The Single Dumbbell Shredder: 1 Full-Body Workout You Need This Summer (15 Minutes!)

Summer ignites that urge to look perfect for the beach. Even if you have no plans to surf, who doesn’t like sporting a pair of sleeve-ripping guns?

As a personal trainer with almost two decades in the trenches, I can attest that there are two peak seasons for gyms: the first is the New Year, and the second is during the spring, aka the cutting season.

As the weather warms up and layers come off, people rush to join the gym to shed off the excess body fat gained during the winter.

Contrary to what most people think, you don’t need a fully-stacked gym to transform your physique. A single dumbbell and 15 minutes are all you need.

But are 15 minutes really enough, you ask?

They sure are. A study concluded that 15-minute circuits elevate metabolism for hours post-workout, maximizing weight loss. (1)

In this article, I share my top-secret single dumbbell training routine that has helped several of my clients shed body fat and improve their muscle conditioning in just 15 minutes. You’ll also learn how you can implement it into your current training routine. We have a lot to unpack, so sit tight and read on.

Why One Dumbbell? The Power of Minimalism

The great thing about dumbbells is that they are highly versatile. You can perform various isolation and compound exercises to target your muscles from different angles and ensure overall development.

Exercising with a single dumbbell is a form of unilateral training. Lifting a single DB demands stability as your core has to work in overdrive to keep your body balanced. This can boost functional strength, improving your performance in day-to-day activities and sports.

Plus, you can grab a single dumbbell for less than the cost of a month’s gym membership and turn any corner of your home into your training haven.

The Science Behind the 15-Minute Shredder

At the base level, your body does not know whether you are running on a treadmill or performing a dumbbell high-intensity interval training routine. An elevated heart rate and metabolism are the most important factors during a workout to torch calories.

I leveraged my experience working with clients across the spectrum to devise a high-intensity circuit training (HICT) that blends strength and cardio. It involves cycling between 45 seconds of full-send effort and 15 seconds of rest.

A HICT workout leads to a phenomenon called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which triggers your body to burn fat long after your workout ends (2). The EPOC effect can sometimes last up to 24 hours after your training sessions.

Since we have limited time, we will mainly include multi-joint exercises to get the best bang for our training buck. Training multiple muscle groups simultaneously burns more energy and builds functional power.

Compound unilateral exercises, which involve training one side of your body at a time, can help identify and iron out strength and muscle imbalances.

Meet the Single Dumbbell Shredder Workout

The results of any training program, including this single-dumbbell 15-minute routine, depend on the exercise selection. I picked the five best exercises that deliver full-body strength, cardio, and core stability improvements.

Single-arm dumbbell swing

This kettlebell swing variation is even more challenging as the weights are on either side of the dumbbell’s handle and require more space.

Stand with a wider-than-shoulder-width stance, holding a dumbbell in your right hand. Hinge at your hips and swing the dumbbell back between your legs. Explosively extend your knees and hips, and use the thrust generated to lift your arm to shoulder level.

This exercise hammers the glutes and hamstrings, builds explosive power, and spikes your heart rate.

Goblet squat

Squats are the king of exercises as they target the entire lower body, including the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. The goblet squat is even more demanding as it requires you to keep your torso upright throughout the range of motion.

Hold a dumbbell by one end against your chest with your elbows tucked. Stand erect with a hip-width stance and toes pointed outward slightly. Flex your knees and squat until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground while keeping your chest proud. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

Remember, leaning forward will not only throw off your balance but can also cause lower back strain, significantly increasing injury risk.

Single-arm overhead press

Neglecting overhead pressing movements can cause poor core and shoulder stability, hampering your day-to-day functioning.

Lifters who always use machines and barbells for exercises like the military press usually struggle with single-arm overhead movements.

Stand tall while holding a dumbbell in one hand at shoulder height, palm facing forward. Brace your core and press the weight overhead until your arm is locked out. Hold this position for a second before lowering the weight slowly.

This exercise carves the deltoid, triceps, and obliques.

Single-arm bent-over row

Whenever a client comes to me for help improving their midsection definition, I add single-dumbbell exercises like bent-over rows to their routine. These moves engage the obliques and transverse abdominis, giving you that coveted tight, ripped midline.

Grab a DB in one hand using a neutral grip. Hinge at the hips and slightly flex your knees. Your back and neck should be neutral throughout this exercise. Avoid keeping your hand on a sturdy surface for support, as it limits core engagement.

Contract your core and pull the weight to your side while driving your elbow toward your hip. Perform as many reps as you can before switching sides.

As you gain more experience, slow down the lowering phase to three seconds to increase the time under attention and maximize target muscle fiber adaptations.

Reverse lunge with dumbbell pass-under

I absolutely love reverse lunges with dumbbell pass unders as they help build stronger legs and improve overall coordination, boosting functionality and athletic performance.

Hold the dumbbell in one hand, step back with the same side leg into a lunge, and pass the dumbbell under your front leg to the other hand. Stand back up, switch sides, and repeat.

Newbies can skip the pass unders and perform the standard reverse lunges.

Sample 15-Minute Single-Dumbbell Workout

Now that you are well-versed with each of these exercises, it is time to put this knowledge to work. Perform two circuits of this workout to annihilate your muscles and ignite new growth:

Exercise	Reps	Rest
Single-arm dumbbell swing	45 seconds	15 seconds
Goblet squat	45 seconds	15 seconds
Single-arm overhead press	45 seconds	15 seconds
Single-arm bent-over row	45 seconds	15 seconds
Reverse lunge with dumbbell pass-under	45 seconds	15 seconds

Perform as many reps on one side in 45 seconds without compromising form before switching sides. Then, move to the next exercise.

I recommend using a timer for this workout. Ensure that you do not rest longer than 15 seconds after completing each exercise, as it can lower the training intensity and hamper your results.

You are allowed a one-minute rest after completing one circuit of this workout. However, keep the rest duration as short as possible to push yourself out of your comfort zone and make consistent progress.

How to Integrate the Shredder into Your Summer Routine

Since you only need one double for this training routine, you can do it anywhere and at any time. A single dumbbell is compact enough to pack with you during a road trip, leaving you no excuses to skip a workout if your hotel or Airbnb does not have a gym.

However, you must avoid the urge to go too heavy too soon, as it lowers the effectiveness of the workouts and increases injury risk.

Beginners should start with a 10 to 15-pound dumbbell and focus on form and control. Intermediate lifters can use 15 to 30 pounds to challenge their strength and endurance, whereas advanced athletes can opt for 25 to 60 pounds to push their workout intensity.

If you were on the market for a dumbbell, I recommend performing at least two of the exercises from this workout with different weights to find the right match. The workouts should feel challenging, but you should be able to perform the exercises with a picture-perfect form.

Start with 1-2 of these workouts each week, and you can go up to four weekly sessions, depending on your current fitness levels and recovery potential.

Tips For Boosting Fat Loss Results

Irrespective of how hard you train, you cannot lose weight while following a junk food diet.

A calorie deficit is the holy grail of weight loss. It involves expending more calories in a day than you consume. Use this convenient TDEE calculator to determine your ideal daily calorie and macronutrient intake.

You should also prioritize your water intake. The human body is 75 percent water. Drinking less than 4 liters of water daily can lead to dehydration, causing issues like headache, mental fog, lack of focus, and diarrhea.

Finally, prioritize recovery by ensuring that you get at least eight hours of eye shut time each night. Deep sleep is when your body recovers and sheds fat.

Dial in your sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time daily. Control light exposure 1-2 hours before bed and create a sleep-optimized environment to eliminate light and fall asleep easily.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Steer clear of these common pitfalls to maximize your results:

• Poor form: Many people rush through the exercises when they are racing against the clock. This usually leads to a sloppy form, negatively impacting the effectiveness of the exercises, and significantly increasing the risk of getting hurt.
• Skipping warm-ups: Since this is a high-intensity workout, starting without properly warming up can lead to muscle sprains. Spend at least five minutes before each exercise to properly warm up your muscles. It boosts blood flow to the target muscles, improves mobility, and boosts performance.
• Overtraining: Training too often and not allowing your muscles enough time between workouts to rest can increase overtraining risk. It can lead to a plateau and cause overuse joint and muscle aches and pains.

Conclusion

Dumbbells are a potent, portable tool for transforming your physique in a limited time. Adopt the 15-minute single-dumbbell workout into your daily routine, and you’ll notice the results firsthand within 12 weeks. Start small but stay consistent, and you’ll be rewarded for your efforts. Best of luck!

References:

1. Heden T, Lox C, Rose P, Reid S, Kirk EP. One-set resistance training elevates energy expenditure for 72 h similar to three sets. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011 Mar;111(3):477-84. doi: 10.1007/s00421-010-1666-5. Epub 2010 Oct 1. PMID: 20886227; PMCID: PMC3071293.
2. Greer BK, O’Brien J, Hornbuckle LM, Panton LB. EPOC Comparison Between Resistance Training and High-Intensity Interval Training in Aerobically Fit Women. Int J Exerc Sci. 2021 Aug 1;14(2):1027-1035. doi: 10.70252/ODIN6912. PMID: 34567357; PMCID: PMC8439678.

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