I had to make a choice. You can also train one part of your body on different days or switch to a full-body workout. I say make a choice, it was made for me. My schedule is so packed that I couldn’t dedicate an entire session to just upper or lower body.
So we had to think more efficiently. I didn’t want to skip my workout completely, so I decided to scroll through Instagram and find a routine that would give me a full body workout in under 30 minutes.
I chose the dumbbell workout by fitness influencer Kelsey Hill. A recent 25-minute workout seemed to fit the bill, so I decided to grab some weights and give it a try. I’ll explain what happened.
Check out Kelsey Hill’s 25-minute full-body workout.
You’ll need two moderately heavy dumbbells for this workout, but it works best if you have several dumbbell options at your disposal (more on that later).
Each exercise is performed 12 times, with the exception of side lunge rows to reverse lunges, which are performed 8 times per side. The exercises are:
- squat and press
- curling hinge
- Alternating bows with opposite arms raised
- From side lunge row to reverse lunge
- Squat with triceps extension
- From swing to knee raise
Hill didn’t say how many sets he would do, but completing four rounds of the circuit would take 25 minutes. Besides side lunges, she doesn’t say whether you should do certain exercises 12 times on each side or 12 times in total. I chose 12 reps on each side, but if you’re just starting your workout routine, I recommend sticking to 12 total.
Wanting to get up from the chair and sweat a little, I lifted some weights and started moving. Here’s what I thought after completing Hill’s 25-minute full-body workout:
heart rate increased rapidly
The biggest surprise about this workout was that my heart rate increased dramatically. I’m used to intense cardio and consider myself in good shape, so the fact that my heart rate was similar to a long run or HIIT workout was pretty shocking. .
That being said, with limited training time, I was speeding through each exercise quickly. If I had moved at a slower tempo or worked with a lighter weight, this exercise might not have been as demanding on my cardiovascular system. Be careful if you try this yourself.
I decided to use multiple dumbbells.
Initially, I decided to use two 15-pound dumbbells for this workout, but after the first round I also used 10- and 20-pound dumbbells. 15 pounds was great for exercises like squats and presses, but I needed to go heavier for rows and lighter for raises to get the most out of the movements.
If you have light, medium, and heavy sets available, you may want to use them all for this routine. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good workout with just a pair of dumbbells. Especially if you want to make some changes.
For example, I swapped out the 15-pound dumbbells for 20-pound dumbbells during the hinges and curls and performed the exercise as demonstrated, but I could also have chosen to curl with a 15-pound dumbbell in each hand. .
Additionally, you can deviate from the specified repetitions if you wish. If the dumbbells are too heavy for you to perform 12 reps, choose 10 reps instead. If 12 reps feels easy, increase to 15.
It hurt the next day
Another amazing thing about this workout was that I was so sore the next day. I do all the moves in this routine regularly, so I didn’t expect to need a rest day to fully recover.
Muscle soreness is not an indicator of good training, nor is it an indicator of general health. The fact is that I exercise very regularly and I still feel stiff when I wake up the next day, so it might be worth spending some time with a foam roller afterwards. .
Ideal for intermediate or advanced fitness levels
This was an easy and fun routine that targeted many large muscle groups in a relatively short amount of time. Therefore, it is perfect for people who work out consistently and are at an intermediate or advanced fitness level.
One of the things that makes this workout so interesting is that it combines several different exercises into one movement, such as side lunge rows to reverse lunges, and knee lunges alternating with front raises.
However, to perform these combinations correctly, each aspect of the movement must be performed with proper form. If your side lunges need some tweaking, or your deadlift form isn’t great, we recommend perfecting these exercises first.
Also, Hill hasn’t made any modifications to this workout, so if you’re dealing with an injury and don’t know how to modify the exercises on your own, I’d say come back once you’re fully recovered.
