menshealth
It is indeed possible to target every muscle group with just one piece of equipment. While kettlebells, medicine balls, and resistance bands all have their merits, a single dumbbell stands out as the most versatile choice.
The strategy is straightforward: three times a week, individuals grab the most basic tool in the gym and use it to pack on muscle and torch fat in a dense, 30-minute session. This approach is highly effective for incinerating body fat and is ideal for training during the holiday season.
This is precisely the method employed by Hollywood-based trainer Ben Bruno, C.F.S.C., who works with time-pressed celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and NBA star Klay Thompson. "They want quick, efficient workouts that hit everything," Bruno explains. "So we need to move fast." The result is a lightning-fast, one-dumbbell routine that maximizes efficiency.
Circuit A
Perform four rounds of this circuit.
1. Single-Arm Standing Shoulder Press
Stand with a dumbbell at your left shoulder, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, glutes squeezed, and core tight. Keeping your chest level, straighten your arm to press the dumbbell overhead. Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to your shoulder. That's one rep; do eight per arm.
2. Goblet Reverse Lunge
Stand holding a dumbbell at your chest. Tighten your core and step back about three feet with your right leg. Keeping your chest up and the dumbbell high, bend your knees and lower your torso until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Your right knee should be a few inches from the floor. Pause, then push off your right leg and stand back up. That's one rep; do ten per leg. Eb says: Squeeze your glutes when you stand up. This will help you avoid lower-back pain when doing lunges.
3. Single-Arm Chest-Supported Batwing Row
Set a bench to a 45-degree angle and position yourself so your chest is against it; squeeze your abs and glutes. With your left arm out at shoulder height, hold a dumbbell in your right hand, arm hanging naturally. Squeeze your shoulder blades. This is the start. Keeping your shoulders and hips steady, row the dumbbell to your right hip. Pause, then return to the start. That's one rep; do ten per arm. Eb says: This is more than a back move; your glutes and abs should be into it, too. Tighten them up so your torso doesn't tip down to the side of the weight.
Circuit B
Perform three rounds of this circuit.
1. Hollow-Body Single-Arm Press
Lie on your back, holding a dumbbell in your left hand, arm straight, directly over your chest. Press your lower back into the floor and lift your legs slightly off the floor; lift your shoulder blades slightly, too. This is the start. Bend at the elbow and shoulder, lowering the dumbbell to your chest without losing torso position. Press back to the start. That's one rep; do eight per arm. Eb says: Struggling with the position? Bend your knees to make it easier.
2. Single-Leg Body-weight Hip Thrust
Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your right foot off the floor and tuck your right knee toward your chest. Tighten your core. Driving your left heel into the ground, push your lower back off the floor; squeeze your left glute as you do this. Pause, then return to the start. That's one rep; do ten per side.
3. Plank Row
Set up in pushup position, glutes and abs tight, right hand gripping a dumbbell. Squeeze your shoulder blades. Pull the dumbbell off the floor, rowing it toward your rib cage but keeping your hips and shoulders square. Pause. Return the dumbbell to the start. That's one rep; do eight per arm. Eb says: Focus on flexing the oblique on the rowing side as hard as you can to keep your hips level.
This article was originally published in 2019.
Originally reported by menshealth.