If you’re looking to use your dumbbells to burn fat, try out this workout routine to try at home, adapted from Strength Training for Fat Loss.

Aimed at beginners, this workout will will give you a varied workout, working various muscle groups.

In this post we’ll explore a few of the moves in more detail. For full details on each of the moves, get your copy of Strength Training for Fat Loss.

Exercise	Week 1	Week 2
Prisoner squat	2 sets x 8-12 reps	3 sets x 8-12 reps
One-arm compound band row	2 sets x 10-12 reps (each side)	3 sets x 10-12 reps (each side)
Knee-tap squat	2 sets x 6-8 reps (each side)	3 sets x 6-8 reps (each side)
Push-up	2 sets x 8-12 reps	3 sets x 8-12 reps
Stability-ball leg curl	2 sets x 8-10 reps	3 sets x 8-10 reps
One-arm band press	2 sets x 10-12 reps (each side)	3 sets x 10-12 reps (each side)
Band lat pull-down	2 sets x 10-12 reps	3 sets x 10-12 reps
Prisoner reverse lunge	2 sets x 4-6 reps (each side)	3 sets x 4-6 reps (each side)
Band tight rotation	2 sets x 10-12 reps (each side)	3 sets x 10-12 reps (each side)
Stability-ball knee tuck	2 sets x 8-10 reps	3 sets x 8-10 reps

Prisoner squat

Stand tall with your feet shoulder- width apart and your toes turned out slightly, about 10 degrees. Interlace your fingers behind your head with your elbows pointing out to the sides (see figure a). Perform a squat by bending your knees and sitting back at your hips (see figure b). Go as low as you can possibly go without allowing your lower back to round out. Be sure that as you squat you do not allow your heels to come off the ground or your knees to come together toward the midline of your body. Your knees should track in the same direction as your toes.

Stability ball leg curl

Lie in a supine position on the floor with your heels resting on top of a 55- to 65- centimeter stability ball and your arms out to the sides for balance (see figure a). Raise your hips toward the sky while simultaneously pulling your heels toward your body underneath you (see figure b). Slowly reverse the motion and repeat without allowing your hips to touch the floor. To perform a single-leg variation, simply raise one leg off the ball, flexing your hip and knee at a 90-degree angle, and perform the same action as described. Complete all the repetitions on one side before switching to the other leg.

Band tight rotation

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the handles of a resistance band on your right side at shoulder level; the band should be attached to a stable structure or inside a doorjamb (many resistance bands come with an attachment for this). Hold
the handles on your right side with your elbows slightly bent (see figure a) and pull the handles across your body to the left until both arms are just outside your left shoulder (see figure b). Move your arms horizontally in the opposite direction (toward the origin of the cable) until they reach just outside your right shoulder. The range of motion in this exercise is small, roughly the same as the width of your shoulders. Be sure that you remain tall and do not allow your hips to rotate—they should remain perpendicular to origin of the bands. Perform all reps on one side before switching to the other side.

Header photo by Andrea Piacquadio