Working out doesn’t have to be hard. Yes, a full week training program consisting of various chest workouts, back workouts and leg workouts may eventually gift you the results you seek – coupled with a proper diet – but it comes at the cost of a lot of time.
This is where performing several, more simple exercises in one hit for a specified amount of time can come in handy. They don’t require a great deal of investment and can (usually) be completed anywhere you find yourself.
A perfect example of one of these workouts has come courtesy of Bill Maeda, personal trainer at, and owner of, FitPro Hawaii. Bill has become a bit of a TikTok star, posting regular videos of his workouts that are simple to follow yet incredibly effective. One of his latest shows him performing three movements whilst holding a pair of light dumbbells, that he says will “bomb your core while improving balance, agility and cardio in a short workout.”
The three movements included in Bill’s workout are a swing lunge, narrow-stance squat and an overhead press, and when combined together, they make on hell of a combo. Here’s how to perform them:
- Swing Lunge: A swing lunge is similar to a reverse lunge, however, instead of simply putting one foot behind you and keeping the weights held by your sides to perform a reverse lunge, there is a different movement pattern. You instead want hold the dumbbells out in front of you at shoulder height, and swing down towards your sides and out behind you as you perform the reverse lunge. The end position should be down in a full lunge position with the dumbbells out behind you and just above your calves. Start with the dumbbells held with an underhand grip in front of you, and then during the movement, rotate your wrists so that you’re holding them in a neutral grip (palms facing in).
- When you’re back to the starting position after completing a swing lunge on one side, hold the dumbbells with an underhand grip at shoulder height and perform a narrow-stance squat. Your feet should be in a natural standing position (in line with your shoulders). Squat down, brace your core before you do so (tucking your pelvis in can help to maintain stability) and ensuring your knees don’t go over your toes.
- As you return to a standing position from the squat, push the dumbbells up above your head, continuing to hold them with an underhand grip. Make sure to not flair your elbows too much.
- Once you have completed these three movements, run through them again, only this time, perform the swing lunge on the opposite side of the body. Throughout the entire duration of the exercises, keep your eyes locked on an object in front of you.
Bill posted a follow-up video to answer how many sets and reps you should perform, since so many users were asking. He says he takes a “different perspective on this one,” and adds “first, you should ensure you can perform each part of this exercise without weights before you chain them altogether.”
“That in itself could be several workouts but combining the movements becomes a skill.”
“When learning a new skill like driving there are too many variables at play that compartmentalise into sets or reps. Treat this exercise similarly, as a skill that cannot be learned under the confines of fatigue or time limits. By then, you’ll know what’s appropriate to program for yourself.”
Essentially, practice the workout using just bodyweight to get the technique nailed down, and that you can move fluidly from one movement to the next. From here, you can begin to add weight, but as Bill says at the beginning, you only need to use light weights (Bill is using 15lbs dumbbells for reference).
This is something fellow fitness trainer Paul Sklar has encouraged himself, claiming “If you have the right mind-muscle connection, it doesn’t matter how much weight you use,”
“Make the most out of any exercise you do, because each one may work a lot more than you think they do.”
Give Bill’s three movement dumbbell workout a try next time you’re at the gym, or have some time to spare at home and you’ll not only been an incredible burn, but it could help to strengthen your entire body.
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