Best Full-Body Workouts You Can Do at Home
All you need is a pair of dumbbells for these workouts.
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified run coach
The best full-body workouts at home require only a pair of dumbbells. As a trainer who did a lot of home workouts during the pandemic, I have fine-tuned this full body workout plan to get great results. These exercises will help you get stronger while improving your fitness level and boosting your metabolism. Full-body workouts target all your major muscle groups and give you an efficient workout. Whether you’re short on time or you want to get in all your strength training at once, full-body workouts will help you meet your goals. Also, if you prefer short, frequent workouts, you can break up these workouts into micro workouts throughout the day. Add full-body workouts to your workout routine to see muscle growth and definition in your body and to perform better as an athlete.
You can do dumbbell workouts at home or in a gym.
This article gives you my best full-body workouts I’ve devised after years of training people. If you want even more full-body exercises, check out my post 10 Best Compound Exercises with Dumbbells.
Benefits of Full-Body Workouts
There are many benefits of doing full-body strength training workouts. Here are some of the biggest rewards:
Stronger Muscles
A significant benefit of regular full-body strength training workouts is stronger muscles throughout your body. Full-body workouts target your major muscle groups, so you will be strengthening many areas.
Better Athletic Performance
Full-body strength training programs will improve your sports performance. Whether you want to become a faster runner or step up your tennis game, these full-body workouts will help your athletic performance.
Reduced Risk of Diseases
Regular strength training increases your bone density, reducing your risk of osteoporosis and bone injuries. According to studies, strength training also reduces your belly fat, and total body fat, according to researchers.
Boosts Your Metabolism
Full-body strength training also speeds up your metabolism, which can help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Strength training gives you more lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat. In addition, research shows that your metabolic rate increases for up to 72 hours after strength-training exercises.
More Efficient Workouts
The best full-body workouts give you the most efficient strength training workouts. Full-body workouts are the best option if you’re short on time or want to follow a program that targets all of your major muscle groups. Instead of splitting your workouts into upper-body and lower-body days, you can work all your major muscle groups with full-body workouts.
How Often to Do Full-Body Workouts
For this workout, your training frequency should be at least twice per week. Since the best full-body workouts target most of your body, it’s essential to have gap days between workouts to allow your muscles to fully recover. You can do the total body workouts between two and four times per week.
As a trainer, I usually recommend two to three weekly strength workouts for my clients. So if you strength train on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, for instance, you have a break from weight training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Unless you are doing advanced sports training or bodybuilding, you don’t need four full-body strength workouts per week.
Best Full-Body Workouts
The best full-body workouts include a variety of movements, with pushing, pulling, hip hinging, and squatting. I am sharing my top full-body workout program below with an explanation of the different exercises in each workout. Use a pair of dumbbells for these strength-training exercises. The dumbbells should be heavy enough so that your reps feel challenging but not so difficult that your form falls apart.
Related: 10 Best Compound Exercises with Dumbbells
Sample Full-Body Workout Program
Here is a sample strength training program that includes the best full-body workouts to help you get stronger. You can do these workouts at home with just a pair of dumbbells. For beginners, use lightweight dumbbells. You can use heavier dumbbells for more intensity and muscle gains as you advance.
Full-Body Dumbbells Workout 1
Warm up with dynamic stretches.
Dumbbell squats
Dumbbell side lunges
Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
Calf raises
Dumbbell rows
Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell shoulder press (sometimes called dumbbell press)
Triceps extensions
Planks - 30 seconds X 2 sets. (You can do 2 X 1-minute sessions for an advanced core workout).
Dead bug - 30 seconds X 2 sets. (You can do 2 X 1-minute sessions for an advanced core workout).
Reps: For beginners, do 2 sets of 10 of each dumbbell exercise. For intermediate level, do 3 sets of 10.
Full-Body Dumbbells Workout 2
Warm up with dynamic stretches.
Glute bridges
Dumbbell hip thrusts
Dumbbell side lunges
Dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats
Dumbbell bench press
Biceps curl with dumbbells
Dumbbell shoulder press
Triceps extensions
Dumbbell rows
Planks - 30 seconds X 2 sets. (You can do 2 X 1-minute sessions for an advanced core workout).
Reps: For beginners, do 2 sets of 10 of each dumbbell exercise. For intermediate level, do 3 sets of 10.
Do each of these workouts at least once per week to improve your full-body strength and conditioning. You can do full-body strength training at most four times a week and at least twice weekly to reap the full benefits.
Exercises in the Workout Program
Here is a guide with details on how to do each exercise in the program:
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells.
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes, core, back, hips, and trapezius.
How to Do Them:
Stand with your chest up and feet shoulder-width apart.
Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of each leg with an overhand grip.
Bend at the hips. With your chest up, push your hips back.
Lower the dumbbells parallel to your shins as you hinge at the hips.
Keeping your back neutral, lift back to a standing position.
Repeat.
Dumbbell Side Lunges
Muscles Worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and hip abductors.
How to Do Them:
You can do side lunges with or without dumbbells.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your legs.
Take a large step to the right with one leg, stepping onto your right foot and bending your right leg at the knee.
Continue to hold the dumbbells in front of you as you lunge to the side.
Keep your chest up and your body, knees, and toes pointing forward.
Drop your hips back and keep your stationary leg straight.
Push off from your right heel, squeezing your glutes.
Return to a standing position.
Repeat on the left side, lunging out and bending your left knee with your left foot and right foot facing forward.
Dumbbell Squats
Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves, hip flexors, and core.
How to Do Them:
Squats are a staple lower body exercise.
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a pair of dumbbells by your chest with your elbows bent. Alternatively, you can hold one dumbbell in front of your chest, gripping the sides of the dumbbell with each hand.
Keep your dumbbells in the same position throughout the exercise.
With your chest up, bend your knees, lowering your body and squeezing your glutes to go into a back squat. Engage your core muscles.
Rest your weight in your heels and flatten your feet on the floor. If your feet start to rock, stabilize them and raise your torso slightly to maintain good form.
Once you’ve reached the lowest you can go while keeping good squat form, raise back up to the starting position.
Repeat.
Dumbbell Rows
Muscles Worked: Upper back, trapezius (along your neck and upper back), and shoulders.
Dumbbell rows. Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
How to Do It:
Begin from a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and your chest up.
Hold your dumbbells shoulder-width apart. Your palms should face each other.
Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and neck in a neutral position. Do not bend more than 45 degrees forward.
Pull the dumbbells toward the sides of your chest, bending your elbows.
Lower the weights to return to your starting position.
Repeat.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Bench press with dumbbells.
Muscles Worked: Pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), biceps, and triceps.
How to Do It:
Begin by lying your back on a weight bench or the ground.
Hold a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip by each side of your chest, with your elbows bent. Your upper arms should be at a 90-degree angle to your body.
Slowly press up your arms until your arms are almost straight.
Pause and then lower the weights slowly to return to your starting position.
Repeat.
Lunges with dumbbells.
Dumbbell Lunges
Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads.
How to Do Them:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and chest up, with your core engaged.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms by your sides.
Take a large step forward with one leg and plant your foot in line with your hip.
Bend your back knee so it’s just above the floor. Your front thigh should parallel the floor, and your knee and ankle should be facing forward. Both of your knees should be at 90-degree angles.
Push from your front leg, squeeze your glutes, and return to standing.
Repeat on the other leg.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Muscles Worked: Trapezoid, deltoids, and triceps.
Dumbbell shoulder press.
How to Do It:
Sit on a bench or stand. Standing adds core strengthening benefits to the exercise.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward. Your upper arms should be outstretched horizontally at the shoulder, and your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
Push your dumbbells up, straightening your arms and exhaling.
Pause and lower your weights slowly, inhaling and returning to the starting position.
Repeat.
Triceps Extensions
Muscles Worked: Triceps muscles.
How To Do Them:
Triceps extensions.
Start by standing (or you can sit on a bench) with your back straight. Hold a dumbbell with both hands extended above your head.
Bend your elbow, lowering the dumbbell behind your head. Your upper arm should remain close to your head and perpendicular to the ground.
Keep your core engaged and exhale as you extend your arms, raising the dumbbell back to the starting position and fully extending your elbow.
Inhale as you lower the dumbbell behind your head, bending your elbows.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian split squats.
Muscles Worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles.
How to Do Them:
Use a bench, step, or chair and stand facing away, about half a stride length from it.
Place one foot behind you on the bench with the top of your foot resting on the bench.
With your body upright and your front foot facing forward, bend your front knee and lower back in a squat-like position.
Push back up through your front foot and glutes and return to the starting position.
Repeat on the other side.
You can do planks anywhere. Photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
Planks
Muscles Worked: Core, glutes, shoulders, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
How To Do Them:
Begin in a high push-up position on the ground, with your body in a straight line, your arms straight below your shoulders, and your hands resting on the ground.
Keep your core tight and maintain a straight line from the tip of your head down your back to your heels. Keep your arms straight.
You do not want your body to cave inwards or push upwards but maintain a straight line.
Breathe and hold your position, keeping your core tight.
Dead Bugs
Muscles Worked: Core, spine, and back muscles.
How To Do Them:
Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your arms straight up.
Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the ground, exhaling and straightening your leg as you lower it.
When your arm and leg are 1-2 inches above the ground, slowly raise them back up.
Repeat with your left arm and right leg.
Bridges
Muscles Worked: Glutes, abs, and hamstrings.
Bridges.
How To Do Them:
Begin by lying on your back on the ground with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor.
Engage your core muscles and glutes and raise your hips off the ground.
Raise your hips until there is a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
Hold for 2 seconds and return to the starting position, lowering your hips back to the ground.
Repeat.
Dumbbell Hip Thrusts
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes, hips, and core.
How To Do Them:
Dumbbell hip thrust photo by Marques Jackson Photography.
Use a weight bench or other stable raised surface.
Sit on the floor with your back to the bench and knees bent, and feet planted on the ground about hip-width apart. Hold the dumbbell in your lap with one hand on each side.
The closer your feet are to your butt, the more you target your glutes. If you want to strengthen your legs more, scoot your feet farther from your butt.
Lift your hips up, pushing through your heels and squeezing your glutes. Keep your back in a neutral position throughout the exercise.
Pause and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement when your upper body is parallel to the floor.
Slowly lower your butt back toward the floor.
Repeat.
The best full-body workouts will strengthen major muscles throughout your body and help you become stronger. Do these workouts at least twice a week to see the best results. Although you can do these at home, you can also do them at a gym, whatever works best for you.
If you need a customized training program to help you improve your fitness, head to our Training Center.
Happy lifting to you! 😊
Related Posts: 10 Best Compound Exercises with Dumbbells, 3 Best Glute Exercises to Get Results, 10 Best Arm Workouts with Dumbbells
Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach, a dog lover, an Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet. She is based in Brooklyn, New York.
