Forget push-ups — this 7-move dumbbell workout sculpts your arms and abs in just 20 minutes
If you're looking for a time-effective way to get stronger and fitter, then circuit training using dumbbells is a great way to go about it.
This quick workout from fitness trainer Kat Boley is a great example of why. It uses three circuits of seven combination moves to train the whole upper body in just 20 minutes, with a focus on your abs and arms.
Adding this to your weekly routine will quickly lead to a stronger and more sculpted upper body, as long as you're backing up your efforts with a healthy lifestyle in general.
All you need for the workout is a set of dumbbells — I'd opt for light ones as you're mainly doing arm and shoulder exercises, or a set of the best adjustable dumbbells would be ideal.
You can do the workout at the gym or home if you have weights handy and it's suitable for all fitness levels, but if you are a beginner, you might need to reduce the reps for some moves, or drop the dumbbells for them.
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You can see the moves in the workout in Boley's Instagram post, and she demonstrates each of them in turn, so it's worth watching to get a clear idea of what's to come before you start.
You do 10 reps for the first six moves in the workout, then do eight reps on each side for the final move.
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In total, you do three circuits of the seven exercises, which should take around 20 minutes depending on how much rest time you need — stop for a break as and when you need it, but try to complete the sets of each move without pausing for too long.
Here are the seven moves you'll be doing:
I've done several of Boley's workouts in the past, and one thing I always like about them is the use of combination moves, like the upright row to bicep curl.
These combo moves allow you to work more muscle groups in one exercise, and always feel like a time-effective way to train.
While this workout is primarily focused on building upper-body strength, if you limit the rest you take during the session, it will also get your heart pumping and increase your cardiovascular fitness.
Once you're comfortable with the session, you can progress it by using heavier weights, doing more reps, or even simply by trying to do the whole thing without taking any rest breaks at all.
If you love the session and want to do another like it, try this 20-minute dumbbell abs and arms workout, while if you want to train the whole body in 20 minutes, this 16-move dumbbell circuit is worth giving a go.
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USA Today
44 minutes ago
- USA Today
One dad talked about the 'father's mental load.' Then the backlash hit.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
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One dad talked about the 'father's mental load.' Then the backlash hit.
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an hour ago
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The moms trying to delay their daughters' periods
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Skinner has been concerned for years about the effects of certain chemicals on girls' puberty, she told me in an email. Now that she's a mom to a 4- and 7-year-old, she's working to eliminate those chemicals from their lives. Her post, which got more than 70,000 likes, is one of a few offering tips on pushing back the onset of menstruation (also called menarche), often involving changes to diet, personal care products, and even screen time. The parents involved are responding to a nationwide trend: The average age of menarche in the US has shifted earlier, from 12.5 between 1950 and 1969 to 11.9 between 2000 and 2005, according to a 2024 study. The percentage of kids who get their first period before age 9 is also on the rise, more than doubling between the 1950s and the 2000s. Researchers are concerned about these trends because getting a first period earlier is associated with an increased risk of some health conditions, including breast cancer. 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Some research also suggests an increased risk of anxiety and depression, Roopa Kanakatti Shankar, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, told me. Getting a period at a younger age than their peers can also be stressful for kids. 'Physically, they are reaching an adult-like state, but the cognitive development is still ongoing,' Shankar said. Managing the mechanics of pads, tampons, and tracking your cycle can be more difficult for younger kids, Mahalingaiah said (honestly, it remains a challenge for some adults). Younger children may have a harder time handling the mood shifts that can come with the menstrual cycle, Shankar said. Girls who go through puberty earlier are also more likely to experience sexual harassment, according to some research. For these reasons (and others), creators like Skinner, who lives in New Zealand, are taking matters into their own hands. 'The idea of delaying my daughter's first period (menarche) as long as naturally possible isn't about artificially controlling or fearing puberty — it's about supporting long-term health and well-being in the face of modern environmental stressors,' she writes in her Instagram post, inviting readers to comment 'DAUGHTER hormone support checklist' to learn more. Skinner also offers a variety of health coaching and 'low tox' education services. Skinner clarified to me that 'it's not about 'delaying' their period,' but rather 'creating an environment for them that doesn't bring it on prematurely.' For her, that includes 'eliminating personal care products with synthetic fragrance chemicals as well as swapping to glass and stainless steel in the kitchen in place of plastic.' She also focuses on feeding her kids 'whole, real, and homemade food' about 80 percent of the time. Bec Kinderman, a mom of four and homebirth advocate living in Australia, posted a similar message in April: 'Let's normalize pre teen girls being young, enjoying playgrounds and slowing down the onset of puberty.' Kinderman, who did not respond to Vox's request for comment, goes on to advise that parents choose whole foods over 'convenience foods' that are 'loaded up on seed oils and artificial ingredients.' 'While as parents we can't control everything in our child's environment & their life experiences & circumstances, there are things we can do to try to minimize these concerns,' Kinderman writes, in a post that received over 60,000 likes. 'I will be daring and say that household toxins and diet are NUMBER ONE.' Can parents control kids' periods? Several experts told me it's reasonable for parents to try to limit endocrine-disrupting chemicals in their homes, such as by avoiding unnecessary fragrances or choosing safer cleaning products. 'If you have the knowledge that you have a product that has these endocrine disruptors, and there is an alternative, to me it is reasonable to choose the one that doesn't,' Aviva Sopher, a pediatric endocrinologist at Columbia University, told me. However, Sopher said, it's impossible to completely avoid these chemicals because they also occur outside the home, such as in products used on lawns and gardens. Products made without phthalates and other endocrine disruptors can also be more costly, making it harder for lower-income families to avoid them, Sopher added. Meanwhile, trying to influence the timing of a child's period through diet could have unintended consequences, some say. 'One of the biggest problems that can cause delayed menarche is disordered eating,' Harrison said. Indeed, a very late first period, like a very early one, is associated with health risks, possibly because of links with eating disorders, Shankar said. 'I worry that the goal of delaying girls' periods unintentionally encourages restricting their eating, and also potentially masks the signs of disordered eating,' Harrison said. Banning all processed foods from the home could also backfire. Kids who never have access to such foods often binge when they do encounter them, Harrison said. 'I see that so often in kids who are restricted and deprived of sugar or snack foods, where they end up going to friends' houses and just like staying around the snack drawer the whole time.' Skinner agrees there's a risk of children developing eating disorders 'if parents are too fanatical about ONLY eating 'good' foods,' but says her 80–20 approach does not carry such a risk. 'In our home we don't demonize ANY food groups. We talk about how food makes them feel.' She doesn't want concern about eating disorders to become an 'excuse' for parents 'not to take ownership for their role' — which, she says, 'is to set their child up for the best chance of a healthful life.' Others, however, say that placing the onus on families to prevent early menarche puts an 'unfair blame and shame on parents, and especially moms,' who are still disproportionately in charge of what kids eat, Harrison said. Scientists still aren't sure what role endocrine disruptors play in early puberty, and they are difficult to study, even for professionals because they can occur in extremely low amounts that may or may not add up over time, Shankar said. Parents who are concerned that their daughters are going through early puberty — defined as breast development beginning before age 8 — should consult a doctor, Shankar said. On a societal level, we need more research into environmental influences on puberty, including endocrine disruptors, she added. Changes to public policy could also encourage companies 'to be more aware and more sensitive about what they're putting into the products that we're all using,' Sopher said. Stricter laws around air and water quality could be another way to address environmental factors along with 'environmental justice regulations that keep certain groups from being disproportionately impacted by pollution,' Harrison said. (Despite Kennedy's stated concern about earlier puberty, the Trump administration has actually rolled back dozens of laws around clean air and water.) 'To the extent that things in our environment are affecting this trend, it's on politicians and society,' Harrison said. 'At the collective level, we need to make these changes, not put it on the individual.' What I'm reading Gun deaths of children rose in states that loosened gun laws after a 2010 Supreme Court decision, according to a new study. In states that kept restrictions in place, deaths remained flat or even decreased. 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