Welcome to the effective 20 min CrossFit Dumbbell Workout.
For the following training session, I would suggest you have at least 2 to 3 different dumbbell weights available.
Ideally, you have some adjustable dumbbells so you can play around with weight a little.
What can you expect from the workout?
- The whole duration of this session is around 35min including a full warm-up and cool-down.
- You will work your whole body during this complex. (see the video below)
- You will have different options available, on how to “spice” up the workout in case you need it (see below).
Let’s get to the workout.
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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)
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If you feel a little more stiffness in your body after a long day of work, use this warm-up routine:
Effective 20 min CrossFit Dumbbell Workout
EMOM
Every 1 min for 20 mins
1 x Dumbbell Bear Complex:
1 x DB Power Clean
1 x DB Front Squat
1 x DB Push Press
1 x DB Front Squat
1 x DB Push Press
Video (turn Adblock off)
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How to approach it?
The Dumbbell Bear Complex can be deceiving in the first minutes.
It might a little bit “too easy” but the more reps you accumulate, the more challenging it gets.
As I mentioned before, it would be ideal if you have some adjustable dumbbells or multiple sets of dumbbells to try out the movements before you start.
A few options for how you can approach this workout:
- You can pick a solid weight and stick with it throughout the whole 20 minutes.
- You can increase the dumbbell weight every minute until the time is up.
- If you are short on weights, you can increase the number of reps you do within one minute.
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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:
View the Workout as a Web Story
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the bear complex in CrossFit?
The bear complex is a combination of weightlifting exercises done with a barbell and linked one after another. It usually consists of a power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, and push press. The goal of this type of workout is to increase the time under tension and therefore improve your muscle endurance and technique.
Can you do the bear complex with dumbbells?
You can do the bear complex with dumbbells. The movements will remain the same but will add some additional challenges because it requires more concentration, strength & stability to handle two dumbbells compared to the barbell.
What is a dumbbell complex?
A dumbbell complex describes a sequence of movements that are done right after another. An example of that is the dumbbell bear complex. The goal is to increase the time under tension and improve your muscle endurance as well as your technique.
Happy Sweating!