If the thought of walking countless miles doesn’t seem to provoke inspiration, here’s the good news: Running just might not be the only option for you to get toned and build muscle. The High-Intensity Interval Training, also referred to as HIIT, carries a powerful alternative position, especially in case you are short of time but still crave significant achievements. Short and hard HIIT sessions have the potential to burn as many calories as longer steady-state runs, and you don’t even have to go out for that. If an all-around strength and cardio workout is what you seek, then grab a couple of dumbbells and engage in this 28-minute routine. Just make sure to choose weights that make you work hard but don’t endanger your good technique. Ideally, you want the last repetitions of each set to be difficult but still doable. And, of course, if you are starting with weightlifting or returning to it after being injured, consult a personal trainer first.
What Are the Key Points of This 28-Minute Dumbbell HIIT Workout?
This 28-minute dumbbell HIIT workout targets all muscle groups and keeps you sweating throughout the workout. The training consists of seven exercises, performed in four rounds of hothouse furnace intensity. The exercises last 35 seconds each, with a 25-second breather afterward. Dumbbell thrusters, renegade row and push-up, squat curl press, reverse lunge dumbbell swings on each leg, bicep curls, and burpee deadlifts are the exercises that you will do. Be prepared for a full-body workout that will engage your legs, arms, back, core, and lungs all at once. You can also exercise with the trainer in the video, who not only leads the session but also provides tips on the right form and suggests changes if necessary to reduce the intensity.
My Experience of the Dumbbell HIIT Workout
I had set out the yoga mat, prepared the pair of adjustable dumbbells with 8kg each, and my little one was sound asleep. That was just the perfect time to change it up and go with the routine of a dumbbell HIIT workout.
The Start of Sweating Did Not Take Long
I was doing fine after the initial round was over; however, in the third and fourth rounds, I was feeling the heat of the challenge. I liked the repetition since that allowed me to perfect my form over and over again. It’s completely normal to go through a new exercise and not focus on form, but knowing the moves in advance helped me engage the right muscles. My 8kg dumbbells, which I considered comfortable enough at the beginning, were starting to get heavier in the middle of the rounds, indicating that compound lifts like these — the ones that work with multiple muscle groups — could have a deep effect. Apart from building muscle, compound exercises are also known for their capacity to improve flexibility, coordination, and calorie burn.
Those Burpee Deadlifts Were a Bit Too Hard — But Good
The finishing touch with the burpee deadlifts was killing me. In brief, the description of the exercise was like this: keep the two dumbbells on the floor, squat down and pick them up, while in the air return the legs to the plank position. Bring the legs forward between the two dumbbells, stand and do the deadlift, and then let the weights descend, and finally repeat. At the start, nobody would have thought I’d be able to make such a fast pulse jump. Indeed, the 25-second breaks would seem hardly enough to recuperate before the ascent of the next dumbbell thrusters. If you are just beginning, for sure, take more breath rests so that your stamina can build up.
It isn’t a Perfect Alternative to Running, but it Still Is a Wonderful Workout
As a runner who was in love with it, especially the long and easygoing miles, while the whole time running near the river was going on in my head, I can say that this workout didn’t give me as much peace of mind as a good run would. HIIT, moreover, is a workout that gives you no time for breaks and, unlike the running process, is not going to let you zone out or transform into a clockwork-like mover of legs. Nonetheless, the high I experienced after opening my eyes on the ground was fantastic. It feels really good to challenge the entire body, and the feeling after is the greatest you can experience.
Hunting for a power-driven, full-body type of exercise without undergoing the lengthy miles of running, this 28-minute dumbbell HIIT workout is what you should choose. It’s the best use of your time, highly energetic, and a great way to tone your muscles, rid calories, and feel amazing— and all this within a time frame of half an hour or so.