30 Minute Full Body Dumbbell Burnout Set Workout
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Looking to add an extra challenge to your workout routine? Add in a burnout workout! These fast-paced and strength-building workouts are perfect for anyone who gets bored easily in the gym or needs that extra difficulty. Traditionally done at the end of a workout, burnout sets generally work the same muscle group and feature similar variations of the movement. The result is a targeted workout that pushes the muscles to fatigue with a high amount of reps.
However, burnout workouts can also be strategically placed into your workout routine to be a challenging total body strength workout at home to help break through a fitness plateau or add variety to your standard weightlifting schedule.
What does ‘burnout’ mean?
Typically, a burnout set is performed by using a lighter weight with a high amount of reps, either in a set or for a set duration. Each burnout set targets a specific muscle group with similar movements and very little rest. The end result is a targeted workout meant to work the muscles to fatigue.
What is the benefit of ‘burnout’ workouts?
When deciding what workout is right for you, consider what your end goals are.
For those looking to increase muscle mass, gain size, or maximize strength, most workouts prescribe a higher weight with lower reps, often with a lot of rest between sets.
For fat loss, many workouts incorporate cardio bursts, such as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), to get the heart rate up and burn additional calories. These short, but fast workouts, are also ideal for people who do not have a lot of time to workout.
If you are looking to gain strength, doing higher reps (10-12 reps) is most beneficial. This could be done in supersets (working two exercises back-to-back, generally opposing muscles) or by increasing the weight each set and reducing the amount of reps.
The benefit of burnout sets is to create muscle growth and gains in muscular endurance, while working the muscles of a specific group to exhaustion.
Each of these forms of weightlifting types can be utilized to reach different fitness gains based on your desired outcome.
Can I use this workout as cardio?
The great thing about burnout sets is that, when done correctly, they can increase your heart rate and do double duty as a cardio burst!
Note: While many of the workouts that we do are beginner-friendly, burnout sets are best for those who have a solid strength training foundation.
If you are new to strength training, we recommend scaling down the reps (10-15) and treating this workout like a slower-paced strength training session.
For an end of workout burnout:
Set a timer for 45 seconds and transition quickly through each movement. Optionally, only select your desired muscle group and add to the end of your workout routine.
See our full workout series here.
We Recommend: Neoprene Dumbbell Set
Full Body Dumbbell Burnout Workout Routine
Watch the video:
Suggested:
5-10 Minute warmup + cooldown of your choice.
Tip:
The goal of this burnout workout is to push your muscles to fatigue. Take your time through the movements and focus on deep breathing and maintaining the engagement in the spine, core and abs throughout each movement. Finish the second set, working quickly through the reps, but maintaining form.
Need a modification?
If any of these exercises are too challenging for you, scroll down below for a list of modifications to make this workout easier for your level or personal needs.
Full Body Dumbbell exercise List
Perform 2 sets of each round. For the first set, start by working through the movements slowly, for 10-12 reps.
For the second set, set a timer for 1:00 and perform as many reps as possible.
Round 1 - Lower Body Burnout Sets:
Squats
How-to: Start in a standing position, feet just outside the hips. Holding the dumbbells at your chest, send your hips back, bending your knees, and bring your legs parallel to the ground.
Form tip: Keep your chest lifted and don’t hinge forward. Make sure to press your knees outwards so that you don’t let your knees collapse in.
Pulsing Lunges
How-to: Start in a standing position, dumbbells at your sides, and take one step back, bending the back knee, bringing the front knee to 90 degrees. Without standing up between reps, slowly pulse. Switch legs after you finish the reps.
Form tip: Keep the chest tall and the hips and shoulders stacked. Don’t lean forward over the front knee.
Side Lunges
How-to: Start in a standing position, dumbbells at your sides. Take one large step out to the side, sending your hips back, opposite leg straight. Keep the toe pointed forward and the dumbbells on either side of the knee. Press up to standing and alternate to the other side.
Form tip: Avoid pressing the knee forward. Keep the movement in the glutes by pressing back with the hips.
Challenge: Extend the arms in front of you, adding in a forward raise with each side lunge.
Straight Leg Deadlift
How-to: In a standing position, feet directly underneath the hips, keep the legs straight, dumbbells resting on your thighs, palms facing in. Hinge at the hips, keeping the contact with the weights on your legs. Keep the legs straight and find your lowest point with a flat back.
Form tip: Do not lock your knees out in this position. Keeping a micro bend keeps the movement in the hamstring. Pull your shoulders back to keep your back flat and only come down as low as you can maintain the straight back. Do not round your back.
Round 2 - Chest & Back Burnout Sets:
Chest Flys
How-to: In a standing position, feet underneath the hips, dumbbells at your sides. Hinge at the waist, sending the hips back, slight bend in the knees. Bring the palms together in front of you and, with a slight bend in the elbows, pull the weight away from each other and pinch your shoulder blades behind you. Slowly lower down.
Form tip: Imagine that you are holding a large beachball and each movement is opening and then closing to hug the ball.
Modification: Do single arm flies if you find it difficult to use both.
Rows
How-to: In the same hinged position, extend the arms long in front of you, palms facing together. Pull the arms back to touch the body, keeping the elbows tucked in alongside the body. Extend the arms fully with each movement.
Form tip: Keep the shoulders pulled back as you pull to prevent rounding or arching the back.
Chest Press
How-to: In a standing position, bring the weights to chest height, palms facing the ground, elbows back. Extend the arms in front of you, making sure to not drop the arms. Bring the arms back to the chest.
Form tip: Avoid swinging through the movement. Squeeze your glutes and engage the core to keep the movement in your chest and arms.
Modification: Lie down on the floor and press upwards.
Chest Squeeze
How-to: Start with both weights in front of the chest, pressing together, elbows wide. Slowly extend the arms directly out from the chest, keeping the pressure. Pull the weights back in.
Form tip: This exercise works best when you don’t rush the movement and keep the tension in the weights by actively pressing them together.
Round 3 - Arms & Shoulders Burnout Sets:
Bicep Curls
How-to: Standing tall, arms at your sides, palms facing away, curl the weights to your shoulders.
Form tip: Avoid swinging through the movement. Squeeze your butt and press the pelvis forward to prevent arching through the back.
Modification: For sensitive wrists, switch your grip to a hammer curl (palms facing in towards the body).
Tricep Kickbacks
How-to: Start in a standing position, hinge at the waist, feet underneath the hips. Pull the arms up, bringing the elbows parallel with the body. Extend the arms back, keeping the elbows tucked into the sides, pinkies to the sky.
Form tip: Avoid swinging through the movement. Squeeze the triceps up at the top; avoid letting the elbows drop.
Challenge: Add in a twist, rotating the palms to the ceiling with the extension.
Shoulder Press
How-to: Start with elbows at 90 degrees, outstretched to the side of your body, arms parallel with the ground, palms facing forward. Press upwards to fully extend the arms and lower back down.
Form tip: Squeeze the glutes and core to prevent arching in the back as you press upwards.
Bent Arm Shoulder Raise
How-to: Keeping the same arm position as before, rotate the palms so that they face the ground, arms parallel with the ground. Keeping the bend in the elbow, bring the arms back to the body. Lift the arms back up, keeping the same bend.
Form tip: Don’t let the elbows “lead” by dropping the hands below the elbows as you lift and lower. Keep the palms in the same line as the elbow.
Arnold Press
How-to: In a standing position, start with the weight at your sides, palms facing away. Curl the weights to your shoulders. Then, press overhead, rotating the arms as you extend so that palms face away from your body. Reverse the movement as you lower the weights back down.
Form tip: Avoid swinging through this movement or arching the back as you press by engaging the abs and booty.
