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30-Minute Full Body Ab Workout (Overload 30 Day 10)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | June 20, 2025

Build muscle and ab strength at home with just a set of dumbbells. This efficient, full body ab workout with weights includes seven compound exercises to challenge muscular endurance and sculpt strong, defined abs.

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This is DAY TEN of my Overload 30 Program.

Women performing a overhead tricep extension | | push day chest shoulders triceps

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Day ten of my 2-Week Overload 30 Program combines seven of my favorite full body ab exercises into one effective 30-minute workout.

As a personal trainer, I always emphasize that a strong core is the foundation of all strength training. Whether you’re squatting, pressing, or pulling, your core is working to stabilize every movement. That’s why I integrate full body ab workouts into any well-rounded progressive overload program.

How Core Work Fits into Progressive Overload:

Progressive overload isn’t just about adding weight to your squat or deadlift. You can apply it to your core training too. Here’s how:

Progress the movement pattern: Move from basic planks to plank pull-throughs or from bodyweight dead bugs to resisted ones.
Increase resistance: Add heavier dumbbells or kettlebells to your ab movements.
Increase time under tension: Slow down reps or hold positions longer (like planks or dead bugs).
Increase volume or reps: Gradually add more sets or reps each week.

Two women doing a holding a skull crusher and single leg glute bridge hold.

Workout Overview

Build muscle and challenge your core stability with this Full Body Ab Workout.

I suggest doing this full body and core workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.

Workout Equipment:

Medium to Heavy Set of Dumbbells. We’re using 15-25 lbs.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Full body ab workout with weights on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

2 Circuits (2 full body exercises and 1 ab exercise)
Timed Intervals (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
Trisets (repeat each circuit x 3 sets)
Start with a 1-minute buy in exercise and end with a 2-minute HIIT finisher

Workout Outline

1-MINUTE BUY IN:

Squat to Alternating Snatch

CIRCUIT ONE

2 Narrow to 2 Wide Squats
Staggered Deadlift Snatch and 2 Push Press
2 Push Ups and Copenhagen Plank Hold

CIRCUIT TWO

2 Curtsy Lunges and 2 Back Rows
Half Kneeling Chop
Single Leg Glute Bridge and Skull Crushers

HIIT FINISHER:

Ranger Burpees
Frog Jumps

1. 2 Narrow to 2 Wide Squats

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

Two women performing 2 narrow squats into 2 wide squat with dumbbell in each side. Full body ab workout

How To Do A 2 Narrow to 2 Wide Squats

Stand with your feet together, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides for narrow squats.
Lower into a narrow squat by bending your knees and sitting your hips back, keeping your chest tall and core engaged. Drive through your heels to stand tall.
Repeat for a second narrow squat, keeping the dumbbells at your sides throughout both reps.
Then step your feet out wider than hips for a wide squat stance, turning your toes slightly out.
Bring the dumbbells in front of your body, holding them between your legs with a neutral grip.
Lower into a wide squat, sending your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping the dumbbells centered beneath your shoulders.
Drive through your heels to return to standing, then repeat for a second wide squat.

2. Staggered Deadlift Snatch and 2 Push Press

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, lower back and core.

two women doing a staggered deadlift into two push presses | full body ab workout

How To Do A Staggered Deadlift Snatch and 2 Push Press

Stand with feet hip-width distance apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
Stagger your feet, so your left leg is slightly in front of your right foot. Kickstand your back right foot, right heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back right toe.
Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs; core tight.
Drive through your front left heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips as you stand tall.
As you stand tall, perform an overhead snatch with the dumbbell in your right hand by ‘snatching’ the weight overhead with your right arm (using the power and momentum created by your legs and hips). You should finish standing tall with your right arm straight overhead; lock out your elbow.
With control, lower the dumbbell back down to shoulder height and perform two single arm shoulder presses by pressing the dumbbell in the right hand overhead.

3. 2 Push Ups and Copenhagen Plank Hold

Targets: Every muscle in the upper body (chest, shoulders, triceps, back and biceps), core and transverse abdominus, hip abductors and hip adductors.

One women doing a push ups into side plank hold and one women doing a push up into Copenhagen plank hold.

How To Do 2 Push Ups and Copenhagen Plank Hold

Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists; feet hip-width apart.
Hold this plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your hips.
Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position, performing one push up.
After the second push-up, rotate your body into a side plank position, turning to one side so your weight shifts onto your forearm, which should be directly under your shoulder. Extend your right leg straight out and place the inside edge of your foot on the mat, while your bottom leg hovers just beneath it, fully off the floor.
Then, pull your left knee and right elbow to meet in a crunch position.
Hold for three seconds, then return to a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists; feet hip-width apart.

Modification: Drop to your knees to perform modified push ups. For the side plank, drop your inner knee to the ground and omit the copenhagen plank hold.

4. 2 Curtsy Lunges and 2 Back Rows

Targets: legs, hamstrings, glutes, hips, lower back, mid-back, arms, biceps, shoulders, abs and core.

Two women doing two back rows into two curtsy lunges.

How To Do 2 Curtsy Lunges and 2 Back Rows

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
Step your left leg back into a curtsy lunge, crossing it behind your right leg. Lower your hips until both knees form 90-degree angles, keeping your chest tall and core braced.
Push through your right heel to return to standing.
Repeat on the right side, stepping your right leg behind your left into another curtsy lunge.
After completing both curtsy lunges, hinge forward at the hips until your body is in a straight line, neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button pulled back towards your spine.As you pull the weights back towards your hips in a rowing movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Stop when your elbows are in line with your hips.
With control, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Repeat for a second back row.

5. Half Kneeling Chop

Targets: The glutes, hips, shoulders, back and abs (deep transverse abdominis muscles and oblique muscles).

One women performing a half kneeling chop and one women performing a standing kneeling chop

How To Do Half Kneeling Chop

Start in a half kneeling position, right knee on the mat and left leg bent at 90 degrees with your left foot in front of you.
Hold one dumbbell vertically, hands supporting the head of the dumbbell at your right hip.
Squeeze your glutes to stabilize your hips and core.
Then exhale as you use your core to drive the dumbbell crossbody and overhead, extending both arms up overhead towards the left side. Think right hip to left shoulder.
Lower the dumbbell with control back towards your right hip. Return to the starting position, and repeat this movement.

Modification: If you have knee pain you can perform the dumbbell chop from a standing position rather than kneeling.

6. Single Leg Glute Bridge Hold and Skull Crushers

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, triceps (back of the arm) and core.

Two women hold a single leg glute bridge hold and performing skull crushers

How To Do A Single Leg Glute Bridge Hold and Skull Crushers

Start laying on your back, right foot planted flat on the ground, left foot extended straight overhead (ankle stacked over knee). Hold one dumbbell in each hand, fully extending your arms so the dumbbells are directly overhead, palms facing one another.
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 dumbbells towards your head (just bending at the elbows). This is a skull crusher.
Then push the dumbbells back overhead to return to the starting position. Repeat to perform as many skull crushers as possible in the timed interval, maintaining the single leg glute bridge hold the entire time.

Modification: Option to perform skull crushers while holding a double leg glute bridge (keeping both feet flat on the ground).

7. Ranger Burpee

Targets: Total body — legs, hip flexors, calves, arms, shoulders, back, abs and core.

One women doing a squat thrusters and one women doing a ranger burpee.

How To Do A Ranger Burpee

Stand with feet hip-distance apart, or a little wider. Hold two dumbbells at your hips.
Engage your core and lower your hips down to the bottom of a squat as you place the dumbbells on the ground between your feet.
Step or jump both feet back to a high plank position. Make a straight line with your body from head to feet.
Lower your chest down towards the ground, elbows falling back towards your hips before exhaling as you push back up into high plank position (completing a push up).
Jump both feet forward, landing softly outside your dumbbells in a low squat.
Slightly hike the dumbbells between your legs as you stand tall, hinging your hips to explosively swing the dumbbells overhead, wrists stacked over shoulders.
With control, lower the dumbbells, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Option to perform squat thrusters.

FAQs

Can I Do A Full Body Strength Workout Every Day?

Well-rounded training plans will alternate arm workouts, lower body workouts and full body workouts with rest days. This allows the muscle time to repair and prevents overtraining injuries. I recommend one to two full body strength workouts per week. If you’re interested in dedicated abs and core training, try a 30-day ab challenge.

Are Weighted Core Exercises Effective?

Training your core with weights increases both the muscle strength and total body stability. By adding a weight to core exercises, we are able to practice building strength and stability in a controlled setting. For best results, weighted core exercises should be done in all three planes of motion: sagittal plane (forward and backward), frontal plane (side to side), and the transverse plane (pivots and twisting).

How Many Days Per Week Should You Do A Full Body Workout?

If you’re a fitness beginner, I recommend three full body training days a week which will give your body plenty of time to recover between sessions. If you’re more advanced, I recommend a split training routine, targeting specific muscle groups each day.