20-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout | Build Lean Muscle for Women

This is full body strength training at its best. We have 6 simple exercises done in 3 strong sets. It's simple, effective, and one I would add to my routine every week. All right, team, I'm Lindsey Bomgren of Nourish Move Love, and I'm so excited to come at you with today's full body strength workout. I love this format. I'm also joined by the amazing Caroline.

Hello.

She'll be offering some modifications today if you need them, but today is a full body strength workout, so not a lot of modifications. We've got 6 simple moves, 3 lower body, 3 upper body. You're gonna do each exercise for 40 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. And we're gonna do 3 sets for maximum muscle building. If you love tri-sets, if you love simple, effective strength, this workout is for you. So let's jump right in.

I'm excited for this workout.

Yeah, this is like our, like a format we both love. So very excited to do this. We're gonna start with a simple warmup. So big inhale, reach up, exhale, hands come to the back of the head. We're going for a good morning. So you push those hips back, Push the floor away, stand tall. Do it again. Soft bend in those knees, hinge and press that floor away. Nice work. As you push that floor away, hips drive forward, warming up the backside of the body, the hammies, the low back. Nice work. Give me 2 more right here. Nice. One more. And we drop into squat. So now hips go down and back, dropping that tailbone down. Nice work. Pressing that floor away. Same thing. Pressing that floor away to stand you tall. Nice stable base here. It's basic moves today, very functional squats, deadlifts, lateral lunges, because we're going to move a little bit in all planes. And then you go 3 upper body exercises. We're thinking push, pull, and lateral movement today. It's basic, it's effective, and it's what works. 2 more right here. Nice. Last one. Lateral lunges. So we're going to hit right, then we're going to hit left. Let's start with the right. Step out wide, Drive off that bent leg. Other side, lateral lunge. Very functional warm-up, taking you through the moves you're going to see in today's workout. All right, you get to decide how heavy the load is. You've got 3 sets, make them count. Nice work. Let's go one more each way. Side, center, side, center. Nice. Let's go for a shoulder complex. So arms are going to come up 90 degrees, palms down, palms up. Push overhead, pull down, down, up, push. Nice. Relax the shoulders. Nice work. Press and pull. You're gonna see upper body and lower body push-pull. That's what we're focusing on. When I write a full body workout, I think I want a lower body push, upper body push, lower body pull, upper body pull, and then I'm going to give you a lateral pattern too. One more here. Down, up, push. Nice. From here, big inhale up, exhale forward fold. Hands hit the mat, step back into a high plank. Your modification is going to drop to your knees in this high plank. Holding here, shoulders stacked over wrist, core is tight. Hold here for 3, 2, step right foot outside, right hand, easy twist. Gaze is going to follow the fingertips. We're opening up the hips here. Nice. Set the hand down, switch it out, step back, left foot outside, left hand, rotate, gaze follows. Nice. Do it again, one more each way. Great move right here to open those hips. It's going to make our squats, our lateral lunges more comfortable, allow us to access a deeper range of motion. That's what we're looking for. Nice work. Step back. You got 2 push-ups, knees or toes. Down, up, down, up. Push up and back down dog. Pedal the heels. Nice work. Bend the knees all the way to the mat. Little cat cow. Stretch out that spine. Drop the belly, lift the chin. Nice work. Reverse it. Tuck the chin, roll that spine up towards the chest or ceiling. Nice flat back. Find that neutral spine. You're going to want to maintain this position. Throughout today's workout. We're going to go for a bird dog, opposite arm and leg reach, firing up the core, the back extensors. Nice. Other side. Reach, hold. Nice work. From here, press up and back, down dog. Walk your hands back to meet your feet. Roll up one vertebrae at a time. When you get to the top, two big shoulder rolls up, back down, up, back down.

You warm? Yeah. Let's do it.

I'm warm. We're jumping right in. We're starting with 3 lower body exercises into 3 upper body exercises. 40 seconds on, 15-second transition. Grab your heavy weights. We start with squats and deadlifts. Squats and deadlifts. I'm grabbing my two heavy weights, taking two weights at the side here. You're dropping into a squat, pushing the floor away, standing tall. 40 seconds on. That timer starts in 3, 2, let's go. Squat down, up. You're thinking inhale down, exhale push that floor away. Inhale down, exhale push that floor away. We go 3 lower body moves back to back to try and exhaust those lower body muscles. And then we're going to go 3 upper body moves. All right. And then you just repeat it times 3 sets. It's quick. It's dirty. It's a solid full body strength workout. That's what we're going for today. Halfway. So this is your lower body push exercise. You are pushing that floor away to stand you tall. You are targeting your glutes and your quads. We go to a lower body pull exercise next in 5. 4, 3, 2. Rest and recover. If you want to set those weights down, switch, shake out your grip. Going into a deadlift. You can kick your butt where your feet land, that's where you want to be. Now it's a hinge pull, drive the hips forward. Here we go, crush some oranges in your armpits. 3, 2, let's go. Hinge, hinge, hinge, press that floor away. Hinge, hinge, hinge, press that floor away. All right, so this is your pull exercise. You are pulling your hips forward to stand you tall. You are targeting the back of your legs, your hammies, glutes, and hips. I said crush oranges in your armpits. That is to set you up for success and keep the dumbbells nice and tight to your body. That's going to avoid dipping into that low back. The farther those weights creep away, the more your low back is going to turn on. If you feel this in your low back, try adding a softer knee bend. You're here for 3, 2, rest and recover. You You can keep 2 weights or drop down to 1. We're going to that lateral lunge. You're gonna hit right, then you're gonna hit left, just like we did in the warm-up. I'm gonna hold 1 weight, you can hold 2. Step right in 3, 2, let's go. Hit right, stand tall, hit left. All right, so we did push squats, we did pull deadlifts. Now we're adding a multiplanar or a lateral move, right? Which is very functional. Life is 3-dimensional. I believe we should train that way too. This is what I would say is probably one of the most effective full-body strength workouts. 3 lower body exercises, 3 upper targeting your major push-pull muscle movers, adding a lateral pattern to make it a little bit more real life. 5 more seconds, guys.

Finish.

Last 3, 2, Rest. Nice work. Swap your weights if you need to. We're going upper body. It's alternating overhead shoulder press. Punch right, punch left. It's simple. This is upper body push, upper body push. In 3, 2, let's go. Punch right, punch left. Nice. I've got a neutral grip here. My palm is facing in towards my face. You could always go like this. A little bit more out if you want, really up to you. Inhale down, exhale push. If you got lighter weights, you can go 2 at a time. Trying to go heavy here, alternating is the name of the game. Stop bending those knees, core is tight, full extension at the top. Think about bringing shoulder or bicep to ear, bicep to ear, right there. Come on, keep pushing this, and we switch to back alternating back rows in 3, 2, 1. Hit the shoulders. That's your push. Now we pull. You hinge, pull right, pull left. Let's see if I can go heavy here. Back is your largest upper body muscle. Let's make it work. Hinge over, pull in 3, 2, let's go. Pull right, pull left. Again, if you have lighter dumbbells here, option is always to double it up. And I'm going heavy. One way I can try and increase my weights is by alternating. Allows me to go heavy. I'm using 25s here. Use whatever's available for you. If you're a beginner, I suggest starting with 8% to 10% of your body weight. Basic math, not my strong suit, but if you weighed 100 pounds, say just for sake of easy math, that would be 8 to 10 pounds, right? All right, so you can do that math and then you're slowly trying to increase 5% of that weight. Come on, 3, 2, rest and recover. Whoo!

Which we get a question often is like, When should we try to lift heavier? And it's like the last 2 to 3 reps, right?

Yes. Okay, I'm going to address that. But first, between your moves, you got 10 push-ups. So we do 10 push-ups and we go back to the top. 10 push-ups and we go back to the top, kneeling or from your toes. You've got 10 push-ups in 3, 2. Let's go. 10, 9. Nice.

8.

Exhale as you push that floor away.

Yes.

Come on, halfway.

5.

4, 3, 2, 1. Back to the top. We're gonna do 10 push-ups between every set. If that's not available to you, you can always do them from your knees or a chest press. Quick sip of water and you're back to the top. Squats, deadlifts, lateral lunge, shoulder press, back row push-ups. Basic, but it works. Back to squats. Grab your heavies. 40 seconds in 3, 2, Let's go. Okay, Caroline, what was that question?

So people often ask, like, when should I lift heavier?

When should I lift heavier?

When should I go increase my weights by 3 pounds or 5 pounds?

Oh, like, how do I know when I've hit my plateau and I should go up?

Yep.

Got it. So it's basically, right, like I always say, as women, my brain is like spaghetti noodles. Like, there's a lot going on up here. If I'm doing these squats right now and I'm making a to-do list in my head, making a grocery list, Not feeling out of breath or fatigued right now. I'll tell you, we're in the final 10 seconds right now. This is when it should feel really hard. If these final 10 seconds are not challenging, it is time to increase those weights, my friend. You're here for 3, 2, 1. Ah, deadlift, keep them. Okay, each lift should require mental focus as well as those final 2 to 3 reps should be difficult to complete. If you're not there, increase them. 3, 2, go! Crush the oranges and hinge at the hips. Soft bend the knees, basic deadlift here. Now this is a move, if I'm being totally transparent, if I was working out at home, I might reach for some heavier weights here, right? Right, with my squat and my deadlift, really trying to push those weights, especially at home. Sometimes I'll hit that spacebar take longer than just the 15-second break.

Okay.

If I take a longer break, that gives me access to, uh, heavier weights sometimes if I'm, if I'm really trying to increase my weight, but I get it. I'm a mom. I've got 3 kids. I run a business. Sometimes 20 minutes is all I got. 3, 2, and 1. Now we go lateral lunges, alternate them. You can go 1 or 2 weights. All right. It's all about making the most of your time. I'm going to talk about that as we get into this next exercise. Step right lateral lunge in 3, 2, let's go. If I've got 20 minutes, I would say this is a go-to workout, right? It's great, it hits push-pull, upper, lower body. You're going to see some workouts on our channel that are no repeat. If that's what gets you motivated, great. But if you are truly looking for effective strength building It is repetition and sets, you guys. 3 sets. That's where we want to live. We don't want to do an exercise once and move on, right? Like, I get it. I have those days I'm not motivated. And if that's what gets you moving, great. But if you truly want to maximize your effort and your time, it's right here. It's 3 sets for 3, 2, rest and recover. Nice. Back to upper body, alternating shoulder presses. Alternating shoulder presses. Shake it out, shake it out. Grab your weights. You are punching overhead in 3, 2, let's punch, push. Whoops, I mix it up. I went left arm first. Never do that. Caroline saw it and she was like, I'm here for it. Nice work. Inhale down, exhale push. We talk about avoiding that rib flare here. Think about pulling your rib cage down towards your hip bones as you exhale and press overhead. It's a big punch, full extension, bicep to ear, soft bend stays in those knees. Second time through should feel harder. You're in that final 10. The squinty eyes should be coming out right here. Push it, 5, 4, 3, 2, rest and recover. Holy bananas, back rows. Okay, again, you can double them or you can alternate them. We want to go heavy here. I want to take it from a hinge position and we want to row.

Grab your weights.

3, 2, hinge, pull. This is your upper body pull, pull. Back and bicep are your pull muscles. Chest, shoulder, tri are your push muscles. You're hitting the chest and the tricep in the push-up, hitting the shoulder in the overhead press. Very effective. OK, bicep is definitely engaged in this row. Not a primary muscle that we're targeting. It's more of an accessory muscle. So if I'm short on time, I'm thinking chest, back. Those are two big upper body muscle groups. Shoulders as well. Chest, back, shoulders. For legs, I'm thinking glutes, quads, hammies, hips, right? Everything you're targeting right here today. For 5, 4, 3, 2, rest and recover. Woo! Second set feels a little bit more difficult. Ready? We drop. 10 push-ups. 10 push-ups. It's only 10. It's not 40 seconds. You can do anything for 10 reps. Lead with that chest. We go 10 push-ups between sets in 3, 2. Let's push. Come on. 10, 9, 8, 7. You got this. 6, stick with it. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Nice work. You're out.

10 is so much more more motivating than 40 for push-ups. Yes, right? I can do 10 push-ups.

I can wrap my head around 10 seconds. That is so true. I'm like, that's doable. Our rep drop workouts have become more and more popular. Yeah, for sure. Because you can wrap your head around 10 reps. All right, guys, one more set. See if Caroline knows the Rachel words.

Third set is the best set.

Oh, she said the whole thing by herself. She's got it. Third set is the best set. Third set is the best set. It's squats, it's deadlifts, and you're there for 40 seconds in 3, 2, let's go. Third set, guys. Third set, hammer it out, finish strong.

Woo!

You got it. One more round. 6 moves one more time. Yes. Come on, third set should feel hard. Challenge yourself. Also a good indicator, right? If this third set isn't starting to challenge you, Time to go up for those weights. Reach for some heavier weights. Halfway, guys. 20 down, 20 to go. Keep pushing that floor away. Keep standing up strong. Building legs, glutes, quads. Final 10, 9. Yes, you can. Let's go. 5, 4, 3, 2. Rest, recover.

Whew.

Gotta shake out those forearms. Heavier the weights get. Yeah, that grip strength, we're building it. Indication of longevity, grip strength. Deadlifts, one more time in 3, 2, let's go. Hinge, hinge, hinge, push that floor away. Nice flat back, neutral spine, soften in those knees. Oranges are crushed in the armpits, pushing those hips back towards the wall behind you. Great exercise to try and increase those weights. Hamstrings are big and strong. Nice work. Think about exhaling as you push that floor away. Use that breath. Use your breath. Breath is so powerful. Middle of the day, that Garmin goes off on me, tells me I need a breath break. It knows it can balance our stress, it can balance our nervous system. You're here for 4, 3, 2, rest and recover. One weight or two, moving laterally for the last time. Hit right, then left. Hit right, then left. Lateral lunges. Heart rate's going up. Grab that weight. Hit right in 3, 2, let's go. Notice you get more breathless on leg day or doing 3 consecutive leg exercises in a row. It's because, right, the larger the muscle group, the more oxygen and blood flow required to move it. Heart rate definitely gets a little bit higher when you're training legs. Even though we're not jumping here, we're also moving pretty quickly between exercises to make the most of your 20 minutes together. Caroline didn't fight for longer rest.

Rachel would have fought for 20.

Nice.

I didn't see that 15 until we started.

Last one, and you're out. Nice. Okay, grab those weights that you want to use for shoulder press. Push, pull, push-up. Finish it, guys. Alternating shoulder press. Last time. 3, 2, 1. I'll be glad when we are on the other side of the shoulder press. I don't know if I've asked you this on camera before, Caroline, what are your favorite upper and lower body exercises.

I love a squat.

Squat.

And I really like chest press. I feel like our community loves chest press.

Yeah.

But I feel like I can go heavier on it. And so that's my new favorite.

I'm with you on the chest press. I love— it's me, pull-ups, push-ups, chest press. Woo! Final 10. Let's go. Push it right here.

Finish.

5, 4, 3, 2. We gotta do one more on the left, balance it out. Boom. All right, here we go. Back row, back rows and push-ups, back rows and push-ups. Grab those weights. Alternating back row. 3, 2, row right, left. Nice work, team. Think about a 2x4 from head to tailbone, elbow to hip. Elbow to hip, shoulder blade down and back. Squeeze, hold, squeeze, hold. Building strong backs here, one rep at a time. 20 down, 20 to go. Yes, you can! This in push-ups, this in push-ups. Finish it, guys, right here. You got it. What would it look like if I said final 10, 9, 8? Come on, finish! Last 5, 4, 3, 2, rest and recover. Woo! We do 10 push-ups, we stretch, and we are out of here. Come on, finish strong. 10 reps. Yes you can. You're there in 3, 2, let's go, go. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Yes team, yes team. Way to go, full body strength! I hope you feel so stinking strong. Let's take it right over to our backside. Let's stretch it. Let's hit those glutes. Squats and deadlifts. Left leg long, right knee wraps. Give it a little hug. You're gonna feel nice glute lengthen and stretch here. I love this one. Just big inhale, pull that knee tight. Exhale. One more time, big inhale, pull it tight. Exhale. Nice. Kick both legs long. Big inhale, reach up. Exhale, hinge, hinge, hinge. Reach for those toes now. Nice. Feel that release in the low back. Lengthen through those hammies. Reach the shin, calf, toes, whatever's available for you. Nice glutes. Other side. Left leg wraps. Give it a nice hug. Lengthen through this glute. Nice stretch here. Awesome job. I'm so proud of you for showing up today. I hope you feel stronger on the other side of this 20-minute full body strength workout. Like I said in the beginning, this is truly a routine I would come back to weekly. Like, I love it. We push, we pull, lower, up, upper. True, like, trainer's core principles. This workout should be a staple. All right, we're gonna go legs bent at 90 degrees. Fingertips can face your butt. Face your butt. Big lift off. Nice. Just think about opening or spreading your chest apart here. And if you want, you can add a slight forward lean and back, little rock forward and back. You're going to stretch that shoulder. Neck is hanging heavy. Nice. One more breath here. Lower those hips down. Now just round, reach around, grab elbows, round that spine. Bring it back up and you are out of here. 20 minutes in, out. We'd love to see you back on the mat for another workout soon. Awesome job knocking out that full body strength. If you loved it, hit subscribe to my channel. I've added on a little core workout if you want to keep going. Otherwise, I'd love for you to join me for Overload 30. It's my 2-week strength challenge, just like this workout. It's going to help you feel so strong and it's in this playlist right here. Have a great day.