Kimberly Baldyga

 

Everyone has a different fitness goal in mind ranging from losing weight, gaining muscle mass and increasing endurance and strength.  Believe it or not, you can reach any of those goals with a set of 10 pound dumbbells. 

Whatever the goal is, it usually involves giving yourself a total body workout focusing on individual muscle groups, or combining exercises for compound movements and more advanced workouts.

       Ten pound dumbbells can be found at the gym, but if you don’t have access to a facility, all of these exercises can be done with the use of your own body and the set of dumbbells. 

       Each of the following circuits can be done in multiple ways to work different muscle groups and systems in the body.

       To make your workout total body, complete each exercise for 15 repetitions and repeat each circuit 3 times before moving on to the next one.  Between each round, give yourself about 30 to 60 seconds rest. 

       If you are advanced and conditioned, take the shorter rest period to keep your heart rate up and anaerobic system working.  Being more of a beginner may require you to take the longer rest in order to maintain proper form and execution.

Dumbbell Circuits

Round 1: Upper Body

1. Renegade row

2. Chest press

3. Skull crusher

4. Shoulder press or upright row

Round 2: Lower Body

1. Overhead lunges

2. Single leg stiff legged deadlift

3. Front squat

4. Dumbbell swing

Round 3: Core

1. V-up with dumbbell

2. Overhead in and out

3. Seated dumbbell oblique twists

4. Figure 8’s with dumbbell

Compound movements and enhancements

       As with any exercise program or workout, there can be modifications made to make the body work harder.  Compound movements are exercises that generate multi-joint movements. 

       When working this way, various muscle groups are activated with an end result in greater ranges of motion and a total body workout.

Most of the exercises in the previous circuits can be combined to create compound movements, resulting in a total body workout in less time.  Whether you use compound movements or single joint exercises, these are all still done with just the use of body weight and 10 pound dumbbells.   

Using the compound movements versus single joint isolation exercises can provide a more effective way to building muscle mass as well as increasing coordination and skill of the body. 

The following circuits have been modified to create a total body workout comprised of compound exercises using the 10 pound dumbbells.

Circuit 1:

1. Squat to overhead press

2. Chest fly with a leg lower

3. Turkish get-up

4. Pullover crunch

Circuit 2:

1. Lunge to bicep curl

2. Row to tricep extension

3. Deadlift to upright row

4. Weighted bird dogs

       Using just two circuits, you can still incorporate each muscle group and achieve maximum results.

Mixing in cardio

       Whether you are completing this workout with compound exercises, or single joint movements, you can always supplement cardio in to provide a better workout for the heart and muscles.

       In between each circuit, adding in a body weight cardio segment will add more of a challenge and incorporate more of the aerobic system.

Keeping the heart rate up may be something you are interested in, but be sure that you or the client are more conditioned to do so otherwise you may compromise form and lose the benefits of the weight training.

       Even adding in a jump to a squat, mountain climbers or even burpees will still give you that strength aspect, but also keep the heart rate up and provide less of a rest time.  This type of training may be beneficial for a client more focused on losing weight or working on their endurance.

       Using a pair of 10 pound dumbbells can provide you or your client with an intense total body workout without even leaving the house. 

Trying to incorporate any of the modifications provided, you can turn single joint exercises into compound movements to provide the body with a different workout and keep yourself or your client from boredom!