This full body weight training workout combines strength, power and core stabilization exercises in a well-rounded workout at home. Burn fat through plyometric exercises and increase muscle tone through dumbbell strength exercises. This total body workout has four circuits, each made up of a strength training exercise, a power exercise and a core exercise.
One of the most common questions I get from women is, “what do I need to do to look toned?”
My answer to this question is always the same: you need to lift heavy weights.
Weight training (or dumbbell strength training) builds muscle mass, which is exactly what you need if you want to look “toned.” Simply put, looking “toned” means you have muscle and a relatively low amount of body fat, making your muscle definition visible.
That said, fitness is more than achieving a certain physique. In order to optimize your health and fitness, you should also focus on cardiovascular endurance, agility, core stability and mobility.
In addition to strength training exercises, a good full body weight training workout will include power and stabilization exercises. These exercises will challenge your ability to generate and absorb power, as well as your ability to maintain balance and stability.
Training these areas is functional, and will improve your ability to perform everyday tasks while decreasing your risk of injury.
The combination of strength, power and abs inspired our fan-favorite “SPA” workouts and has become one of my favorite ways to train full body.
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35-Minute Good Full Body Weight Training Workout
Build strength at home using just a set of hand weights with this full body weight training workout.
A complete strength and cardio workout for women targeting every muscle group in the body: the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and thighs), upper body (biceps, triceps, back, shoulders, and chest) and core.
Add full body conditioning workouts like this one to your home training routine one to two times a week to improve cardiovascular health, increase endurance and build strength.
Workout Instructions:
Follow along with the guided Full Body Weight Training Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
4 Full Body Circuits
3 Exercises Per Circuit (one strength exercise, one power exercise and one ab exercise)
Timed Intervals (30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest)
Repeat Each Circuit x2 Sets
Workout Equipment:
Medium Pair of Dumbbells. I recommend between 5-25 lbs depending on your fitness level. We used 15 and 20 lb dumbbells in today’s workout.
Workout Outline
CIRCUIT ONE
Strength: Squat and 3-Count Squat HoldPower: Weighted Surfer Quick HitsAbs: Forearm Plank Knee Drive and Reach
CIRCUIT TWO
Strength: Alternating Bicep Curl and Shoulder PressPower: 4 Dumbbell Jabs and 4 Press JacksAbs: Push Up and Double Back Row
CIRCUIT THREE
Strength: Staggered Deadlift and Curtsy LungePower: Lateral Lunge and Staggered Suitcase SwingAbs: Alternating Squat Chop and Double Knee Crunch
CIRCUIT FOUR
Strength: 3 Skull Crushers and 3 Chest FlysPower: Push Up Burpee and 2 Bicep CurlsAbs: Dumbbell Overhead Pull with Leg Lower and Crunch
4 Weight Training Exercises
Squat and Squat Hold
Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and core.
How To Do A Dumbbell Squat and Squat Hold
Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a set of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip).
Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position. Repeat for three tempo squats.
At the bottom of the third squat, hold a low squat position for a three-count.
Drive through your heels to stand tall and repeat, performing three tempo squats.
Alternating Bicep Curl and Shoulder Press
Targets: The long head of the bicep as well as the brachialis (another muscle in the upper arm located at the elbow joint), shoulders, and the brachioradialis (a forearm muscles).
How To Do Alternating Bicep Curls and Shoulder Presses
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip, or hammer curl grip).
Starting on the right side, squeeze your right bicep to curl the weight in your right hand up to your right shoulder, keeping your elbow locked into your side.
Then, press the weight straight overhead, aiming to fully extend the elbow near your ear, performing a dumbbell shoulder press.
Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbell first to shoulder height, then reverse the curl, lowering the weight to your hip and returning to the starting position.
Repeat, this time performing a dumbbell bicep curl and shoulder press on the left side.
Staggered Deadlift and Curtsy Lunge
Targets: Posterior chain, hamstrings, glutes, quads, core and lower back.
How To Do Staggered Romanian Deadlifts and Curtsy Lunges
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips (palms facing in towards your body).
Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your right foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back 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, keeping your core tight, slightly bending both knees. Range of motion will look different for everyone.
Drive through your front heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hip as you stand tall, returning to starting position.
Then, step your left leg back into a curtsy lunge (left knee should meet right calf), left knee lowers towards the mat. Lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
Then squeeze your right glute, driving your back, left leg forward as you stand up.
Skull Crusher and Chest Fly
Targets: All three heads of the tricep muscle (the back of the arms), as well as the chest muscles (both the larger pectoralis major and the smaller pectoralis minor).
How To Do A Skull Crusher and Chest Fly
Lie flat on the ground or on a bench or stability ball; legs bent at 90 degrees.
Hold one dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms so the dumbbells are directly overhead (palms facing one another).
Bending at the elbows, slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head (just bending at the elbows, lowering the dumbbells towards your temples).
Then squeeze through the back of your arms to lift the dumbbells back overhead to return to the starting position. Repeat to perform three skull crushers.
After the third skull crusher, inhale and slowly open your arms, lowering the dumbbells in a wide arc until they reach shoulder level (or the ground). Your elbows should remain soft and not over-extended (slight bend in the elbows).
Exhale as you pull the dumbbells back to starting position, squeeze your chest muscles together. Keeping your chest puffed out and your elbows slightly bent. Repeat for three chest flys.
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Good Full Body Weight Training Workout FAQs
An effective weight training workout will include a combination of compound exercises and isolation exercises. Compound exercises burn calories while targeting multiple major muscle groups at once. Isolation exercises focus on a specific muscle group (such as glute exercises, back exercises or chest exercises) and address muscle imbalances or weaknesses.
Yes, weight training or dumbbell exercises are extremely effective if your goal is to build muscle. Ultimately, the key to building muscle is to implement progressive overload which increases the intensity of your workouts over the course of weeks or months. Increasing repetitions or lifting heavier weights is a great way to achieve progressive overload.
Pin This Workout: Strength, Power and Abs Dumbbell Workout
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