A few of my friends like to take advantage of the fact I’m a personal trainer, and have no problem hitting me up for free strength programs or fitness advice when they need it.
I’m happy to oblige, and when I recently sent this one to a good friend, I thought it was worth sharing more widely. This routine in particular is 15 minutes and only requires one dumbbell, meaning it’s easy to do at the gym when the weight rack is busy, or at home if you have a set of thebest adjustable dumbbellsor alternatives to hand.
Just remember, this routine was designed with a particular person in mind. If you experience pain or feel unwell, stop immediately and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
If you’re working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting this routine.
- Devil press: You can use two weights for this to make it more challenging. Start with your weight(s) in your hands and feet hip-width apart. Keeping hold of the weight, place your hands down on the ground in front of your feet, jump back, then perform a push-up. Jump your feet forward just wide of your hands, then swing the weight through your legs and hinge forward at your hips. Drive the weight upward, extend your hips, then press overhead. Reverse back down to repeat.
- Single-arm clean: You can use any weight for this. Hold a weight in one hand using an overhand grip, with the weight between your feet. Hinge forward at the hips, core engaged and back straight, chest up. Drive the weight upward as if zipping up a jacket pocket, keeping the weight close to your body. Allow the weight to rest on your forearm, elbow high, to rack the weight. Reverse to tap one end of the weight back down to the ground (if using a dumbbell).
- Alternating row: Hinge forward at your hips with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Your back should be straight and your chest almost parallel to the ground. Hold your weight in front of you in one hand. Keep the weight close to your side as you row the weight toward your hip. Pause, squeeze your back and shoulder blades, then slowly lower the weight again. This is harder if you start from the ground every rep. Remember to alternate sides unless you decide to work with two weights (as shown below).
What is the workout?
Get ready to fire up your whole body
Combined, you pretty much hit your whole body using three moves, with some push and pull work in there to hit your front and back body. I’ve also included some power work which will require you to push to your limit to move the weight from low to high positions.
Start with 2 reps of your exercises back-to-back (1 rep per side on the first round), then take a brief reset. Add 2 reps (1 per side) each round, set a timer for 15 minutes and aim for maximum reps.
This one builds intensity quickly, so I recommend going for the lighter side of medium-heavy dumbbells. Make sure your core is engaged throughout and prioritize form over your reps.
How fast can you work?
This routine isn’t fussy, but it does require a level of skill, so try to ensure you know the moves well and feel confident before you get started. You can use two weights, but I prefer working unilaterally so that you can focus on both sides of the body equally. You’re only as strong as your weakest side, and we all have one.
Let us know how you get on in the comments!
FollowTom’s Guide fitnesson Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.
- I teach people how to be more mobile: 3 low-impact back and shoulder moves that build stability and strength after 40
- I teach people how to be strong and mobile: this is the one exercise I regret ignoring for years
- I teach people over 50 to be mobile: 3 low-impact moves that build more stability than a 30-minute walk
