You don’t need a fully stocked gym, a spare bedroom full of equipment or two hours a day to build muscle and get fitter. A pair of dumbbells, six feet of floor space and three half-hour slots in your week can take you a long way. Provided you’re willing to put in the work, that is.

This three-day plan strips your training back to basics, with enough consistent graft to build your engine alongside your frame. You don’t even need a bench, making it ideal for training at home without turning part of that home into a gym.

Each session follows the same simple format: four movements, 30 minutes and as many high-quality rounds as you can muster in that timeframe. Warm up, grab your ’bells and let’s get to work.

Perform the following workouts in order, ideally taking a rest day between each. Monday, Wednesday and Friday works, but fit the sessions around your life.

After a thorough warm-up, set a countdown timer for 30 minutes and work through as many high-quality rounds of the four movements as possible.

This is an AMRAP – as many rounds as possible. The emphasis here is on high-quality rounds. Move with purpose, control your reps and rest only as necessary to keep your form on point.

A few things to bear in mind:

• Make the reps fit your weights. The ranges below are a starting point. If you’ve only got one pair of dumbbells, adjust the reps for each movement. Pick a number that feels challenging but doable in the opening rounds, leaving a few good reps in the tank. By the end of the AMRAP, you should be struggling to hit that same number with clean form.
• Rest when you need to. Between movements and between rounds, put the weights down, shake it off and catch your breath whenever you need to maintain control.
• Keep your standards consistent. Shortening your range of motion or throwing the weights around to eke out a few extra reps makes tracking your progress less meaningful. End each set before your technique goes to pot, even if that means the reps drop.
• Keep score. Record your weights, reps and completed rounds, including any reps from an unfinished round. When you repeat the session, aim to beat the notebook.

30-Minute AMRAP

Dumbbell Front Squat x 10-15

Reverse Lunge x 10-15 Each Leg

Dumbbell Deadlift x 15-20

30-Minute AMRAP

See-Saw Press x 20-24 Total

Burpee Over Dumbbells x 10

30-Minute AMRAP

Dumbbell High Pull x 6-8

Plank Pull-Through x 10-20 Total