When it comes to cardio, most people think you need to run or do a workout that leaves you in a sweaty heap on the floor afterwards. “Cardio doesn’t have to be high impact - your health isn’t defined by how much you run or how high you jump,” says Sweat App Trainer, Brittany Williams on a recent Instagram post. She’s right – her low-impact dumbbell workout will help you break a sweat, burn plenty of calories, all whilst being gentle on your knees and hips.
It’s an example of resistance circuit training, which combines exercises using weights with minimal rest, performed in a circuit style format. This workout features multi-joint movements that elevate your heart rate by engaging multiple muscle groups at once. But, by adding dumbbells into the equation, your body has to work even harder to power through each move. This means heart rate goes up and more calories are burned.
You don’t need super heavy dumbbells for this workout, as you want your reps to feel light and snappy. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, followed by 10-20 second rest, then move on to the next exercise. Once you’ve completed all six, take 90-120 seconds rest, then repeat two more times, and that’s you done! Make sure you watch Brittany’s short video above, in case you’re not familiar with the exercises, and we’d have a water bottle nearby. Here’s what you’ll do:
- Overhead march and twist
- Squat punch
- Skull crusher scissor switch
- Lateral pick-ups
- Single-leg squat and press
- Kettlebell/dumbbell swings
For a similar workout to this (with no jumping) check out this full-body dumbbell-only workout that you can blast through in 20 minutes – if you knuckle down and leave your excuses at the door.
