top-down biceps curls are great for making light weights feel a whole lot heavier and should give you a tremendous pump.
How to do it:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back. Curl the weights up to your shoulders, so your palms are facing toward you.
- Keeping one arm stationary, lower one dumbbell down to your side. Curl it back up to your shoulder.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
- Continue alternating arms for the duration of your set.
5. RKC plank
How long can you hold a plank for? 60 seconds? Two minutes? Three? What a waste of time! With RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) planks, the focus is on generating maximal muscle tension instead of planking for as long as possible. This is a much more efficient use of your training time.
How to do it:
- Lie on the floor on your front. Rest on your elbows, so your forearms are pointing forward. Clasp your hands together.
- Lift your hips, so your shoulders are straight.
- Tense every muscle in your body, from your hands to calves via your chest, arms, core, glutes, and legs.
- Hold this contraction for 15-20 seconds. If you can go for longer, you weren’t tensing hard enough.
- Rest a moment, and then repeat.
Wrapping Up
You need more than dreams and good intentions to build muscle. Instead, you must get your ass in the gym and push your body as hard as you can. Not just once or twice, but four or more times per week, for months or even years at a time.
Missing workouts will soon put the brakes on your progress. But unless you have unlimited time, even the most dedicated bodybuilder will be forced to skip the occasional workout.
Avoid this problem by buying a pair of adjustable dumbbells and keeping them at home. Even if you can’t make it to the gym, you can still have a progress-saving workout.
No dumbbells? No problem! You can also get a pretty good workout using nothing but bodyweight exercises.
References:
1 – PubMed: Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/
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