Build muscle and lose weight fast with this super-effective full-body workout – all you need is a pair of dumbbells

Words: Josh Ivory

If you want to burn fat, build muscle and lose weight, there’s one form of weightlifting worth focusing on: supersets. By moving quickly from one exercise to another with minimal rest between sets, you’re upping the intensity of the workout and firing up your metabolic rate. The net result is you burn fat faster while also increasing muscle size.

That’s why we’ve focused this workout around superset training, to help you shape up in double-quick time. And, because there’s not always time in our busy-paced lives to focus training on just one or two body parts, we’ve designed a workout that will tax the whole body, from your legs to your shoulders.

How to do it

Do each of the exercises in order, taking the stated rest between moves. Aim to have a selection of dumbbell weights to hand – light-to-medium for upper body moves and medium-to-heavy for lower body moves. You should find the last couple of reps tough. For each superset, perform the first set of one exercise (e.g. 12 chest presses), then move on to the first set of the next move (e.g. 12 rows), without taking a rest. Next, move back to the first move, alternating exercises until all sets are done. Easy.

Lunge with Punching

Sets: 3 | Reps: 12 | Rest: 45 secs | Works: legs, arms and shoulders

  • Stand with your feet together while holding a light weight in each hand.
  • Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees, with your palms facing each other.
  • Lunge forwards with your right foot and simultaneously punch your left arm forwards, followed by your right arm.
  • Step backwards and repeat with your left foot.

Step-ups

Sets: 2 | Reps: 20 | Rest: 1 min | Works: thighs and bottom

  • Stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs.
  • Place your right foot on the second step.
  • Push up through your thighs and lift your left leg onto the second step.
  • Reverse the movement and return to the start position.
  • Repeat the movement on the opposite leg.

Glute Bridge

Sets: 2 | Reps: 15 | Rest: 1 min | Works: bottom and thighs

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides.
  • Contract your stomach muscles and squeeze your bottom, while lifting it off the floor.
  • Lift until you form a straight line between your knees, hips and shoulders.
  • Hold the top position for three seconds before lowering back to the starting position.
  • Don’t rest on the floor in between repetitions.

Dumbbell chest press

Sets: 3 | Reps: 12 | Works: chest and arms

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent, holding a weight in each hand.
  • Bring the weights over your shoulders, with your palms facing away from you.
  • Extend your arms up to the ceiling.
  • Lower the weights until your elbows touch the floor.
  • Take your arms back up to the start position.

20-Minute Full-Body Resistance Band Workout

Kneeling row

Sets: 3 | Reps: 12 | Rest: 1 min | Works: upper back

  • Kneel on all-fours.
  • Hold a weight in your left hand and support your bodyweight on your right arm.
  • Pull the weight up towards your armpit.
  • Hold the top position for one second before lowering the weight.
  • Don’t let the weight rest on the floor.
  • Perform all the reps, then switch sides.

Bent-over fly

Sets: 2 | Reps: 15 | Works: shoulders and upper back

  • Stand with one leg in front of the other, holding a weight in each hand, hands together.
  • Lean forward from your waist.
  • Ensure that you keep your back flat.
  • With your palms facing each other, lift your arms sideways until the weights are level with your shoulders.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades while lifting.
  • Lower the weights slowly.

Shoulder press

Sets: 2 | Reps: 15 | Rest: 1 min | Works: shoulders

  • Stand straight with good posture.
  • Hold a weight in each hand with your arms in cactus position and your palms facing forwards.
  • Extend your arms up to the ceiling but don’t lock your elbows.
  • Lower your arms back to the starting position.

Biceps curl

Sets: 3 | Reps: 15 / 12 / 8 | Works: front of upper arms

  • Hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing forward.
  • Bend your arms, lifting the weight towards your armpits.
  • Keep elbows tucked into your sides. Lower with control.

Kneeling overhead triceps extension

Sets: 3 | Reps: 15 / 12 / 8 | Rest: 45 secs | Works: back of upper arms

  • Kneel on the floor with your back vertical.
  • Hold a weight in one hand and extend it up to the ceiling.
  • Lower the weight to your shoulder blade.
  • Extend your arm up to the ceiling but don’t lock your elbow.
  • Repeat on the other side.