This 5-Move At-Home Workout Will Help You Build Strength and Get Lean
In order to build strength and get lean, you have to lift weights regularly and eat a healthy diet high in protein. However, it's a giant myth to think that you need to perform fancy, complicated, and tough movements in order to see results.
Believe it or not, your favorite fitspo influencer got their great physique focusing on the most basic of exercises—not from the crazy moves they like to show off on social media.
You also don't need a gym membership with lots of equipment to get strong and lose weight either. In fact, you can do so in the comfort of your own home with just a pair of dumbbells.
To prove it, here's a super-effective full-body workout that you can do at home. You can perform these 5 moves one at a time, or back-to-back in a full circuit fashion. Aim for 3-4 sets of each exercise, which will help you build strength, slim down, and get the physique you desire.
And for more, check out my guide to the 5 Ways to Get a Six-Pack.
Feet Elevated Dumbbell Pushups
Start by placing the pair of dumbbells in front of you while putting your feet on top of a stable surface. Keeping your core tight, hips high, and chest tall, use your control to lower your body, coming down until your chest is an inch or two above the ground. Then, push yourself back up, flexing your upper pecs and triceps to finish.
Do 10-15 reps.
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Dumbbell Row
Position yourself parallel to a bench or your couch, with one leg on the floor and your opposite knee and hand firmly pressed into the elevated surface.
Grip the dumbbell with the opposite arm and begin the motion by having the dumbbell hang straight down with your arm extended toward the floor. Then, pull the dumbbell straight up towards your hip with your elbow reaching toward the sky, squeezing your lats and upper back at the very end of the movement. Go ahead and straighten your arm back down and get a nice stretch before performing the next rep.
Do 10 reps on each arm.
Related: 5 Undeniable Benefits of Doing More Push-Ups, Science Says
Bulgarian Split Squat
Position your back foot up on a bench or couch and step out with your other foot about 2-3 feet. Once in position, hold your dumbbells at your sides as you lower yourself down—using control—and bending the back knee as you descend. Use your weight to drive through with your front heel to return to standing, flexing your quads and glutes as you rise. Then repeat.
Do 10 reps on each leg.
Dumbbell Hip Thrust
Start the movement by setting your upper back on a bench or sturdy platform. Place a dumbbell or barbell on your lap with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your core tight, lower your hips all the way down, then push through your heels and squeeze your glutes hard to come back up, holding there for 2 seconds.
Do 15 reps.
Dumbbell Glute Bridge Pullover
Set yourself up for this exercise by lying flat on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Grab a single or pair of dumbbells and hold it high in the sky above you. Then, lift yourself up into a glute bridge position with your hips all the way up. Keeping your core tight and glutes squeezed, pull the dumbbell back behind your head. Get a good lat stretch at the bottom while maintaining tension in your abs, then pull the dumbbell back to starting position before performing another rep.
Do 10 reps.
For more, check out the Secret Effects of Lifting Weights Just Once Per Week, Says Science.
