35-Minute Strength Building Workout

How to Do a Squat and Lunge

1. Start standing feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer toes.
3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.
4. Step your right foot back into a reverse lunge. Lower your right knee towards the mat, aiming for 90-degree angles in both knees.
5. Hold for a moment, then drive through your front, left heel to return to standing.
6. Repeat the dumbbell squat, then alternate the lunge, this time stepping your left foot back into a reverse lunge.

Modification: If squats and lunges are uncomfortable, check out these alternative exercises.

How to Do a Shoulder Press

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip). Your shoulder blades are pulled back and down.
2. Engage your core, slightly tucking your pelvis to protect your lower back. Push the dumbbell in your right hand overhead until your right arm is fully extended.
3. Lower the dumbbell to shoulder height, returning to the starting position.
4. Push the dumbbell in your left hand overhead until your left arm is fully extended.
5. Lower the dumbbell to shoulder height, returning to the starting position.
6. Finally, push both dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended, locking out your biceps near your ears. 
7. Lower the dumbbells to shoulder height, returning to the starting position.

How to Do a Staggered Deadlift

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
2. 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 toes. 
3. Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Push your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs. Keep your core tight and engaged.
4. Drive through your front left heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips as you stand tall.

How to Do a Single-Arm Back Row

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart. Hold one dumbbell in your left hand, palm facing your midline. Place your right dumbbell on the ground in front of you, resting your right fingertips gently on the head of the dumbbell. 
2. Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor (neck in line with your spine, flat back, belly pulled in).
3. Hold this position as you perform a single-arm row on the left side. Pull the dumbbell in your left hand back towards your left hip, squeezing your back muscles as you perform the movement.
4. Control the dumbbell back down to the starting position and repeat.

How to Do a Lateral Squat

1. Start with your feet wider than your hips (think a wide squat stance). Your knees and toes are either pointing forward or your toes are just slightly turned out away from your body. Hold one dumbbell at your chest in a goblet squat hold.
2. Shift your weight into your left heel 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 while your right leg remains straight.
3. Drive through your left foot to reverse the movement, pushing you back to center.
4. Repeat, this time shifting your weight into your right heel as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight.

How to Do a Single Leg Glute Bridge and Skull Crusher

1. Start lying on your back, right foot planted flat on the ground, left foot extended overhead. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands, wrists stacked over your shoulders, palms facing in towards each other.
2. 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.
3. Bend at the elbows to slowly lower the dumbbell towards your head, performing a skull crusher.
4. Then, squeeze the back of your arm to straighten your elbows, pressing the dumbbells back overhead.
5. 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.

How to Do a Dumbbell Burpee With Stack on Push-Ups

1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart or a little wider. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips.
2. 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.
3. Step or jump both feet back to a high plank position. Make a straight line with your body from head to feet.
4. Perform a controlled push-up, lowering your chest toward the ground as your elbows track back close to your body.
5. Pause for a moment, then in one explosive movement, jump both feet forward and land in a low squat just outside your dumbbells.
6. Explosively stand up, pulling the dumbbells up the front of your legs as you return to the starting position.
7. Note that in this variation, we will “stack-on” the number of push-ups we perform. Start with 1 push-up, then perform 2, then 3 and so on.

Modification: Push-ups are an extremely effective bodyweight exercise to build strength, but if you can’t do them on your toes, you can substitute one of these push-up modifications. If push-ups hurt your wrists, substitute one of these exercises for wrist pain.