Going to the gym every day isn’t impossible for everyone, but it’s not always necessary. Especially when there are full-body workouts that can be performed anywhere, target all major muscle groups, and boost your metabolism.
Additionally, you can use standard weights if you have them, or consider purchasing the best set of adjustable dumbbells so you can increase or decrease the weight for each exercise as per your preference. Then you’re ready for a full-body strength session with trainer James Stirling, who goes by the handle London Fitness Guy.
Sterling’s workout involves performing each exercise for 40 seconds, with 20 seconds of rest between each movement, for a total of five sets. Don’t worry too much about the number of sets from now on. Just be sure to choose a realistic weight that you can tackle and stay hydrated during your breaks (here are our top picks for the best water bottles to keep by your side during your workout) ), focus on your form to prevent injury.
This style of workout is a type of high-intensity resistance training, similar to standard high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but with the added challenge of using dumbbells. The benefits are that it not only improves cardiovascular health, but also builds strength and muscle, leading to increased calorie expenditure during and after training.
Watch James Stirling’s full body dumbbell workout
Sterling’s workouts incorporate a combination of compound exercises, bodyweight movements, and functional exercises. For example, exercises like squats and deadlifts with rotational presses target multiple muscle groups and help improve strength, coordination, and stability.
There are also bodyweight exercises such as hand-release push-ups that work your core and upper body, and functional movements such as the long jump help develop explosive power and agility. Combined, these six exercises will improve your strength and definition, while also helping improve your mobility, balance, and cardiovascular fitness.
Additionally, once you get to the end of your 5th set, you’ll be happy to know that a phenomenon called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) is occurring. After a solid strength-building workout, your body uses the extra energy to repair and recover your muscles. This will increase your calorie burn for up to 48 hours. This “afterburn effect” accelerates your metabolism.
However, if you find this workout a little too intense, you can reduce the weight of the dumbbells or perform the exercise with just your own body weight. You can also increase your rest time between sets or shorten your work time to 30 seconds instead of 40 seconds.
Or, if jumping movements like the long jump are too difficult, feel free to replace them with lower-impact movements like step-ups or bodyweight squats.
