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30-Minute At-Home Workout (Single Dumbbell)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | July 10, 2025

This 30-minute full-body workout is designed to build strength, boost endurance and burn calories all from the comfort of home. It’s perfect for anyone short on time, space or equipment. This workout includes 4 supersets, each combining a muscle-building strength move with a heart-pumping power exercise. It’s ideal for busy individuals or beginners looking for an efficient, effective way to stay fit with minimal gear.

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As a certified personal trainer and busy mom of 3, I can confidently say that 30-minute home workouts are effective.

In fact, I started seeing more results (more muscle tone, better endurance and even weight loss) when I swapped long gym sessions for quick, consistent workouts at home. The secret is showing up regularly. When I stick to 30 minutes a day, I stay consistent, and that’s what drives progress.

You can build muscle and burn fat with 30-minute workouts. When you combine strength training with high-intensity intervals, you’re burning calories during the workout and long after it’s over. I’ve found this combo super efficient, especially when time is tight.

A good 30-minute workout hits every major muscle group and keeps your heart rate up. My go-to is a full-body circuit of supersets: a dumbbell strength move paired with a power move (like jump squats or mountain climbers). It’s simple, scalable and it works.

For this quick and effective home workout, all you need is a single dumbbell. That’s it – no fancy machines or big setups, just one piece of equipment and a little space in your living room.

If you’re looking for a simple daily routine to stay fit, aim for a mix of strength training and cardio 4-5 days a week. Try full-body workouts like this one a couple of times a week and keep moving every day. Even a brisk walk is great.

The bottom line: 30 minutes is more than enough time when you stay focused, move with intention and stay consistent. Trust me, it works.

two women performing a dumbbell lunge as part of 30 minute workout at home

Workout Specifics

Build total-body strength with this dynamic 30-minute full-body workout. All you need is a single dumbbell to target every major muscle group, from your quads and glutes to your chest and shoulders. This workout routine combines strength training with HIIT cardio to boost your cardiovascular health, endurance and overall strength.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter, modifications are provided to suit all fitness levels. If you’re pregnant, I recommend following one of my pregnancy-friendly workouts. Incorporate this workout into your home routine 1-2 times a week to see results!

Workout Equipment:

A Medium Dumbbell. I’m using 15-20 lbs.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided full video: 30-Minute Home Workout, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

Guided Warm-Up and Cool-Down
4 Full-Body Supersets
2 Exercises Per Circuit (1 strength exercise and 1 power exercise)
Timed Intervals (40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for the strength exercise and 30 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest for the power exercise. Complete as many reps as you can within the timed interval.)
Repeat Each Circuit x3 Sets

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE:

Strength: Single Arm Back Row, Dumbbell Clean and Uneven Squat Into Lateral Lunge
Power: Lateral Shuffle and Dumbbell Clean Pick Up

CIRCUIT TWO:

Strength: Reverse Lunge, Twist and Single Arm Hammer Curl
Power: Lunge Drops

CIRCUIT THREE:

Strength: Beast Dumbbell Drag and Plank Push Up
Power: Burpee and Single Arm Press

CIRCUIT FOUR:

Strength: Single Leg Glute Bridge and Skull Crusher
Power: Reverse Crunch with Overhead Pull and Seated Twist

1. Single Arm Back Row, Dumbbell Clean and Uneven Squat Into Lateral Lunge

Targets: Back, biceps, gluteus medius (outer glute that controls hip movement and side-to-side movements), hamstrings, hips, quadriceps, calves and core.

two women performing a single arm row clean uneven squat and lateral lunge

How to Do a Single Arm Back Row, Dumbbell Clean and Uneven Squat Into Lateral Lunge

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.
Bend at the knees as you hinge at the hips, pushing your hips back toward the wall behind you. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your left elbow towards your left hip, performing a single-arm back row on the left arm. Repeat to perform 2 dumbbell back rows.
Drive through your heels to stand tall. As you stand, use the power in your lower body to “clean” the dumbbell up, catching it at your left shoulder. Your palm is facing towards your body.
Bend your knees and drop into a low squat, lowering your hips down parallel to your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer toes. Keep the dumbbell up at chest level (front-racked).
Drive through your heels to stand tall before stepping your right foot out to your right side, bending your right knee while keeping your left leg straight. This is a lateral lunge. Lower the dumbbell, tapping it towards your right foot.
Press through your right foot to push back to center, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell clean, keeping it by your side to perform an uneven squat.

2. Lateral Shuffle and Dumbbell Clean Pick Up

Targets: Legs, glutes (outer gluteus medius), hips, calves, quads and core.

two women performing lateral shuffles and dumbbell pick ups

How to Do a Lateral Shuffle and Dumbbell Clean Pick Up

Start by placing a dumbbell vertically on the left side of the mat in front of you.
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, a foot on each side of the dumbbell. Sit your hips down and back into a loaded squat position.
Leading with the right foot and following with the left foot, take 2 large shuffles towards the right.
Reverse the movement, leading with your left foot as you take 2 large shuffles towards the left, returning to the starting position.
Sit your hips down and back as you reach your left hand down to pick up the dumbbell.
Drive through your heels to stand tall, pulling the dumbbell up as you clean it up to your left shoulder.
Sit back into a squat as you return the dumbbell back to the mat, then repeat the lateral shuffle to your right.

3. Reverse Lunge, Twist and Single Arm Hammer Curl

Targets: Quads, glutes, obliques, shoulders, biceps and the brachioradialis (forearm muscles).

two women performing a reverse lunge and hammer curl

How to Do a Reverse Lunge, Twist and Single Arm Hammer Curl

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Stagger your feet so your left foot is in front of your right, 80% of your weight in your left foot, 20% in your right toes. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand at your right side, palm facing in towards your body (hammer grip).
Squeeze through the front of your arm to curl the dumbbell up to your right shoulder, performing a single-arm bicep curl.
Keep the weight at your shoulder as you step your right foot back into a reverse lunge, bending both knees to 90 degrees. Aim to get your front left thigh parallel to the ground. As you step back, rotate through your torso to bring your right elbow towards your left knee.
Reverse the rotation as you step your right foot in, standing tall. Your feet are slightly staggered.
Lower the dumbbell down to your right hip, returning to the starting position.

Modification: If lunges hurt your knees, you can substitute an alternative exercise.

4. Lunge Drops

Targets: Legs, butt, hamstrings, hips, quads, thighs, calves and core.

two women performing lunge drops in a home workout

How to Do a Lunge Drop

Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Your shoulders are stacked over your hips.
Jump your right leg back into a reverse lunge position. Dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, the front thigh is parallel to the floor.
Explode back up to the starting position.
Repeat this movement on the same leg (right leg) for the timed interval, switching sides (left leg) for the second set.

Modification: Make this a low-impact exercise by omitting the jump and performing single-leg knee drives.

5. Beast Dumbbell Drag and Plank Push Up

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, upper back, mid-back, abs and core muscles.

women performing a dumbbell drag from a beast position into a push up

How to Do a Beast Dumbbell Drag and Plank Push Up

Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, feet hip-width apart. Place a dumbbell horizontally on the floor outside your right hand.
Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your hips (not out to the sides).
Once at the bottom of your push-up, exhale as you push back up into a high plank position.
Step or jump into bear crawl; shoulders stacked over wrists, knees bent at 90 degrees and hovering an inch off the floor, toes tucked under, and back flat.
Reach your left arm under your body to grab the dumbbell and pull it across your body. Think about keeping your shoulders and hips as stable as possible.
Reach your right arm underneath your body to grab the dumbbell, pulling it back to the starting position.
Step or hop your feet back, finding a high plank as you return to the starting position.

Modification: You can perform the dumbbell drags from a modified plank position and perform a push-up variation from your knees. If push-ups hurt your wrists, perform a standing dumbbell chop and front raise.

6. Burpee and Single Arm Press

Targets: Upper body (chest, arms, back, shoulders), lower body (legs, glutes, hips) and core.

women performing a burpee and single arm press

How to Do a Burpee and Single Arm Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Place a dumbbell on the mat just in front of your left foot.
Bend your knees and drop your hips as you lower into a squat position, then place your left hand on the dumbbell and your right hand on the floor directly in front of you.
Shift your weight into your hands as you jump your feet back to softly land on the balls of your feet in a high plank position. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
Jump your feet up, landing outside your hands in a loaded squat position. Then drive through your legs to explode up.
As you stand tall, clean the dumbbell in your left hand up to your left shoulder. Then perform a single arm overhead press by pressing the dumbbell in your left hand directly overhead, locking out the left bicep near the left ear.
Return the dumbbell back to your shoulder, then to the ground and repeat the burpee.

Modification: Perform an uneven squat and single-arm shoulder press. Keep the dumbbell in your left hand as you perform a squat, then clean it up to the left shoulder and perform a single-arm shoulder press.

7. Single Leg Glute Bridge and Skull Crusher

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, triceps and core.

women performing single leg glute bridge skull crushers in a home workout

How to Do a Single Leg Glute Bridge and Skull Crusher

Start lying on your back, right foot planted flat on the ground, left foot extended overhead. Hold a dumbbell horizontally between your hands, wrists stacked over shoulders, palms facing in towards each other.
Press through your heel to lift your glutes off the mat, squeezing your glutes as you lift. Think about keeping your core engaged and knees in line with your hips. Hold this single-leg glute bridge.
Bend at the elbows to slowly lower the dumbbell towards your head, performing a skull crusher.
Then, squeeze the back of your arm to straighten your elbows, pressing the dumbbells back overhead.
Slowly lower your hips towards the mat, hovering an inch above the ground, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Perform a standard double-leg glute bridge rather than a single-leg glute bridge.

8. Reverse Crunch With Overhead Pull and Seated Twist

Targets: Lower abs, obliques, lower back, hips and spine.

two women performing a reverse crunch with an overhead pull and seated twist

How to Do a Reverse Crunch With Overhead Pull and Seated Twist

Lie on your back, core engaged. Hold a single dumbbell horizontally between both hands. Extend your legs and arms away from each other, floating them off the mat.
Squeeze through your upper abs to lift your torso off the mat, crunching the dumbbell from overhead to your chest as you perform a sit-up. At the same time, pull your knees in towards your chest, heels floating off the ground and knees bent. This is a reverse crunch.
Hold this seated position, keeping your torso straight and long, as you rotate your shoulders to the right. Twist through the obliques to tap the dumbbell to the ground outside your right hip. This is a seated twist.
Return to center, then roll back to the mat and extend your arms and legs away from each other.
Repeat the reverse crunch. After every reverse crunch, alternate the side that you perform the seated twist.

Modification: Keep your feet on the floor for additional support and reduce range of motion for the reverse crunch.

FAQs

What is the 4-10-30 method?

The “4-30-10” Method is a fitness approach that combines 4 strength workouts per week, 30 grams of protein at every meal, and 10,000 steps per day. This is a great workout plan for anyone who wants to focus on protein and nutrition goals.

What is the best workout plan for a beginner?

The best beginner workout plan will target every muscle group (total body, upper body and lower body) and include strength training, cardio workouts and mobility. Start where you are, and do what you can. I recommend following a well-rounded plan for accountability and motivation.

Can you build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises?

Yes, you can build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises, but you have to be strategic about it. An effective bodyweight workout program will utilize principles like progressive overload, time under tension, and training close to failure to build muscle without equipment.