20-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Circuit For Women

If you’re looking to spice up your HIIT workouts then adding dumbbells is a great way to get started. Last week I said I’d give you another full body dumbbell circuit and as promised here it is.

Embracing the convenience of home workouts, I’ve found circuits and HIIT to be my ideal solution for squeezing in quick sessions. With time constraints as a stay-at-home parent, hitting the gym isn’t always feasible, making at-home workouts the go-to choice—plus, they’re budget-friendly, which is always a win.

Last year, I added a pair of 12lb rubber fixed-weight dumbbells to my home gym arsenal. These dumbbells offer stability during exercises like renegade rows, and their silent nature is perfect for early morning or nap-time workouts.

If you’re short on time and looking for an efficient home workout, this circuit is a fantastic option. It’s brief, taking less than 20 minutes, and all you need is a set of dumbbells.”

Dumbbell workouts are awesome as you can add a load of new exercises to your HIIT workouts to make them more interesting and challenging. This is especially important if you’ve been doing bodyweight-only HIIT for a while and feel you need a new stimulus.

What’s even better is you’ll be hitting a whole new bunch of muscles that you perhaps weren’t activating before. There are some really good Glute and thigh exercises you can do with dumbbells.

Most of our clients experience faster body shape changes once they introduce weights into their workout routines.

If you are looking for a balanced workout that will burn lots of calories and get fitter and more toned fast then this full-body dumbbell circuit will be just what you are looking for. All the moves in this circuit will help you develop a well-defined and balanced physique.

Make sure you do a quick 5-10 minute warm-up before you dive into this workout like the one below.

The Workout – Full Body Dumbbell Circuit For Women

What you need – A good Exercise Mat like this one and a pair of Dumbbells like these. Anywhere from 8-12 lb Dumbbells for a beginner is fine.

Do 20 reps of each exercise

Minimal rest interval between exercises

1. Dumbbell Row Press Up Burpee
2. Squat Jumps
3. Dumbbell Split Squat Thrusters
4. Plank Jacks
5. Dumbbell Sumo High Pull
6. High To Low Plank

Rest 1-2 minutes after each round. Repeat x 3-4 rounds

The whole workout shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes

• Related – The Best Exercises For A Flat Stomach

the exercises

Here’s a sneak peek into our dumbbell HIIT lineup. Each exercise is strategically chosen to ignite your metabolism, strengthen your core, and boost endurance. Get ready to power through this dynamic routine, and let’s make every exercise count! Are you up for the challenge?

1. Dumbbell Push Up Renegade Row Burpee

I saw this and wanted to try it with my clients. While I can do it, it’s a very advanced move. With HIIT you want to be able to move with pace through your workout but for most of my clients, this just slowed them right down. Try it and see if you can do it, if it’s too much or you find it’s slowing you down remove the burpee part of this exercise.

2. Squat Jumps

One of the most effective moves in HIIT training is the squat jump.

• Start by standing tall with your feet under your hips, wider if it’s more comfortable.
• Squat down as if you are sitting down on a chair and then once your hips are around knee level explode upwards into a jump.
• On your way back down to the floor aim to land gently going straight back into a squat to repeat. There should be no breaking of the movement.
• Complete 20 Repetitions

3. DB Split Squat Thrusters

We love thrusters, they are one of the best metabolic exercises which makes them great in any workout plan where you want fast results. We’ve made a slight change to make it more interesting by making it a split squat rather than a traditional squat. We hope you like it.

• Start by holding the dumbbells on your shoulders with your legs split. one leg forward and one leg back. If you kneel to the floor both knees should be at 90-degree angles.
• lower your back knee down towards the floor, and touch it if you want very lightly.
• Push back up and as you reach your start position push your dumbbells up and above your head with fully extended arms (avoid hyperextending).
• This completes one rep. Complete 20 total reps swapping your lead leg after 10.

4. Plank Jacks

Another great core HIIT exercise that will target your lower abs plus much more.

• In the low plank position jump your legs out to shoulder width and then back in again to toes together.
• Maintain a flat back and straight legs throughout.
• Complete 20 repetitions

5. Dumbbell Sumo High Pull

Another great all over dumbbell exercise that works multiple muscles for the maximum burn!

• Start by standing in a wide stance, Toes turned slightly out with the dumbbells in your hands and palms facing inwards towards your body. Imagine you are holding a bar in both hands.
• Drop into a sumo squat by pushing your hips down and back and allow the weights to drop with you maintaining a nice upright position. Try to let your hips line up level with your knees before standing back up.
• Stand up and once you reach your standing position pull the dumbbells up close to your body until they reach your sternum or your elbows are level with your shoulders.
• This completes one rep – Perform 20.

6. High To Low Plank

The high to low plank is a great exercise for your triceps whilst targeting your core for a stronger and flatter stomach.

• Start this in a high plank position with hands placed under your shoulders on the floor, body stretched out to your toes.
• From this high plank, you take one arm and bring it down to the floor so you are on your forearm, repeat the other side so that you finish in a low plank.
• Once down, push back up one arm at a time until you return to the high plank position once more.
• Complete 20 reps switching the lead arm half way through.

How To Make This Workout Easier

If your weights are too light that is fine, just work faster for a cardio HIIT workout. If they are too heavy you can reduce the number of reps on that exercise. You don’t really want to stop moving for long. Moving from one exercise to the next with minimal rest.

So like I said earlier Demi needed to improvise a little with the workout. The dumbbells were too heavy for the split squat thrusters so once she couldn’t do any more we dropped one dumbbell and used just the one to push up with two arms so she was able to complete the set of 20.

This workout is also great if you can use a gym and you like to be out of the way, all you need to do is find a pair of dumbbells that you can use for the whole workout and then find a workout space and stay there until you’re done.

finish off your workouts with our abs workout plan

Compliment your fat-burning HIIT workouts with our challenging ab and core workouts that Demi did and still does to maintain her tight, toned flat belly.

Our plan promises that in 21 days you’ll have noticeably flatter abs after following the workout plan and accompanying food guide. Learn more by clicking the image below or heading to —> 21 Day Flat Belly Abs & Core Plan.

Keep working hard, that dream body is yours for the taking.