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20-Minute Dumbbell Full Body Workout (AMRAP)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | September 26, 2024

Build total body strength and raise your heart rate with this dumbbell full body workout! These compound dumbbell exercises offer an efficient way to build muscle and burn fat at home in under 20 minutes. The engaging AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) format means you’ll count your reps and work at your pace.

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I started seeing the results I wanted when I started prioritizing efficient, dumbbell full body workouts.

Dumbbell only workouts are effective and accessible. Plus, they engage more of the smaller, stabilizing muscles in the lower body, upper body and core.

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“Yay for another AMRAP!! This is my favorite quick and effective format.”
— Emily (YouTube Member)
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woman performing a reverse lunge in a full body workout

This dumbbell full body workout is done in an AMRAP format — a fun and challenging way to test your strength and endurance.

AMRAP workouts (“as many rounds as possible”) challenge you to count reps in a timed interval, completing as many rounds of an exercise as you can in a short amount of time.

Take the exercises at your pace. This workout includes one lower body strength exercise and one upper body strength exercise in each circuit.

two women performing a back row with dumbbells in a full body workout

20-Minute Dumbbell Full Body Workout (AMRAP)

Build muscular endurance and total body strength in just 20 minutes with this full body workout.

Strength training and cardio exercises combine in this effective AMRAP workout with dumbbells.

Add full body workouts like this one to your workout routine 1-2 times a week to build muscle mass and increase endurance.

Workout Equipment:

Medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells. I’m using 15-20 lbs.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Full Body AMRAP Workout video on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 2 AMRAP Circuits
  • 2 Exercises Per Circuit (one leg exercise and one arm exercise)
  • Repetition Based (perform 10 reps of each exercise “AMRAP” – as many rounds as possible – in 4 minutes)
  • “Power Minute” (the final minute of each AMRAP circuit will have optional power moves)
  • Rest For 1 Minute Between AMRAP Circuits
two women performing a crunch and toe touch in a full body workout

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon AMRAP Workout

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE:

  1. Deadlift and Clean Squat
  2. Push Ups

POWER MINUTE:

  1. Dumbbell Burpee and Clean and Front Squat

CIRCUIT TWO:

  1. Reverse Lunges
  2. Back Rows

POWER MINUTE:

  1. Bodyweight Burpee and 2 Lunge Jumps

4 Full Body Exercises

Deadlift and Clean Squat

Targets: Lower body, glutes, hamstrings, hips, quads, calves, trapezius, deltoids, lower back, abs and core.

two women performing a dumbbell deadlift and clean squat in a full body workout

How To Do A Dumbbell Deadlift and Clean Squat

  1. Start standing feet hip-distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your body (overhand grip, palms face your thighs).
  2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement. Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
  3. Drive through your heels to push your hips forward, squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position.
  4. As you press your hips forward to stand up, “clean” the dumbbells up towards your shoulders.
  5. Catch the dumbbells at your shoulders and hold the weights in a front rack position as you bend your knees to lower down into a squat, pushing your knees out as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
  6. Drive through the heels to stand up, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Follow Rachel, on the left, and omit the clean portion of the movement. Perform one deadlift and one squat; dumbbells remain at your sides the entire time.

Push Up

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, back, abs and core muscles.

two women performing push ups a full body workout

How To Do Push Ups

  1. Start in a standard high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers. Pull your kneecaps up towards your belly, feet hip-width apart. Option to place your hands on weights if you have wrist pain.
  2. Hold this plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
  3. Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your hips (not out to the sides, keep elbows tight to the body).
  4. Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position (top of your push up position).

Modification: Substitute incline push-ups by placing your hands on a chair or bench; or drop to your knees for modified push ups.

Reverse Lunge

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core. Lunges also target the small stabilizing muscles in your hips and thighs.

two women performing reverse lunges in a dumbbell full body workout

How To Do Reverse Lunges With Dumbbells

  1. Start standing in a neutral position, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip). Option to hold one dumbbell horizontally at your chest.
  2. Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge. Lowering your left knee towards the mat, aiming for 90-degree angles in both knees.
  3. Hold for a moment, then drive through your front, right heel to return to standing.
  4. Then alternate the movement, this time stepping your right foot back into a reverse lunge.

Back Row

Targets: Latissimus dorsi (or lats; the largest back muscle known for its large, flat “V” shape).

two women performing dumbbell back rows in a full body workout

How To Do Dumbbell Back Rows

  1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing in towards each other.
  2. Hinge forward at the hips until your body is in a straight line, neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button pulled back towards your spine. 
  3. As you pull the weights back towards your hips in a rowing movement, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Stop when your elbows are in line with your hips.
  4. With control, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Think up on a one-count, down slow and controlled on a two-count.

Dumbbell Full Body Workout FAQs

Can I Get A Full Body Workout With Dumbbells?

Yes, dumbbells offer a great way to build muscle in a full body workout. I recommend combining compound dumbbell exercises and isolation exercises. Compound exercises engage several different muscle groups at once. Isolation exercises focus on a specific muscle group (such as glute exercises, back exercises or chest exercises) and can improve muscle definition and address muscle imbalances or weaknesses.

When Should I Increase Dumbbell Weight?

My general rule of thumb is that the last 2-3 reps of a set should be challenging, but you should still be able to maintain good form. If you can easily complete the set and feel like you could do more reps, the weight you’re using may be too light. Listen to your body and pay attention to how you feel after a workout. If you could have given more, you’re ready to increase your weights.

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two women performing dumbbell squat

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