20-Minute Total Body Circuit Workout with Dumbbells

All I’ve been posting lately is workouts! I’ll get some variety on here ASAP but for anyone not feeling the pyramid superset workouts I’ve been posting each Monday, I wanted to throw another structure into the mix. This workout will be as hard as you make it (depends on how heavy you go with the weights) so it’s great for most fitness levels.

20-Minute Total Body Circuit Workout with Dumbbells

Equipment I Used

• Set of 10-lb dumbbells
• Interval timer
• Exercise mat (I use this reversible mat from Gaiam–great for strength/cardio workouts but not grippy enough for yoga in my opinion)

Set an interval timer for 20 rounds of 45 seconds work / 15 seconds rest. You’ll go through the following circuit of exercises four times. Focus on one side (right/left) each time through the circuit. In other words, do all the one-sided exercises on the right then left then right then left.

Single-Leg Squat | As far as upper body goes, I want you to think “deadlift.” Lower body, think “single-leg squat/curtsy lunge.” Start standing on your right leg holding the weight in both hands in front of your body. Start to squat down on your right side, sending the left leg behind you into a hover. Make sure your right knee doesn’t jut out farther than your toes by thinking about sending your hips and butt back and down. Weight should be in your right heel at the bottom of your squat. Lower until the weight lightly taps the ground (or hovers) and then stand back up. As you do this, make sure you’re engaging your abs to avoid undue stress on the lower back.

Single-Arm Burpee with Thrust | Start standing with one dumbbell in your right hand at your shoulder and the other hand behind your back (you won’t use it at all). Squat down. Bring the dumbbell to the floor. Jump your feet back into a single-arm plank. Jump the feet back up, bring the weight to your shoulder and then stand up, thrusting the weight up overhead as you do.

Squat Jump-Jacks | Start in a low squat position with feet a little wider than hips width apart. Staying low in the squat, jump your feet in together and then back out wide. From there, do a squat jump, straightening your legs as you jump straight up in the air and then landing softly back down in your starting position.

Thread the Needle Plank to Side Plank Rotation | Start in a plank position with hands underneath shoulders, right hand gripping the dumbbell. Once you start the movement, you won’t return to this position (dumbbell won’t touch floor again). Rotate your body open to the right, dropping your heels so that you’re on the edges of your feet in a staggered side plank position. As you do reach the dumbbell up to the ceiling. Twist back to center plank, rolling back to the balls of your feet and squaring your hips as you wrap the dumbbell through the space between the floor and your chest, reaching it across your body to the left side of the room (like you’re giving yourself a one-arm hug). Reverse the movement, rotating back open into side plank, extending the weight back up to the ceiling.

This one will work both sides of your obliques (right as you twist through center threading the needle), left as you twist open and support your bottom sidebody. I always feel it more in the side holding the weight though.

Curl to Press in Lunge | Start in a low lunge position, right foot forward, ball of the left foot planted behind you (you want your back knee bent, too). Hold a weight in each hand down by your sides. From here, do a biceps curl, rotating the palms towards your body as you curl them up to your shoulders. Then do a shoulder press, rotating the weights as you press them above your head so that palms face forward. As you do the shoulder press, straighten your legs, rising out of your low lunge. Reverse the movement back down to starting position.

WEARING | Mindfulness cropped leggings c/o Aurum // H&M crop tee (old but American Apparel has a similar one) // Nike TR Flex Supreme sneakers

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