30-Minute Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

How to Do an Uneven Squat and Shoulder Press

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand: the dumbbell in your left hand outside your left thigh, and the dumbbell in your right hand in a front rack position at your right shoulder.
2. With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back as you lower into a squat, striving for a 90-degree angle between your hips and knees.
3. Then, drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes to stand tall. As you stand, perform a single arm squat thruster, pressing the weight overhead. Your right bicep should be near your right ear.
4. Bring the weight back down to shoulder height and repeat.

How to Do a Reverse Lunge and Knee Drive

1. Begin in a neutral standing position, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge, lowering your left back knee towards the mat. Both knees bent at 90-degree angles. 
3. Drive through your right heel to stand tall. As you do so, perform a knee drive on the left leg, bringing the left knee in line with the left hip.
4. Step your left foot back, returning to a reverse lunge position and repeat the movement.

Modification: Omit the knee drive to reduce the balance challenge. If lunges hurt your knees, substitute one of these lunge/squat alternatives.

How to Do a Dumbbell Deadlift and Calf Raise

1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your body (overhand grip, palms face your body).
2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings) as you glide the dumbbells down your shins. Focus on keeping your back straight and in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement. Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
3. Drive through your heels to push your hips forward, squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position.
4. Once standing, lift your heels off the mat, transferring your weight to the balls of your feet (toes), performing a calf raise.
5. Lower your heels back to the mat with control, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a Lateral Lunge

1. Stand with your feet under your hips, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
2. Step your left leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single-leg squat with your left leg. Knees and toes are pointing forward.
3. Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, stepping back to center.

How to Do a Bicep Curl

1. Start standing with feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl).
2. Keeping your elbows locked by your sides, squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder height.
3. At the top of the movement, rotate your hands so palms face in towards each other (hammer curl). With control, slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides.
4. At the bottom of your movement, flip your grip so palms face out again and repeat.

How to Do an Overhead Tricep Extension

1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart, core engaged and soft bend in your knees. Option to stagger your feet for more stability and support.
2. Hold 1 dumbbell vertically overhead. Activate your core by squeezing your glutes and abs to protect your lower back.
3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbell behind your head. Think ‘hide the dumbbell, show the dumbbell’ if you were watching yourself in a mirror. Keep your elbows close to your ears throughout the entire movement (don’t let your elbows flare out as you fatigue).
4. Then, squeeze through the back of your upper arm to straighten the elbows, extending the arms and pressing the dumbbell overhead.

How to Do an Uneven Push Up and Shoulder Tap

1. Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists. Place your left hand on the head of a stable dumbbell. Feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold this high plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
3. Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your body (not out to the sides).
4. Once at the bottom of your push-up, exhale as you push back up into a high plank position.
5. Then, perform a single-sided shoulder tap by tapping the left shoulder with the right hand. That’s one rep. Repeat, switching sides on the next set.

Modification: From a standing position, perform a dumbbell press-out followed by an overhead press.

How to Do a Kneeling Single-Arm Back Row

1. Start in a kneeling position, knees under hips, core engaged. Keep your left knee on the mat and place your right foot flat on the mat, right thigh parallel to the ground (right knee in line with right hip).
2. Slightly hinge forward. Maintain a flat back and keep your core tight. 
3. Hold the dumbbell in your left hand, lightly resting it on the ground in front of your left knee in line with your right foot. You should feel a stretch through your back muscles.
4. Exhale as you pull the dumbbell back toward your left lower ribcage, keeping your elbow close to your body.
5. Inhale as you slowly extend your left arm back to the starting position, maintaining control through the full range of motion.

Modification: Perform a single arm bent-over row from a standing position.