You don’t need a fancy, expensive gym membership to build muscle and strength. Sure, you might have more equipment available at a gym, but you can do a lot more than you may realize with just a set of adjustable dumbbells or even a medium-heavy set of fixed dumbbells and your exercise mat.
Most importantly, you need to focus on three key areas with your workouts: consistency (several times per week, if you can), staple functional compound exercises and progressive programming. That means repeating exercises and tweaking them to feel more challenging over time while focusing on multiple muscle groups. Do that, and it doesn’t matter if you’re at home or in the studio.
Not long ago, my 50-year-old client asked for a home dumbbell workout she could do between sessions. These are the four moves and the routine I gave her. Just remember, this routine was designed with someone in mind. If you experience pain or feel unwell, stop immediately and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Watch: 20-minute dumbbell workout
If you’re working with an injury or health condition, I recommend seeking advice before starting this routine.
- Curtsy lunges: 3-4 sets of 6-8 heavy reps per side.
- Start with your feet hip-width apart, weights at your sides or one weight held at your chest. Step your right foot out to the side on your toes, then circle the right foot back behind your left in a wide arc over to the left. Imagine you’re drawing a smiley face. Bend your knees and lower into a lunge, hinging forward slightly at the hips with a straight back. It should look like you’re curtsying. Drive up through your legs and core to stand, then repeat the lunge. Switch sides after you complete your reps.
- Thrusters: 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and rack your dumbbells to your shoulders, elbows drawn upward for support. Brace your core. Sit your hips back and squat, sitting as low as you can while pressing through your feet. Your chest should be proud, back straight. Drive upward to stand and press the weights overhead in one move. Keep your arms close to your ears to stabilize the weights. As you sit back into the squat, bring the weights back to your shoulders.
- Suitcase deadlifts: 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Stand holding your weights at your sides, feet hip-width apart and core active. Set your shoulders back and down, then slowly hinge forward at your hips, maintaining a soft knee bend. Keep your chest proud and back straight. Lower the weights along your outer legs toward the ground. If you can reach the ground outside your feet without hunching, great; if not, pause near the ground, then press upward to stand with power.
- Alternating rows: 3-4 sets of 6-8 heavy reps per side.
- Hinge forward at your hips until your chest is almost parallel to the ground, feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold your weights with a neutral grip in front of your shins. With control, row one weight toward your back pocket, elbow nice and close to your body. Pause, squeeze your back, then lower the weight again. Repeat on the other side.
What are the benefits?
You’re hitting pretty much every major muscle group during this routine
You’re hitting pretty much every major muscle group during this routine; curtsy lunges strengthen your legs with an outer gluteus and adductor bias, meaning your butt and inner thighs will feel this one; thrusters work the whole body, including your legs, glutes, core, triceps, shoulders and upper chest; suitcase deadlifts work your posterior chain, including your lower back, glutes and hamstrings, but the position of the weights will also strengthen your quads and knees, and your core works hard for stability; finally, rows hit your back and biceps, meaning better posture and pulling power while improving your hip hinge.
I like to load quite heavy on these exercises, but make sure your form doesn’t get put to one side for the sake of load. A general rule of thumb: aim for the last two or three reps to be difficult to finish, but not impossible. Lifting close to failure with intensity is one of the best ways to build muscle and make gains with your routine.
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Take 30-60 seconds of rest between your sets and move with control. You could also try slowing the tempo of each move to increase overall intensity.
My client rates this routine for working her whole body while remaining low-impact and easy to scale up or down. She’s moved up in weight a few times since we first programmed it, and credits it with helping her build and maintain muscle and strength between her gym sessions. Plus, she doesn’t have to leave the house. Bonus!
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