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Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
6 moves, 1 dumbbell and 20 minutes are all you need to build full-body strength with this workout
You don't need a gym full of weights to get a great workout done. You don't even need to buy a whole load of kit for your home either — just one dumbbell is all you need to strengthen your entire body, as long as you're doing the right workouts. This six-move workout from fitness trainer Kat Boley is definitely one such workout. Using one dumbbell, it works all the major muscle groups in the body in just 20 minutes, and along with building strength, it will also boost your cardio fitness thanks to the fast pace. Boley suggests using a fairly heavy dumbbell for the workout, since you'll be wielding it in both hands. She's using a 25lb weight, but pick whatever suits your fitness level — if you have one of the best adjustable dumbbells, you change the weight as and when required during the workout. Other than your dumbbell, you don't need any kit for the workout, though using a yoga mat will be worthwhile if you're on slippery floors. A post shared by Kat Boley | Home Workouts for Women (@katb_fit) A photo posted by on Boley demonstrates all six moves in the workout in her Instagram post, so it's worth watching each video to get an idea of the form for each exercise. You do three rounds of the six moves in total, resting briefly between each exercise and taking a longer one-minute break between rounds. Perform eight to 10 reps of each move — when alternating sides for an exercise, that means doing eight to 10 reps in total, so half that on each side. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Here are the six moves you'll be doing in the workout: One thing I always like about Boley's workouts is that she uses combination exercises to target multiple muscle groups in both the upper and lower body in the same movement. So you do squat thrusters, rather than just squats, or lunges with biceps curls. This means that short workouts can be more effective in the range of muscles worked. If you keep the pace high during this session, you'll raise your heart rate throughout, improving your cardio fitness and burning a lot of calories. You can treat it as a HIIT workout, or you can go slow and take longer breaks to make it more of a pure strength session. If you want a core-focused workout, this 15-minute session also requires only one dumbbell, while this 20-minute supersets workout is another great full-body session that just uses one weight.
Tom's Guide
22-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
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. A post shared by Kat Boley | Home Workouts for Women (@katb_fit) A photo posted by on 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. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 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.
