The key to a successful training routine is consistency. No single workout or exercise is going to make you healthier, fitter and stronger in isolation, the path to success lies in regular training sessions.
These don’t have to be long or especially arduous — any and all movement is going to help, and having a few 15-minute workouts to hand you can do when the moment arises is a great way to keep your training up.
I find that standing workouts in particular seem less daunting when I’m trying to pick a quick session to do. This 15-minute standing arms and upper body workout from fitness trainer FitByMik is a great one to have in mind, because it’s suitable for all levels and all you need for it is a set of dumbbells.
Mikala is using 8lb dumbbells for the workout and recommends using a medium set weighing 5-10lbs, since you’ll be doing arm and shoulder exercises that don’t tend to require heavy weights. If you have a set of the best adjustable dumbbells to hand you can quickly change the weight as and when you need to during the session.
Watch FitByMik’s 15-minute standing dumbbell workout
15 min STANDING ARM WORKOUT | With Dumbbells | Upper Body | No Pushups or Planks - YouTube
The workout is made up of 15 exercises and you do each move for 45 seconds before resting for 15 seconds. Mikala demonstrates each move before you do it, and also gives advice and form tips while doing the workout along with you.
Most of the moves in the workout focus on the arms, and the biceps and triceps in particular, but you’ll also be working your shoulders and other upper body muscles. Your core strength will also improve as you’ll be using your stabilizer muscles to maintain good form throughout, as well as doing some standing crunches.
The lack of floor or bench-based exercises means the workout is wrist-friendly and makes for a welcome break from classic upper-body moves like push-ups and the bench press. It’s also low-impact in that it doesn’t contain any jumping moves like burpees, so it’s a good option for building strength without taxing the joints too much.
As each set is 45-seconds long, you have plenty of time to exhaust the targeted muscles, so there’s no need to rush your movements. Instead aim to move slowly and with control in order to engage the right muscles, and maximize their time under tension to reap the biggest benefits.
If you like the idea of a standing dumbbell workout but don’t have even 15 minutes available, try this 10-minute workout instead, and if you enjoyed the workout above then you might well also like this 15-minute dumbbell workout that works all the major muscles in the upper body.
More from Tom's Guide
- Forget the gym — build a stronger chest and arms with this 5-move dumbbell workout
- I tried this 15-minute dumbbell workout — and could barely lift my arms the next day
- I’m a PT — you just need this 3-move biceps workout with dumbbells to sculpt your arms
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