One dumbbell, 30 minutes, all the results! This intermediate single-dumbbell full-body burner challenges you to complete as many rounds as possible. Rest only when necessary — breathe, drink your water, build muscle, boost endurance, and keep the fire going!
Right side only! Once complete, check the time and then go back to the start!
About this workout
Intermediate Single Dumbbell Full-Body Burner is a free 8 min workout plan with 8 illustrated exercises for your abs, back and legs. Follow the workout online, save it to your WorkoutLabs Fit account or download it as a printable PDF.
Tap any exercise in the workout to see the muscles worked, clear exercise illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Each workout includes sets, reps, rest times and notes so you can follow the plan without guessing.
You'll need dumbbells for this workout. Tap any exercise to see form instructions and possible substitutions if a piece of equipment isn't available.
How long does the Intermediate Single Dumbbell Full-Body Burner take?
The full workout takes about 8 minutes, covering 8 exercises with prescribed sets, reps and rest periods. Using the built-in timers and auto-advance keeps you on pace from start to finish.
Is this workout suitable for my fitness level?
This is an intermediate workout, best suited to people with some training experience. Beginners can still follow it by reducing the weight, doing fewer sets or resting longer between sets – each exercise includes illustrated form instructions.
What muscles does this workout target?
This routine primarily works your lower back, upper back & lower traps, obliques, glutes & hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings. Tap any exercise in the workout to see a muscle diagram showing exactly which primary and secondary muscles it activates.
How often should I do this workout?
For gain muscle, increase endurance, aim to do this workout 2–3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions. Progress by gradually adding weight or reps, and pair it with workouts for other muscle groups during the week.
Can I download or save this workout?
Yes – you can download this workout as a free printable PDF using the download button, or save it to a free WorkoutLabs Fit account to follow it on your phone, customize the exercises and track your progress.
One dumbbell, 30 minutes, all the results! This intermediate single-dumbbell full-body burner challenges you to complete as many rounds as possible. Rest only when necessary — breathe, drink your water, build muscle, boost endurance, and keep the fire going!
Auto-advanceStart exercises automatically after a 5-second delay
Bend your torso from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, while placing your right hand on the bench in front of you for support.
With your left hand, pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The palm of your hand should be facing into you.
Keep your lower back straight. This is the start position.
Using your back muscles, pull the dumbbell straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side. Exhale as you do so.
At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and squeeze your back muscles.
Return to the start position inhaling as you do so. Repeat.
Complete all repetitions for one side before switching sides.
This exercise can be performed using a cable station, with a stirrup handle attached to either the high or low pulley.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps
Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.
Abs, Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps, Shoulders
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand with an overhand grip. Stand in place with your feet at shoulder-width. Tighten your core and keep your shoulders back.
Begin the movement by walking forward. Contract your obliques and abs as you move.
Once you reach the prescribed distance, turn around and begin again. Once you reach the starting point, switch arms.
Primary muscle group(s):
Forearms, Neck & Upper Traps, Shoulders
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Place a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells at your feet. Brace your core and keep your chest up as you kneel down. Pick the dumbbells up, maintaining your form and keeping your gaze straight ahead.
Standing up, walk forward in a straight line, holding the dumbbells at your sides.
The trick is to use very heavy dumbbells. Walk as far as you can then set the weights down. Take a short break and repeat going back the other way.
Bend your torso from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor, while placing your right hand on the bench in front of you for support.
With your left hand, pick up the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The palm of your hand should be facing into you.
Keep your lower back straight. This is the start position.
Using your back muscles, pull the dumbbell straight up to the side of your chest, keeping your upper arm close to your side. Exhale as you do so.
At the top of the movement, hold for a count of one and squeeze your back muscles.
Return to the start position inhaling as you do so. Repeat.
Complete all repetitions for one side before switching sides.
This exercise can be performed using a cable station, with a stirrup handle attached to either the high or low pulley.
Primary muscle group(s):
Lower Back
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the dumbbells up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the dumbbells to the starting point.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats
Secondary:
Abs, Biceps
Begin the movement by stepping on to a resistance band with your feet at shoulder-width, toes pointed slightly out.
Bend slightly at the knees and forward at the hips. Maintain a braced core and flat back throughout.
Leading with your elbows, pull the handles of the resistance band back, bringing your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and slowly release to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Middle Back / Lats, Upper Back & Lower Traps
Secondary:
Biceps
Stand tall with a tight core and flat back. Hold a pair of water bottles at your side with an overhand grip. Bend slightly at the knees as you push your hips back. Keep your chest and head up. Upper body should be almost parallel with the floor.
With your elbows at a 60-degree angle, bring the water bottles up. Pause when your upper arm is parallel with the floor. Contract the muscle then slowly return the water bottles to the starting point.
Abs, Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps, Shoulders
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand with an overhand grip. Stand in place with your feet at shoulder-width. Tighten your core and keep your shoulders back.
Begin the movement by walking forward. Contract your obliques and abs as you move.
Once you reach the prescribed distance, turn around and begin again. Once you reach the starting point, switch arms.
Primary muscle group(s):
Forearms, Neck & Upper Traps, Shoulders
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Place a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells at your feet. Brace your core and keep your chest up as you kneel down. Pick the dumbbells up, maintaining your form and keeping your gaze straight ahead.
Standing up, walk forward in a straight line, holding the dumbbells at your sides.
The trick is to use very heavy dumbbells. Walk as far as you can then set the weights down. Take a short break and repeat going back the other way.
Stand up straight with a tight core and flat back.
Position your feet wider than shoulder-width. Your toes should be facing out diagonally.
Holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of you, look straight ahead and bend at the knees while driving your hips backward. Your knees should be following your toes in a diagonal line.
Complete this wide stance squat by having your thighs come parallel with the ground.
Pause and slowly return to the starting position without locking your knees.
Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings
Set a barbell on a rack at your shoulder height.
Step under the bar and rest the back of your shoulders against the bar. Do not put the bar on your neck.
Hold on to the bar using an overhand grip so that your palms are facing forward.
Lift the barbell off the rack by pushing up with your legs while straightening your torso.
Step away from the rack and position your legs in a wider than shoulder width position and with your toes slightly pointed out.
Keep your head up and look straight ahead at all times, as looking down will put you off balance.
Ensure your back is straight. This is the start position.
As you inhale, slowly lower the bar by bending your knees while keeping a straight posture with your head up.
Continue down until the angle between you upper legs and calves is slightly less than 90-degrees . As a guide, the front of your knees should be in line with your toes. Do not allow your knees to extend out beyond your toes.
Hold for a count of one.
As you exhale, raise the bar back to the start position, by pushing through your heels as you straighten your legs.
Pause for a count of one.
Repeat.
This is an exercise which carries some risk. If you have back issues, substitute this exercise for the dumbbell squat or leg press instead. Never slouch your back forward as this can cause back injury. This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes.
Primary muscle group(s):
Quadriceps
Secondary:
Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Lower Back
With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand with dumbbells as your sides with your palms facing each other.
Keeping your back straight and facing forward, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Pause for one second.
Pushing up from your heels, raise back up to starting position and repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Calves, Hamstrings
Sit down on a leg press machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at shoulder width.
Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you bot do NOT lock your knees. Your torso and legs should be at a 90degree angle to each other. This is the start position.
Inhaling, slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs form a 90-degree angle. Pause for a count of one,
Return to the starting position by pushing through the heels of your feet, engaging your quadriceps. Exhale as you do so.
Repeat.
After completing the desired number of repetitions, make sure you lock the safety pins of the machine before alighting.
Always check to make sure that when you re-rack the weight the platform is securely locked.
Secure a firm grip with both hands on an appropriately weighted dumbbell. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Begin by moving the dumbbell up and over towards your right side.
Twist your body to bring the dumbbell down and to the left. Bend at the knees and drop your hips slightly. Make the motion of placing the dumbbell on the ground.
Repeat the movement, taking the dumbbell back up and overhead. Keep your arms straight throughout.
Primary muscle group(s):
Obliques
Secondary:
Abs
Stand with your feet no wider than shoulder width apart and hold the medicine ball with one hand at either side in front of your chest.
Rotate your body from the waist up to the left side and raise the medicine ball over your left shoulder, not quite fully extending your arms. Be sure to get extra reach by pointing your right toe.
Using a chopping motion, bring the ball diagonally across the front of your body so that the ball ends on the outer side of your right shin.
Bring the ball straight up the right side of your body and again move diagonally across your body once again to complete the motion.
Primary muscle group(s):
Obliques
Secondary:
Abs
Adjust the pulley lever to be above you. Stand next to a pulley machine with your left side. Grab the handle with both hands. Brace your core and separate your feet to outside of shoulder width.
Begin the movement by twisting with your obliques to pull the handle down and across your body.
Once the handle is on the right side of your body, pause and slowly return the handle to the starting position.
Stand a dumbbell on one of its plates about 2 feet away from the edge of a bench and sit comfortably on the edge of that bench, using you hand-grip for support. Fully extend your legs towards the dumbbell.
Using your amazing foot-eye coordination, pin each foot underneath the top plate of the standing dumbbell, on either side of its bar.
Bring your knees in towards your chest, taking care not to drop the dumbbell in the process, and hold them as close as you can to your chest for 1 second.
Extend the legs back down towards the floor to the starting position.
Secure a firm grip with both hands on an appropriately weighted dumbbell. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Begin by moving the dumbbell up and over towards your right side.
Twist your body to bring the dumbbell down and to the left. Bend at the knees and drop your hips slightly. Make the motion of placing the dumbbell on the ground.
Repeat the movement, taking the dumbbell back up and overhead. Keep your arms straight throughout.
Primary muscle group(s):
Obliques
Secondary:
Abs
Stand with your feet no wider than shoulder width apart and hold the medicine ball with one hand at either side in front of your chest.
Rotate your body from the waist up to the left side and raise the medicine ball over your left shoulder, not quite fully extending your arms. Be sure to get extra reach by pointing your right toe.
Using a chopping motion, bring the ball diagonally across the front of your body so that the ball ends on the outer side of your right shin.
Bring the ball straight up the right side of your body and again move diagonally across your body once again to complete the motion.
Primary muscle group(s):
Obliques
Secondary:
Abs
Adjust the pulley lever to be above you. Stand next to a pulley machine with your left side. Grab the handle with both hands. Brace your core and separate your feet to outside of shoulder width.
Begin the movement by twisting with your obliques to pull the handle down and across your body.
Once the handle is on the right side of your body, pause and slowly return the handle to the starting position.
Workout done!
Exercises done
of 8
Total time
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