From your Instagram and TikTok feeds to the yoga studio and weight room, there’s no shortage of fitness #inspo these days. And when Claudette Sariya, a personal trainer, worked in influencer marketing as her daytime grind, she saw a lot of advanced content (think: a pistol squat; a yoga handstand) being created by people who weren’t necessarily qualified to teach it to their followers.
Fast-forward a few years, and Sariya decided to leave the corporate world and take a “life-changing” chance on going full-time in fitness, making it her mission to prioritize safety and efficiency in her clients’ workouts. In short, Sariya is focused on simple, proven movements: “Bringing it back to basics not only helps them learn how to move safely but also helps them build a foundation where they can stand proudly and more confidently as they embark on their fitness journey,” she says.
Now, she’s using her knowledge and experience to help you: get a fantastic full-body workout and safely work toward more advanced variations with this six-move routine that she created exclusively for WH. “I wanted to make sure we targeted every muscle group in here, but I kept it very simple so it’s as easy to build up as it is to break down,” she says.
A full-body dumbbell workout
To see change in your body composition and strength gains, do this workout 2 to 3 times a week for 6 to 8 weeks, making sure to increase the weights or rep counts every other week (AKA, progressive overload training). To supplement your workout, “you’ll also want to make sure you are eating properly too,” notes Sariya, adding that she aims to eat at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. Let’s go!
Instructions: Complete 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps of each move, resting for 20 to 30 seconds between sets. If you can do more than 12 (good!) reps in 30 to 40 seconds, you should go up in weight. If you struggle to reach 8, you should go down. When you feel confident, consider trying the Level Up progression.
1
Squat And Clean
Why it rocks: “This full-body exercise is a powerhouse,” Sariya says. It targets hamstrings, glutes, core, calves, shoulders, back, and biceps to build strength, and it also improves explosive power. Plus: “You’ll feel like a badass when you complete a set of these!”
How to:
- Place either one kettlebell placed between your feet or two dumbbells by your sides, then squat down until thighs are parallel to the floor and grab weight(s).
- Drive through heels to stand, zipping dumbbells up along your sides and catching them at your shoulders (or zipping KB to chest height so you’re looking through the handle).
- Finish by lowering into a squat, keeping weights in position. That’s 1 rep.
- Lower the DBs or KB to starting position and repeat.
Level up: To complete a snatch, pull the dumbbell up along your midline with the elbow leading, then complete the pull with your arm shooting straight toward the ceiling in an outstretched position. It should feel as if you’re about to punch the dumbbell into the ceiling. (If using a KB, the bell will flip so that it lands on the outside of your wrist/forearm.)
2
Eccentric Triceps Pushup
Why it rocks: Compared with a regular pushup, this version keeps your elbows tight against your sides to help isolate and activate your triceps (instead of your chest) as you push yourself up from the floor, Sariya says.
How to:
- Start in a high plank position on toes or knees, with wrists and shoulders stacked. Your body should be long and straight, with your glutes and core engaged. (Tip: If you have wrist pain, place your hands on dumbbells.)
- From this position, lower your chest toward the floor with control, lowering for 3 seconds, keeping elbows tight to your sides.
- From there, immediately push back up to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
Level up: Hold yourself at the bottom of the pushup, chest about two to three inches off the floor, for a couple of seconds.
3
B-Stance Deadlift
Why it rocks: “Taking a B-stance, where one foot is in a kickstand position, will help you target your glutes in the working leg because you won’t have to worry about your balance as much.” People often don’t do the more advanced version of this move, the single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL), properly, because their hips open to the side instead of pointing straight down, says Sariya.
How to:
- Stand with your feet together, a dumbbell in each hand (not shown). Slide one foot back so the front toe is in line with the back heel of the other foot. Lift the heel of the back foot up.
- From here, hinge forward, keeping a soft bend in the knees and pushing your hips behind you. Keep your shoulders down and maintain a flat back as you trace the dumbbells down the front of your standing leg. Feeling tension in the hamstrings and the glutes is a sign that you’re hitting an optimal range of motion.
- Reverse movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep. Complete all reps on this side, then repeat on the other.
Level up: Once you feel more confident and have more core stability, then take on a single-leg RDL.
4
Reverse Lunge With Press
Why it rocks: “This dual-part move will strengthen the glutes, quads, and shoulders while improving your overall balance,” says Sariya. Tuck your pelvis to activate your glutes and avoid the common misstep of hyperextending your lower back.
How to:
- Hold a dumbbell (or KB) in your right hand in a front rack position at your shoulder. Step back with your right leg and drop your knee so it’s an inch or two off the floor and forming a 90-degree angle.
- Optional press (not shown): Engage your core and stay in this position as you press the weight up above your shoulder.
- Return the dumbbell to a front racked position, then return to your standing position. Repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.
Level up: Turn it into a clean and press while you lunge, or turn it into a snatch.
5
Renegade Row
Why it rocks: “This is one of my favorite moves for improving core strength and stability while working the upper-back muscles and arms,” says Sariya. “Often, I’ll see a twist of the torso or a rocking of the hips, but you want to keep the hips as still as possible so you can focus on stabilizing your core.”
How to:
- Start in a high plank position with each hand resting on a dumbbell. (To regress the move, start on your knees.) Your feet should be in a wider stance to keep you balanced, and your core and glutes should be engaged.
- Keeping your body as still as possible, pull one dumbbell toward the bottom of your rib cage. Your hips should be so still that if there were a cup of coffee on your lower back, it wouldn’t spill.
- Repeat with the other arm. That’s 1 rep.
Level up: Add a pushup after each rep.
6
Bicycle Crunch
Why it rocks: To really target the abs, you have to slow the classic bicycle crunch down, using time under tension and finding resistance with your legs as levers, says Sariya. While this is a “really simple move,” Sariya says people often do it too quickly. “I see them flying through their bicycles, making it more cardio than strength.”
How to:
- Lie flat on your back with fingertips behind ears and elbows wide.
- Bring your legs up to a tabletop position, then lift shoulder blades and head off the floor and twist your torso, bringing opposite elbow to opposite knee as you extend the other leg straight.
- Repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep. Continue alternating.
Level up: Pause at the top of each twist to feel more of a burn.
This article originally appeared on Women’s Health US.
