You don’t need the gym to build full-body muscle, just this 30-minute dumbbell workout

Juice & Toya dumbbell workout on YouTube
(Image credit: Juice & Toya / YouTube)

If you’re tight on time and can’t make it to the gym or find space for an extended workout, all’s not lost. You can still hit your fitness goals, work your muscles, and raise your heart rate with this high-intensity, full-body dumbbell workout, and all you need is 30 minutes to get results.

You can use fixed-weight dumbbells, but if you plan to work out at home regularly, it’s worth investing in a set of the best adjustable dumbbells. These combine several weights, making them easier to store, and you can quickly adjust the load as you get stronger.

These adjustable weights are also particularly useful in this 30-minute drop set routine, where the aim is to lift heavy for 25 seconds, take five seconds to reduce the weight, and then exercise for another 25 seconds. That’s the core of fitness duo Juice & Toya’s effective full-body workout. Of course, you can get a similar effect with two pairs of fixed-load weights.

There are 12 multi-muscle exercises, including dumbbell squats, rows, and presses. Between moves, you get 15 seconds to catch your breath before starting on the next exercise. At the end of the set, you have a slightly longer 30-second break to compose yourself before repeating the circuit.

Whether you’re just getting into strength training or have been lifting for a while, it’s worth following the duo’s demonstrations to practice your technique and improve your form to get the most from the session. And, for reference, Juice uses a set of 25 lb dumbbells, and Toya trains with a 15 lb pair and a lighter 10 lb set.

Watch Juice & Toya’s full-body dumbbell workout

Part of the reason this routine is so effective is the training style. The duo uses a format known as high-intensity resistance training (HIRT), where you work intensely for short periods with minimal rest. This works your muscles hard and helps increase your heart rate, so you burn more energy than during an equivalent steady-paced routine.

But by keeping the breaks short, you sustain this high heart rate, which helps boost your metabolism (the amount of energy you burn throughout the day) for a muscle-building, fat-burning workout you can do with little equipment in just 30 minutes, making it a perfect option for when you’re short on time or can’t make it to the gym.

However, it’s also effective thanks to the choice of exercises. The routine includes several multi-muscle compound exercises — moves designed to work several muscles simultaneously, making them more efficient than single-muscle isolation exercises like biceps curls. That’s how you’re able to get a full-body workout in just 12 moves.

Plus, it’s a good routine whether you’re new to resistance training or are an experienced lifter, as the intensity depends on the load you’re using. Although the aim is to train with a heavy weight, this will vary depending on your body, so the only requirement is to choose a load that’ll challenge your muscles to get through a set but won’t affect your form.

And then as you get stronger, you can increase the starting weight in line with progressive overload training. But the following day, you’ll likely feel the effects of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) from the tiny tears in your muscle fibers. You can help promote your body’s recovery by getting enough rest, sleeping well, and getting enough protein in your diet.

More from Tom’s Guide

James Frew
Buying Guide Editor

James is Tom's Guide's Buying Guide Editor, overseeing the site's buying advice. He was previously Fitness Editor, covering strength training workouts, cardio exercise, and accessible ways to improve your health and wellbeing.At his first job at as a sales assistant in a department store, James learned how important it is to help people make purchasing decisions that are right for their needs, whether that's a fountain pen to give as a gift or a new fridge for their kitchen.

This skill stayed with him as he developed a career in journalism as a freelance technology writer and, later, as Buying Guide Editor for MakeUseOf, where his interest in fitness combined with his commitment to impartial buying advice.

This is how he came to join Fit&Well as Fitness Editor, covering beginner-friendly exercise routines, affordable ways to boost your wellbeing, and reviewed weights, rowing machines, and workout headphones.

James is an advocate for sustainability and reparability, and focuses his reviews and advice through that lens to offer objective insights as to whether a specific product or service will be right for your needs.

Read more
Man doing a squat with two dumbbells
No gym needed — instead use this 30-minute dumbbell workout to build full-body strength at home
Photo of woman doing dumbbell workout
Skip the gym — you only need 30 minutes to build full-body strength with this dumbbell workout
Man performing a dumbbell squat at home
Build muscle all over and a stronger core with just 2 dumbbells and this 20-minute workout
man doing a dumbbell lunge
Boost your metabolism and build full-body muscle in just 30 minutes — all you need is 1 pair of dumbbells
Man holding a dumbbell in right hand with elbow flexed during arm workout outdoors
You just need 20 minutes, 1 dumbbell and this superset workout to strengthen your whole body and boost your metabolism
Man on exercise mat in studio performing a single leg Romanian deadlift with left leg raised and holding two dumbbells
No time for the gym? Strengthen your entire body with this 35-minute dumbbell workout instead
Latest in Fitness
a runner at the 2007 Barkley Marathons event putting his head in his hand
The Barkley Marathons strikes again — with just 20 finishers in history, can anyone survive 2025?
Fitbit Versa 3
Fitbit just started testing its Personalized Sleep Schedule feature — here’s how to try it
a photo of a man in the gym with strong abs
It's not leg raises — try the 'dragon flag' exercise to strengthen your abs and hips instead
woman doing side plank exercise
Ditch sit-ups — strengthen and define your core with 1 dumbbell and this 5-move ab workout
A photo of two older people heading out for exercise
Squats or walking? This research reveals which is better for lowering your blood sugar
woman lifting dumbbells
I tried this 3-move shoulder workout — here’s what happened to my upper body
Latest in Features
Casetify Bounce Suitcase
I ditched my Away Carry-On for a bright red suitcase made by a phone case brand, and I was shocked by how much I liked it
Astell and Kern HB1
I just turned my wired audio headphones into Bluetooth cans with this DAC — and the sound quality is shockingly good
Bare feet poking out of the covers at the end of a bed
Twitching in your sleep? Expert shares 5 most common causes of hypnic jerks
Half-Life 2 RTX
I just went back to Ravenholm in Half-Life 2 RTX — Nvidia’s new RTX remix tech makes it 10x more terrifying
a photo of a man in the gym with strong abs
It's not leg raises — try the 'dragon flag' exercise to strengthen your abs and hips instead
woman doing side plank exercise
Ditch sit-ups — strengthen and define your core with 1 dumbbell and this 5-move ab workout