No gym needed — instead use this 30-minute dumbbell workout to build full-body strength at home

Building full-body strength doesn’t have to be a hassle. Not everyone has time to commit to a complex gym routine or multiple sessions a week focusing on specific muscle groups. Instead, you can add regular full-body strength sessions to your routine that take less time and work multiple muscle groups in one go. Here’s a 30-minute dumbbell workout to get you started.

This full-body routine is crafted by James Stirling, the man behind London Fitness Guy on Instagram, where he has garnered over a million followers. Known for his accessible, strength-building workouts, he specializes in routines designed for home workout lovers.

Stirling uses a single pair of dumbbells that he can lift with proper form for each move. However, if you have access to different sizes of dumbbells or a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells, feel free to adjust the weight as needed to match each exercise.

Watch James Stirling’s Full-Body Dumbbell Workout

Side Step Squat
Lunge
Single RDL
Shoulder Press
Push Up
Row
40s work / 20s rest, 4 sets with 1 minute rest between

You have four sets to work through so don’t give everything you’ve got in the first round, pace yourself, nail the right form of every exercise so you are getting the most out of every move and avoid injury.

The structure of the workout is you work on each exercise for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds between each move and good news, you get to take a full minute’s rest between each set. Be sure to take those rest periods, put the weights down for a moment, hydrate and let your muscles recover for the next round.

The 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest, with one-minute breaks between sets, combines aspects of both high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance training.

While the primary goal is to build strength through exercises like squats, lunges, and rows, the quick transitions between movements also challenge your cardiovascular system. This creates a full-body workout that builds strength, improves muscular endurance and challenges your cardiovascular fitness.

This style of workout also gives your metabolism a boost. When you push your muscles with resistance exercises and keep your heart rate up with short rest periods, your body burns more calories both during and after the workout. This is due to something called “afterburn,” or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), where your body continues to burn more calories as it recovers.

On top of that, working out can have a very positive effect on your mood. Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural mood boosters. This can leave you feeling accomplished and more productive for the rest of the day. So, not only are you strengthening your muscles, but you’re also setting yourself up for a positive mindset and better focus.