The Men’s Health 30-Day Dumbbell Challenge

The Men’s Health 30-Day Dumbbell Challenge

HAVE A PAIR OF DUMBBELLS? That’s all you need to build well-rounded strength, and that’s exactly what you’re doing with this dumbbell challenge. This is the perfect opportunity to reset your fitness regimen in a structured, easy-to-follow program rather than making up your sweat sessions on the fly.

Instead of stringing together random dumbbell moves, we’re building balanced strength—the kind that can help bulletproof your body as it builds muscle. Each week this month, you’ll take on seven different strength moves, with each day dedicated to a different muscle group. You’ll start the week with exercises that target your back, then move through shoulders, legs, chest, arms, and core on Days 2 through 6. To cap off the week, total body exercises will be the focus. You’ll move better, look better, and best of all, you’ll know exactly what you need to do every day for the whole span of the program.

Do each move whenever you have a free moment in your day, or as the final exercise in your typical workout routine. You’ll get a refresher course in several classic exercises in the early weeks before progressing to challenging variations that push you to develop strength in multiple planes of movement, a key aspect of athleticism and well-rounded fitness. Most of all, committing to this goal puts you on the path to better health—so there are no downsides to taking on the challenge.

WEEK 1

Start with the basics for the first week. If you need to, don’t hesitate to grab weights on the lower end of the rack to get acclimated to the movements.

Day 1: Bent-Over Row

3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

breaker

.

Day 2: V-Sit Halo

3 sets of 12 to 16 reps

breaker

.

▼ Day 3: RDL

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 4: Floor Press

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 5: Kneeling Halfway Pause Curl

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 6: Weighted Hollow Hold

3 sets of 30 seconds on, 30 off

breaker

.

Day 7: Thruster

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

WEEK 2

You’ll ramp up the work in Week 2, with some extra stability and core components to these exercises even as you focus in on other muscle groups.

Day 1: Plank Row

3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per arm

breaker

.

Day 2: Single-Arm Z Press

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per arm

breaker

.

Day 3: Paused Goblet Squat

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 4: Alternating Hollow Body Press

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 5: Half-Full Curl

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 6: Weighted Hollow Rock

3 sets of 30 seconds, 30 off

breaker

.

Day 7: Alternating Rotational Thruster

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side

WEEK 3

Begin to build some explosive power with some of the exercises this week.

Day 1: Bear Plank Row

3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per arm

breaker

.

Day 2: Floor Lateral Raise

3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

breaker

.

Day 3: Dumbbell Swing

3 sets of 10 to 12 reps

breaker

.

Day 4: Single-Arm Double-Explode Hollow Body Press

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per arm

breaker

.

Day 5: Double-Skullcrusher to Double JM press

3 sets of 3 to 4 clusters of reps

breaker

.

Day 6: V-Sit Halo

3 sets of 6 to 8 reps

breaker

.

Day 7: Bear Plank Row to Squat

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

WEEK 4

Bring everything you’ve learned all together in the last full week of the challenge. Stay committed to make the most of your training sessions.

Day 1: Bear Plank to Plank Row Alternating

3 sets of 3 clusters of reps per set

breaker

.

Day 2: L-raise

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 3: Reverse Lunge to High-Knee

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg

breaker

.

Day 4: Single-Leg Glute Bridge Press

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 5: Pause-and-Twist Hammer Curl

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 6: 3-Step Getup

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

breaker

.

Day 7: Overhead/Down Farmer’s Carry

3 sets of 30 seconds per side (no rest between sets)

WEEK 5

Step outside your comfort zone and work in multiple planes of movement with each of these exercises. Finish strong!

Day 1: Rotational Alternating Thruster

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per side

breaker

.

Day 2: Bear Plank to Plank Row

3 sets of 3 to 4 clusters per sets

breaker

.

Day 3: 3-Step Getup

3 sets of 8 to 10 reps

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a37993766/30-day-dumbbell-challenge/