Forget push-ups — this standing dumbbell workout strengthens your abs and arms in just 15 minutes

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Get stronger in just 15 minutes

Woman performing dumbbell biceps curls at home
(Image credit: Getty Images)

With every year that passes, I appreciate the idea of standing workouts more and more. I’m in good shape and enjoy working out, but the idea of getting up and down off the floor makes me feel weary, so standing sessions certainly appeal.

It’s also true that you can achieve pretty much anything you want about your fitness goals with standing workouts, including building stronger arms and abs.

This 15-minute standing dumbbell workout has been put together by fitness trainer Monika Larssen, who goes by MonikaFit on YouTube. It’s an accessible session anyone can try, and you just need a couple of dumbbells.

Monika is using 5.5lb weights for the session, but use whatever feels comfortable for you. You can also substitute things like water bottles if you don’t have dumbbells. You’ll be holding your weights for pretty much the whole workout and doing arm exercises, so if in doubt, I’d err on the side of lighter weights.

Watch MonikaFit’s 15-minute abs and arms workout

15 MIN STANDING ARMS AND ABS WORKOUT - with dumbbells - YouTube 15 MIN STANDING ARMS AND ABS WORKOUT - with dumbbells - YouTube
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Throughout the workout, you’ll be working for 40 seconds and resting for 10 seconds, moving to a new exercise each time. If those sets feel too long and the rest too short, you can always adjust the timings during the session to give yourself a longer break.

Monika does the workout with you and demonstrates each move, but doesn’t give any verbal instructions, so make sure you can see your screen so you know what exercise to do and to copy her technique.

To target the various parts of your abs and core, you’ll be twisting, bending and raising your knees during the workout, while holding dumbbells and doing various arm exercises that work the biceps, triceps and shoulders.

It’s a fast-paced and fun session where you often have to move your upper and lower body at the same time, which means a bit of concentration, which helps distract from any burn in your muscles.

As ever with strength workouts, you’ll get the most from this by engaging the right muscles and doing each exercise with good form. So don’t rush just to cram in more reps, especially because you do a lot of moves on one leg and risk losing your balance.

If you want more of a core-focused session than this, then our resident personal trainer, Sam Hopes, put together this three-move standing workout, which doesn’t require any weight at all.

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Nick Harris-Fry
Nick Harris-Fry
Senior Writer

Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.


Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.


Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.

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