Are Dumbbells Good For Toning Your Physique? Yes! These 5 Moves Will Get You A Sizzling Body

Looking for dumbbell exercises to specifically target key muscle groups? If you find yourself stuck in a fitness rut aimlessly Googling tummy exercises, bum exercises or the best exercises for abs, it might be time to include some humble dumbbell exercises into your workout routine.

Use dumbbell exercises in your workout sessions. Used smartly, dumbbell exercises can improve your fitness by challenging a muscle in new ways, forcing it to adapt.

In this 10-minute full-body workout, you only use one dumbbell for five different dumbbell exercises– but don’t think you’re getting off lightly. Training one side at a time means that you really have to recruit your core for stability.

The Workout:

For moves 4 and 5, start with a 4kg weight and build up to 6kg when you can do sets comfortably – it should be hard.
Do each move for 1 minute on your right side, then repeat on your left; that’s a 10-minute round.
Want to do it all again? Be our guest.

1. Squat Thruster:

Targets: Shoulders, legs, glutes. Use: 6kg dumbbell.

How to:

Holding the dumbbell under your chin with your right hand, palm facing into your chest, send your bodyweight back through your heels and drop into a squat.
Lower for 5 seconds until your bum is slightly lower than your knees.
Thrust back to your starting position, squeezing your bum.
Lift the dumbbell towards the ceiling into a shoulder press.
Lower back to the start position, and repeat.

2. Deadlift Upright Row:

Targets: Legs, shoulders, upper back. Use: 6kg dumbbell.

How to:

Hold the dumbbell in your right hand in an overhand grip.
Keeping your back neutral and knees soft, hinge at the waist to push your hips back and lower the dumbbell towards your toes.
Squeeze your glutes and thrust your hips forward to return to a standing position.
Then pull the dumbbell up towards your chin, elbow out to the side.
Lower it to the starting point, and repeat.

3. Press-Up Renegade Row Kickback:

Targets: Core, back, triceps. Use: 6kg dumbbell.

How to:

Hold the dumbbell in your right hand, place your left palm on the floor and get into a press-up position.
Do 1 press-up then raise your right hand to your right hip, without shifting your body weight.
Keeping your elbow high, extend the dumbbell in a straight line behind you, squeezing your tricep, then return it to the floor and start again from the top.

4. Split Lunge Front Raise:

Targets: Legs, bum, shoulders. Begin with: 4kg dumbbell.

How to:

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold the dumbbell in your right hand, palm towards your body.
Keeping your chest up, step your opposite foot forward and make sure your knee is stacked over your ankle.
Now, lower into a 90° lunge.
Raise your right arm in front of you, palm facing the floor, until at shoulder level.
Hold, then return to your side and repeat the arm raise, staying in the split lunge for the set.

5. Full Woman Maker:

Targets: Arms, abs, glutes, legs. Begin with: 4kg dumbbell.

How to:

With the dumbbell in your right hand, do a press-up, hold at the top, and pull your right hand up towards your right hip, without shifting your body weight.
Return your hand to the floor, jump your feet towards your hands and thrust up into a standing position.
Curl the dumbbell towards your shoulder, then press it up over your head.
Lower and repeat before giving your left a go.