It’s hard to find time for an extended workout when you have a busy schedule. Luckily, you don’t have to miss out because you can still build muscle with this four-move full-body dumbbell routine in just 20 minutes.
While it’s a great option for working out at home with a set of the best adjustable dumbbells if you’re short on time, the four-move workout also makes a great finisher or all-around routine for your gym workouts.
This flexible session, developed by personal trainers Rhiannon Bailey (opens in a new tab) and Bradley Simmonds (opens in a new tab)takes just 20 minutes total, broken down into five four-minute rounds, with exercises like swings and variations on dumbbell deadlifts.
You’re aiming to do five rounds, practicing for 40 seconds before taking a 20-second rest between moves. The emphasis is on multi-muscle compound exercises designed to strengthen your whole body, but this style of training can also help you achieve your other fitness goals.
According to Bailey, “keep the intensity high, so you’re not just working on your strength, but increasing that heart rate to improve your cardiovascular fitness.” It’s also important to focus on your form, so practice the technique by following the pair’s demonstrations.
Watch Rhiannon Bailey’s Full Body Dumbbell Workout
The duo routine is a great way to build muscle, boost your metabolism, and burn fat fast, through a combination of workout techniques. Although there are only four movements, each exercise trains several areas of your body at the same time.
These are known as compound exercises, and they’re a quick way to see results, which is why they’re trainer Chris Hemsworth’s favorite training tool. Working multiple muscles simultaneously helps build strength, but it also burns more energy during the session.
Then there is also the way you train. Bailey encourages you to keep the intensity high, which elevates your heart rate. This leads to extra energy consumption and creates longer term changes in your metabolism to burn fat all day.
It is a form of high-intensity resistance training (HIRT), which is quite similar to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but focuses on muscle-building movements instead of cardio exercises.
If you’re after another HIRT session with weights, it’s worth picking up one of the best kettlebells and learning how to do kettlebell swings. This compound exercise is a very effective way to burn fat, build upper body muscle, and strengthen your core.
