Turn surplus Xmas calories into strength with this 4-move dumbbell workout

If you fear you’ve consumed a little too many calories this festive season, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s completely normal to over indulge on turkey and chocolate. In fact, more calories means more energy to maximise gains, so why not put them to good use with this 20 minute workout? Just grab a pair of dumbbells and get ready to give this simple, yet effective strength training complex a go.

This full-body workout, created by one of the UK’s top CrossFit athletes, Reggie Fasa, consists of compound exercises. These exercises aren’t just beneficial for boosting your strength, but improving your cardiovascular fitness too. Reggie says: “The balanced combination of strength and hypertrophy exercises, along with the superset structure, not only builds muscle but also elevates the heart rate for efficient calorie burn and builds overall fitness.” Supersets also cause greater muscle activation, helping bolster your strength and size.

Reggie Fasa

Reggie Fasa is one of the top UK male CrossFit athletes, and Fittest Man in the UK 2022. He has been to the semi-finals of the CrossFit Games twice and has competed at a variety of elite competitions such as Wodapalooza and the Dubai Fitness Championships.

Reggie's dumbbell workout

For this workout you’ve got five dumbbell exercises to get through. Don’t own any dumbbells? Grab two gallon water bottles instead, or you could even use a single kettlebell. Between them, you’ll hit your lower and upper body muscles, as well as improve your core strength and stability. Remember, supersets are when you perform exercises back-to-back with no rest. Make sure you warm up first (Reggie suggests some bodyweight squats, jumping Jacks and burpees), to get blood flowing to the muscles and reduce the risk of injury. Here’s your workout: 

Workout

• Goblet squats - 40 seconds, followed by 20 second rest, repeat four times
• Single arm dumbbell row - 40 seconds, followed by 20 second rest, repeat four times
• Alternating lunges / sissy squat superset - 15 reps (on each leg) followed by eight sissy squats. To do these: stand in front of a supportive surface, placing your hands on it, and bending your knees backwards while keeping your torso upright. Rest for 1-2 minutes, repeat three times
• Dumbbell push press / bicep curl superset - 12 reps followed by 40 seconds of curls. Rest for 1 minute, repeat three times

Do this a three to four times a week and your strength will start to fly through the roof. If, however, you fancy a different workout, why not give this 15 minute dumbbell workout a go next? It'll only take you 15 minutes, or we have this quick four-move dumbbell workout that'll help you build muscle all over.

This feature is part of T3's Get Fit 2024 campaign. We’ll be bringing you a wealth of guides, features, deals and news to help you get healthy, fit and ready for anything the new year can throw at you. Whether you’re a newcomer to fitness or someone with a passion for it, we’ll bring you all the best workouts, diet advice and gear to set you on the right track.