These nine strength exercises target the lower body, upper body and core using a set of weights. This full-body strength workout is designed to build muscle and burn body fat in 35 minutes at home.
This full-body workout is designed specifically for busy moms and women on-the-go. I know you want efficient results, and that’s exactly what you’ll get in today’s total body workout.
I’m often asked, what exercise works the entire body? Honestly, it’s not just one single exercise. The best workout for overall fitness is one that hits every major muscle group, incorporates functional movements and allows for progressive overload. The key to working the entire body is a combination of movements. That’s why I program so many compound exercises into my workout routines.
The “Big 5” workout routine is a popular format, designed to create a foundation for optimal fitness and muscle growth. The “big” movements generally included are squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, bench presses and rows. I usually incorporate variations of these full-body exercises in my routines.
How I Build Full-Body Workouts
Let’s break down how I build full-body workouts. While there are many variations of an effective full-body workout, the core principles remain the same: a combination of compound movements and varied planes of motion. When I’m programming a total body session, I always make sure it includes:
- Upper body push AND pull exercises: Think chest presses and push-ups (push) or back rows and pull-ups (pull). These work your chest, shoulders and back, which are essential for everyday strength.
- Lower body push AND pull exercises: Like walking lunges (push) and deadlifts (pull). These target your quads, glutes and hamstrings, giving you a strong foundation.
- Multiplanar exercises: Moving your body in different directions, like lateral squats. These improve your stability and coordination, which is crucial for real-life movements and functionality.
This “formula” ensures we’re hitting all muscle groups repeatedly, which is key if your goal is muscle growth.
You can absolutely build muscle with full-body workouts! Resistance training exercises using dumbbells, barbells and kettlebells are most effective in my opinion. No-equipment or bodyweight exercises, particularly HIIT exercises like burpees, are also extremely effective.
Building muscle increases your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories, even on your rest days. This means that full-body weight training can help you lose weight, too.
My goal is to give you a workout that not only gets you results but also empowers you with the knowledge to perform each exercise correctly. I recommend incorporating total body exercises into your strength training routine two or three times a week.
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Workout Overview
This full-body workout is designed to challenge your strength and endurance in just 35 minutes. Work through nine total-body strength exercises and finish with a low-impact cardio burnout designed to increase your heart rate and burn belly fat. This workout also includes a dynamic warm-up and a comprehensive cool-down.
Add full-body functional strength training like this to your home workout plan one to two times a week to improve cardiovascular health, increase endurance and build strength.
Workout Instructions:
Follow along with the guided Full-Body Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 9 Total Body Exercises
- Timed Intervals (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
- Repeat All 9 Exercises x2 Sets
- Finish with a 5-minute cardio and steps burnout
Workout Equipment:
Medium to Heavy Set of Dumbbells. I recommend between 5-25 lbs, depending on your fitness level. I’m using 15-25 lb dumbbells in today’s workout.
1. Dumbbell Front Squat
Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and core.
How To Do A Front Squat
- Start standing feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a pair of dumbbells front racked at shoulder height.
- Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer toes.
- Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.
Modification: Option to hold two dumbbells at your sides or hold a single dumbbell at your chest (vertically, so the dumbbell is touching your collarbone and sternum).
2. Dumbbell Back Row
Targets: Latissimus dorsi (or lats; the largest back muscle known for its large, flat “V” shape).
How To Do A Back Row
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing in towards each other.
- Hinge forward at the hips until your body is in a straight line. Your neck should be in line with your spine. To engage your core, imagine pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
- As you pull the weights back towards your hips in a rowing movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Stop when your elbows are in line with your hips.
- With control, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Think up on a one-count, down slow and controlled on a two-count.
3. Dumbbell Lunges
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core. Lunges also target the small stabilizing muscles in your hips and thighs.
How To Do A Dumbbell Lunge
- Start standing in a neutral position, feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should face in towards each other, holding the dumbbells in a hammer curl grip.
- Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge. Lower your left knee towards the mat, aiming for 90-degree angles in both knees.
- Hold this low lunge position for a moment, then drive through your front heel to return to standing.
- Then alternate the movement, this time stepping your right foot back into a reverse lunge.
4. Bicep Curl and Shoulder Press
Targets: The biceps brachii (the front of your arms), shoulders, triceps, rear delts, upper back and core.
How To Do A Bicep Curl and Shoulder Press
- Start standing feet shoulder-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in towards each other.
- Perform a bicep curl on the right side, squeezing the front of your arm to curl the dumbbell in your right hand up to shoulder height. Think about keeping your elbow tucked into your side and shoulder blades pulled down.
- Pause when the dumbbell reaches your shoulder, then perform a narrow overhead shoulder press by pushing the dumbbell overhead until your right arm is fully extended, bicep near your ear.
- Lower the dumbbell down to shoulder level with control. Then, curl the weight down to your side, returning it to the starting position.
- Perform a bicep curl and a shoulder press on the left side.
- Continue this pattern, alternating sides with each rep.
5. Romanian Deadlift and Clean
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, hips, quads, calves, trapezius, deltoids, lower back, abs and core.
How To Do A Romanian Deadlift and Clean
- Stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a pair of dumbbells in an overhand grip, palms facing your thighs.
- Engage your core as you hinge forward at the hips. Push your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement. Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid locking out the joint.
- Drive through your heels to push your hips forward, squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position.
- As you press your hips forward to stand up, bend the elbows and “clean” the dumbbells up towards your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells from your shoulders to your hips, returning to the starting position.
Modification: Omit the clean portion of the movement (step 4). Perform one dumbbell deadlift.
6. Dumbbell Chest Press
Targets: Chest (pecs), shoulders (deltoids) and triceps.
How To Do A Chest Press
- Lie flat on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your knees. Your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Exhale as you push both dumbbells overhead at the same time. The dumbbells should be stacked over shoulders at the top of the press. Make sure your wrists are strong and in line with your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells back towards your chest with control.
7. Dumbbell Glute Bridge
Targets: Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hips and hamstrings.
How To Do A Dumbbell Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the ground. Hold two dumbbells at your hips, resting on your hip bones.
- Press through your heels to raise your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Squeeze your glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
- Hold your bridged position for a second before lowering back down towards the mat with control.
8. Skull Crushers
Targets: Triceps and core.
How To Do Skull Crushers
- Lie flat on the ground with your legs bent at 90 degrees. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms so the dumbbells are directly overhead (your palms are facing one another).
- Bending at the elbows, slowly lower the dumbbells towards your head.
- Then press the dumbbells back overhead to return to the starting position.
9. Dead Bug
Targets: Deep core muscles (transverse abdominis), lower abs, hips, shoulders and back (posterior and anterior deltoids).
How To Do A Dead Bug
- Lie on the floor, performing a slight pelvic tilt to press your lower back into the mat. Lift your knees to form a 90-degree angle. Your knees should be stacked on top of your hips.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your hands straight overhead toward the ceiling. Inhale, letting your belly expand.
- Exhale, engaging your core and simultaneously extending your left leg and right arm away from your body, lowering the dumbbell in your right arm towards the ground with control. Your left arm and right leg remain in place. With control, inhale as you return to the starting position.
- Then repeat on the opposite side, exhaling as you extend your right leg and left arm away from the body, lowering the dumbbell in your left arm towards the ground. With control, return to the starting position.
Modification: Reduce your range of motion by performing bent leg dead bugs instead of straight leg dead bugs. This will reduce the intensity of the exercise. You can also use lighter weights or a filled water bottle in place of dumbbells. Or try adding a resistance band.
FAQs
Five exercises can be enough for a full-body workout, especially if they are compound exercises that target different movement patterns and muscle groups. You should prioritize exercises like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, rows and overhead presses. These compound movements engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
The “3-3-3 rule” refers to a workout structure where you perform three circuits, each with three exercises, for three rounds. This is an effective workout structure that can be adapted for any fitness level. Completing exercises for three rounds is a great way to promote muscular hypertrophy or muscle growth.
Yes, full-body workouts can be effective for weight loss because they build muscle, which boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories throughout the day. If you’re a fitness beginner, you’ll benefit from a 3-day split focused on full body workouts. If you’re an advanced athlete, I recommend a high intensity split training program with dedicated upper body workouts and lower body workouts, in addition to full body days.
Yes, a 30-minute full-body workout is effective when you’re incorporating compound movements and high-intensity exercises. 30 minutes is all you need to build muscle, challenge your cardiovascular endurance and improve overall fitness.
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