JR’s 25-Minute Full-Body Adjustable Dumbbell Workout

JR is an experienced trainer and business owner, operating his fitness brand JUST. His 25-minute full-body adjustable dumbbell workout is designed for everyone, from beginners to those with more experience. His program allows you to set your intensity while training strength and cardio. There is no rep counting, this is a timed workout.

To follow along, find the video here.

The Workout

JR takes you through a full-body workout starting with warm-up stretches and then moving on to:

Cardio Warm-up
Legs/Chest Round
Core Work
Biceps

The Equipment

Looking at his equipment, JR uses a pair of PowerBlock Pro 50 Adjustable Dumbbells. The dumbbell is adjustable in 5-pound increments, ranging from 5-50 pounds per dumbbell. JR refers to the weight as “low, medium, and high” weight options. He stresses that this workout is for you, and the weight is up to you. This should be a fun workout and you should be having a good time going through it!

Warm-up

Before starting, JR goes over a quick warm-up doing a warmup stretch to get your body mobile. Your warm-up should last about 1 and a half minutes and should follow the listed moves. Each move should last 10-15 seconds!

Full Body Stretch
Spinal Rock
High Plank Pose
Push-Ups
Extended Child’s Pose
Up-dog Pose, With Heart Openers
Plank Walk-Ups, Into Body Roll-Up

Cardio Warm-Up

Move on to some simple cardio to get your heart pumping! Three movements at 30 seconds each is all you’ll spend on this. Start with jumping jacks, keeping your fingertips extended long all the way through from your sides to above your head. Strong all the way through, and while you wait between sets, work in some side steps to keep your body active. Remember to keep your breathing healthy and consistent, keeping a firm chest can help with this. Keep it moving with some bodyweight squats. These are great for cardio, as well as building strength! Maintain good form by dropping your hips downward at the bottom of your squat. With the top portion of your squat, feel your glutes contract as best you can. If your heart rate isn’t high enough, add some jumps at the top of your squat. The final cardio warm-up is a set of high knees. Keep your knees lined with your hips and keep a “proud chest” as you go. Remember, this is your workout, and you can choose the intensity.

Legs/Chest Press Circuit

Dumbbell Forward Lunges
Dumbbell Squats
Dumbbell Chest Press

There will be two sets, or rounds, of forward lunges and squats while using your dumbbells. Setting your PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells to a lighter weight, get ready for forward lunges. The weight can be lowered or raised at any point. Start from the back of your mat or if you don’t have a mat, just give yourself space to lunge forward. For 45 seconds, make slow and controlled lunges forward with your dumbbell pair. This exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, and a little bit of your quads, and core. In between sets, take time to grab a drink and reset. Try your best to stay active and moving, keeping that heart rate strong. After a quick rest, start with your next set of squats. Another 45 seconds, while resting your dumbbells on your shoulders. Remember to try to get good depth at the bottom of your squat! The added weight should help activate your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. If you don’t have a bench a workout mat will also work. When getting your dumbbells off the ground protect your wrists by curling them up and into your starting position. Maintain a strong grip on your dumbbells all the while. You’ll be doing 45 seconds of chest press so make sure you can control the weight. Don’t be scared to use less weight before you finish your set. You can increase the difficulty by lifting your heels and engaging your core. You could also add some leg lifts during this time.

Core Work

V-Pose
Knee To Elbow Plank

Utilizing two dumbbells, set at a lighter weight roll onto your back. Lift your dumbbells directly above your chest pressed together. Extend your legs directly out and up. The movement of a V-pose is done by extending your arms and legs out horizontally, then bringing them together above your body to form a V-shape. Go for 30 seconds, slow and in control. The next movement is a plank variation. With the knee-to-elbow plank, you can plant yourself from the feet or the knees. Alternating sides, bring your knee to your elbow on the same side. After 30 seconds, transition into your child’s pose. Repeat this for two rounds total of each exercise.

Biceps - Alternating Bicep Curls

Working your way up, the bicep section will have 3 rounds back to back at 20 seconds each. Again, choose a weight that you can comfortably control through each round. Don’t worry about having to increase or decrease the weight. Don’t swing your arms during a curl, focus on isolating the bicep muscle. Keep your heels planted hip-width distance apart.

Cool Down

Full Body Stretch Between Movements
Scissor Kicks
Oblique Crunch (Both Sides)
Supine Twists
Deep Breathing

This is your chance to bring that heart rate down and loosen up any tightness you might be feeling. You’ll do one circuit of the listed stretches, taking 20-30 seconds during each. Congratulations! You’ve now finished JR’s 25-minute full-body workout! Make sure and get plenty of fluids afterward, and go enjoy the rest of your day.