A Great Cardio Workout with Dumbbells

Ready for a great workout?

You won’t be able to read the latest People on the treadmill with this one. This is a high intensity interval workout (HIIT) which has been proven to provide greater cardio benefits than steady-state workouts such as jogging or stairmasters.

The good news is you can do this workout with only dumbbells and a bench. Dumbbells and cardio, you say? You got it. It’s also recommended that you have a stop watch or a partner to help you keep track of your intervals. I love the ol’ classic Timex Ironman watch. Set it to one minute and five second intervals and get ready.

The key principles to remember include:

• Lift a weight that causes you to work, but isn’t too heavy you can’t complete the interval
• Keep the speed of your reps high
• Stay on target with your time
• Use the rest period to set up the next interval
• Working your muscles with weights is the best way to increase your metabolism and burn fat

So here’s what you do:

Squats (DBs at side) – Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 60 seconds
DB Bench Press – Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 45 seconds
Walking lunges - Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 30 seconds
Overhead DB Press - Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 15 seconds
Stiff leg deadlift - Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 15 seconds
Bent over DB row - Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 30 seconds
Plie squat - Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute
Rest 45 seconds
Incline Press - Do as many reps as possible for 1 minute

Rest for 3 minutes, and then to the interval a second time. If you have the time and energy, go through the interval as many times as it fits into your fitness plan.