3 Full-Body Dumbbell Workouts You Can Do Anytime, Anywhere

At some point, we’ve all been there. A vacation or business trip leaves you stuck for days on end in a hotel, complete with an ill-equipped, minimalistic gym, waiting to kill the groove you got yourself in with the full gym in your hometown. For some, the above may even describe their hometown gym, which makes things even worse. But don’t you worry: Here we give you three full body dumbbell workout routines that will have you burning fat and building muscle no matter the time or place.

If you’re a guy who’s after serious goals in the weight room, nine times out of 10, you’re going to benefit from a facility that accommodates those goals. If you don’t have access to that, even for a short while, you’re going to be frustrated in your attempts to reach them. Using what you’ve got in a smart training method should ameliorate the situation.

What is Complex Training?

Complex training is a time-saving, space-saving method of training that can be smartly programmed as part of a workout, or as its own workout. They utilize the same piece of equipment for a series of exercises done in succession, without putting the weight down between. They’re great for conditioning, cardiorespiratory endurance, and simply for efficient metabolic training for fat loss. Depending on the weight and rep ranges used, they can also be effective for building muscle (the same way compound sets can be).

Most gyms that are ill-equipped or minimalistic have one thing in common – a dumbbell rack. Regardless of how little the gym carries equipment-wise, we can generally count on the fact that dumbbells of varying weights will be available. For that reason, it makes sense to zero in on dumbbell complexes for varying goals.

How To Integrate Complex Training In Your Workout

There are a few things to take note of before getting started with dumbbell complexes:

Be sure not to use too many exercises: 3-5 is usually a great range. More can risk overfatigue and a technical breakdown, which could lead to injury.

Choose the correct amount of weight: Choose a weight that leaves a “2 rep buffer” in the weakest lift of the complex. For example, if you’re doing deadlifts, front squats, and overhead presses for 5 reps each, don’t use 70% of your deadlift max, because the other 3 movements will crush you.

Mix it Up: Don’t be afraid to mix up the rep scheme to play to your strengths (or your weaknesses!). The reps on each movement don’t need to be identical. If you want to go lighter to accommodate a smaller lift in your complex (like curls, strict presses, or lunges), just make up for it by choosing a higher rep range for the respective exercise within the complex. For example, 50 pound dumbbells used to accommodate a 6 rep biceps curl may be too light for a deadlift of the same number of reps. So prescribing 12 deadlifts and the very same 6 biceps curls is a fair course of action.

Full Body Dumbbell Workout 1: Upper Body

A1) DB Bentover Row: 10 reps

A2) DB Upright Row: 10 reps

A3) Neutral Grip Standing Press: 6 reps

A4) Alternating Biceps Curl: 6 reps/arm

A5) Renegade Row: 6 reps/arm

By the end of this complex, your shoulders, arms, and grip strength should all be screaming. As you can see in the movement, as a general rule to be observed, the lifts have a “flow” to them, and also are sequenced in order of size and complexity. The largest movement leads things off, and things wean themselves off until we hit the arms and core to finish.

Resting for intervals of 2-3 minutes is a good directive to apply – remember, you’ve been performing a working set for what will have been probably around 3 minutes straight. It’s not enough to rest for 45 seconds between rounds.

Try doing 5-6 rounds of this complex in total, before moving on with your workout. If this is all you plan to do, see how many rounds you can complete in 40 minutes.

Full Body Dumbbell Workout 2: Lower Body

A1) Romanian Deadlift: 12 reps

A2) Front Rack / Goblet Squat – Heels Elevated: 12 reps (mount your heels on two smaller dumbbells. 3 pounders work well)

A3) Reverse Lunge from Deficit: 10 reps/leg (use a step platform for your deficit)

The legs have a little more juice when it comes to feats of muscular endurance, and the quadriceps tend to respond quite well to high volume and high rep work as far as hypertrophy goes. Let’s take advantage of this and exploit them for a high lactate burner. After performing the RDL with flat feet, step on to the dumbbells to mount your heels and emphasize the quads by keeping a vertical torso. Rack the weights on one end on each shoulder (your elbows will stay up that way), or pres-hold them together in a goblet squat style (if you’re using hexagonal dumbbells, this works surprisingly well).

Rest 2 minutes between rounds, and perform 5 rounds before moving on with your workout. If this is your entire workout, see how many rounds you can complete in 30 minutes.

Full Body Dumbbell Workout 3: Athleticism/Power

A1) Romanian Deadlift: 6 reps

A2) DB Hang Clean: 6 reps

A3) DB Front Squat: 6 reps

A4) DB Thruster: 6 reps

To train explosively, the reps have to be lowered to maintain rep quality and to utilize the right energy systems and motor units. To perform DB Hang cleans, remember to “jump and stomp” to get the timing right of projecting the weight up to shoulder level. Try to minimize the use of your biceps, and pretend someone’s standing right in front of you that you want to avoid hitting.

To perform thrusters, simply do a full front squat and use the momentum on the concentric rep to “drive” the weight up overhead in one motion. Lower the weight slowly to the shoulders, and repeat.

Rest a full 3 minutes between each complex, and perform 6 rounds. Try to position these at the beginning of your workout, to ensure CNS alertness and minimal pre-fatigue.

Note: For this complex, keep in mind that it’s labeled intermediate for a reason. These movements imply that you’ve got a solid lifting foundation, and good mobility and coordination. If you’re still a beginner, this one isn’t for you.

Bonus: Contralateral Farmer’s Walk

If you want a concluding dumbbell exercise to finish you off, try carrying a heavy dumbbell on your side, and a light one straight overhead (50 pounds and 20 pounds are a good example for sake of reference). Simply put, maintain good posture and walk for as long as possible holding these positions. Don’t take huge strides. Focus on remaining locked out, stacked, and breathing deeply. Make an initial goal of 45 seconds, and switch arms on each rep. Rest for 30 seconds between arms. Perform 4 reps per arm as a finisher to your workout.