You don’t need a fully equipped gym to build strength and muscle. In fact, according to fitness coach Jeff Sutherland, just one dumbbell is enough to work your entire body, build strength and improve your conditioning. Sharing a four-move, three-round workout, Sutherland demonstrates how to train your legs, glutes, core, shoulders and arms using a single 22kg dumbbell.

‘I wanted to show that you can get a great workout even if you only have one dumbbell in your house,’ he explains in his Instagram caption. ‘One dumbbell is more than enough when you remove excuses and focus on the work.’

The session combines unilateral exercises with compound movements to challenge multiple muscle groups while raising your heart rate. It’s also ideal for training at home or when you’re short on equipment. Just choose a weight that allows you to maintain good form throughout.

Complete three rounds of the following exercises, moving from one to the next with minimal rest where possible. Take additional recovery as needed between exercises and rounds.

Dumbbell Offset Squat: 10 reps each side

Goblet Walking Lunge: 20 steps total

Single Dumbbell Snatch: 7 reps each side

Single Dumbbell Press: 10 reps total

Optional Finisher: Sutherland finishes with kettlebell swings, working down from 10 to two reps before going to failure. This requires additional equipment, so you can skip it if you’re training with just one dumbbell.

Dumbbell Offset Squat

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell at shoulder height on one side.
• Brace your core and keep your chest lifted as you bend your knees and push your hips back into a squat.
• Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, or as far as your mobility allows.
• Drive through your feet to return to standing, keeping your torso upright and resisting the urge to lean towards the weighted side.

Goblet Walking Lunge

• Hold the dumbbell vertically against your chest with both hands.
• Take a long step forwards and bend both knees, lowering your back knee towards the floor.
• Keep your torso upright and your front knee tracking in line with your toes.
• Push through your front foot to step forwards into the next lunge.

Single Dumbbell Snatch

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell between your legs with one hand.
• Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly, then explosively extend your hips and knees, driving the dumbbell upwards in one fluid movement.
• As the weight travels overhead, punch your arm upwards to catch it with your elbow extended.
• Lower the dumbbell under control.

Single Dumbbell Press

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbell in front of your collarbone.
• Press the dumbbell overhead until your arm is fully extended, keeping your ribs down.
• Lower the weight slowly to shoulder height and repeat.

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Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.