30-Minute Full-Body Weight Training for Beginners

How to Do a Goblet Squat

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold 1 dumbbell vertically at your chest in a goblet hold.
2. Inhale as you bend your knees and sit your hips back (as if sitting down in a chair). Aim for 90-degree bends at each knee, focusing on pushing your knees out (not letting them cave in). Keep your torso upright.
3. Exhale as you press through your heels to stand tall, driving your hips forward to return to standing.

How to Do a Romanian Deadlift

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
2. Hinge at the hips, pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs. Pull your navel in to engage your core.
3. Drive through your heels to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips as you stand tall.

How to Do a Split Lunge

1. Start standing feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Step your right leg back into a lunge position. Imagine your feet are on train tracks – front left foot planted on the mat and back right toes on the mat. Feet stay planted in this position throughout the entire movement.
3. Lower your back right knee towards the mat until your front thigh is parallel to the mat. Both knees bent at 90 degrees. Shoulders remain stacked over hips.
4. Then drive up through your front heel to stand tall, returning to the top of the movement.

Modification: If lunges hurt your knees, substitute one of these lunge/squat alternatives. I also recommend adding in these knee-strengthening exercises to prevent future pain!

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 left foot to reverse the movement, stepping back to center.

How to Do a Calf Raise

1. Start standing on a flat surface, feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight and core engaged to stand tall. Option to hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides to increase the intensity.
2. Slowly and with control, lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet, heels rising above the ground.
3. Lift your heels until you feel a stretch along the back of your legs, balancing on your toes.
4. Then, slowly lower your heels back to the ground, returning to starting position.

How to Do a Dumbbell Front Raise

1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, slightly bent knees. Hold a dumbbell horizontally in front of you, a head of the dumbbell in each hand.
2. Perform a dumbbell front raise by lifting the dumbbell straight out in front of you, raising the dumbbell to shoulder level.
3. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.

How to Do a Single Arm Back Row

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, palm facing in (narrow grip).
3. Bend forward at the hips, maintaining a flat back, belly button pulled back towards your spine.
4. Pull the dumbbell back towards your left hip (think of pulling from your elbow joint versus your wrist), as if you were starting a pull-start lawnmower. Stop once your elbow is in line with your rib cage, making a straight line from shoulder to elbow. Hold the row at the top for a moment, squeezing your shoulder blade in.
5. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat.

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 out (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 grip). 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.

Modification: Alternate sides with each rep, performing a single-arm curl on the right, then left.

How to Do a Single-Arm Triceps Kickback

1. Start with your feet hip-distance apart, with a slight bend in the knees. Hinge forward, staggering your feet to support your lower back.
2. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand at your side (palm facing your body) with your left arm bent at a 90-degree angle. Think shoulders down and back away from your ears.
3. Perform a kickback by extending the left elbow, so your left arm forms a straight line as you push the dumbbell back past your hips. At the top of the movement, the elbow is fully extended.
4. Slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position.

How to Do a Squat, Curl and Overhead Press

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
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 bicep curl, curling the weight in your left hand up towards your left shoulder.
4. Then, perform a shoulder press by pushing the weight in your left hand straight overhead, left bicep near your left ear.
5. With control, bring the weight back down to your left shoulder before reversing the curl, lowering the dumbbell to your left side and returning to the starting position.
6. Continue this pattern, alternating sides with each rep.

How to Do a Farmers Carry March

1. Start in a standing position, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Engage your core, then drive your right knee up in line with your right hip. Right knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Ground through your standing leg to remain stable.
3. With control, return your right foot to the ground.
4. Switch sides, driving your left knee up in line with your left hip before lowering with control.

How to Do a Pivot and Standing Chest Press

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a soft bend in your knees and your core engaged.
2. Hold 1 dumbbell horizontally at chest level. Your palms are facing in and your elbows are slightly tucked. This is your starting position.
3. Pivot on your feet 90 degrees to the right, allowing your hips to rotate with control. Once facing right, press the dumbbell straight out in front of you, extending your arms fully while keeping your shoulders down and away from your ears. 
4. Retract the dumbbell back to your chest, then pivot back to center and press the dumbbell straight out in front of you. Focus on keeping your hips and core tight.
5. Return the dumbbell to your chest and pivot 90 degrees to the left. Press out again, fully extending the arms.
6. Retract the dumbbell back to your chest, then pivot back to the right and repeat the sequence.