Welcome to the effective 15 min CrossFit Dumbbell Workout.
The following training session is a 5 round workout consisting of three movements combining dumbbell and bodyweight exercises.
What can you expect from this workout?
- The complete duration is around 30 minutes including a proper warm-up and cool-down.
- You will need a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells for this session.
- The three movements will target your full body.
Let’s get to the workout.
Warm-Up
Before we start, I want to remind you to never skip your warm-up!
It’s just as important as your actual workout.
Just to give you a few important facts on why you should warm up:
- Increases blood flow
- Reduces the chance of injury
- Increases range of motion
- Improves performance
I could go on and keep rambling about the importance of warming up but I already did that in a different article. (click below to learn more)
If you feel a little more stiffness in your body after a long day of work, use this warm-up routine:
Effective 15 min CrossFit Dumbbell Workout
5 rounds:
10 x Dumbbell Single-Leg Step-Ups
20 x Dumbbell Push-Press
15 x Burpees
(click on the links for a movement demonstration)
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How to approach it?
Before you start this workout, make sure to choose the right dumbbell weight for yourself.
You should be able to at least do 3 to 4 reps of the dumbbell step-us unbroken and at least 6 to 8 reps of the dumbbell push-press.
After you chose the right dumbbell weight, let’s talk about your strategy options.
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Option 1)
If you consider yourself a well-conditioned athlete, go unbroken on each of the sets.
Make sure to not “sprint” the first two rounds and get your heart rate up too much.
The dumbbell step-ups might do that to you if you are not careful.
Use the transitions between the exercises as little breaks to catch your breath and recover a little bit.
Option 2)
In case you already know before the workout that the number of reps per set will become a problem for you, don’t be afraid to split them up into multiple sets.
On the dumbbell step-ups, you can go for 6/4 reps or even 7/3 to have a slight mental edge because you have already done the majority of the work.
On the dumbbell push-press, you can either go for 12/8 or 11/9 reps. Choose a number of reps that you can sustain throughout the whole five rounds.
Don’t be afraid to switch up your strategy during the workout if you feel like you went too hard or even too slow.
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How to scale it?
Before changing or scaling the movement, always consider reducing the number of reps first.
You could reduce them by 2 reps, 4 reps, etc. whatever feels right for you.
In case you are having trouble/pain with some of the exercises, here are some suggestions on how to work around it:
- Dumbbell Single-Leg Step-Ups: an alternative would be to do the bodyweight single-leg step-up
- Dumbbell Push-Press: an alternative would be to do a banded strict press
- Burpees: an alternative would be the “no-push-up” burpee
(click on the links for a movement demonstration)
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Cooldown
After a long workout like that make sure to have a proper cool-down to avoid injuries & give your body time to recover:
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Happy Sweating!