Home gymSession 01

Full body, forty-seven minutes

Four supersets of free weights, each built around a movement that does two jobs at once. One dumbbell setting for the whole session, so nothing gets adjusted once you start.

12 exercises4 supersets1 weight setting47 minutes0 of 12 rounds done

1Before you start

Pick one weight and leave it there for the whole session. The overhead press is the weakest link, so set the dumbbells by that.

Test it: press them overhead 10 times. If reps 8, 9 and 10 are hard but your form still looks the same as rep 1, that is your weight.

A common first-session starting point is 4 to 8 kg (10 to 18 lb) per hand, but the 10-rep test beats the number.

Squats and rows will feel easy at that weight, and that is on purpose. If something feels too light, take 3 seconds to lower it rather than changing the dumbbells.

Nothing on the floor
Every exercise is standing, on the bench, or on the machine.
Breathe out on the effort
Push or pull on the out-breath, and do not hold your breath.
Two movements, one rep
In the paired lifts the second movement starts as the first one finishes. It is one flowing rep, not two exercises stacked.
Stop means stop
Sharp pain, dizziness, or a back that rounds under load: put the weights down and move on.

2Warm up

Bodyweight only, one time through. This is what makes the first superset feel easy.

Rounds
One time through
Rest
None
Time
~5 min
Tick when done
1

Bodyweight squat

12 repsLegs

  1. 1Feet just wider than hips, toes turned out a little.
  2. 2Reach your arms forward as a counterweight and sit your hips back and down.
  3. 3Go as low as you can while your heels stay flat, then stand all the way up.
Watch for

Knees track out over your toes. They should not fall inwards as you stand.

2

Reverse lunge

6 each legLegs, balance

START FINISH
  1. 1Stand tall, hands wherever they help you balance.
  2. 2Take a long step backwards and lower that back knee towards the floor.
  3. 3Push through the front heel to step back to standing. Alternate legs.
Watch for

Front shin stays close to vertical and the front heel stays down.

3

Incline push-up on the bench

8 repsChest, shoulders

START FINISH
  1. 1Hands on the edge of the bench, a little wider than your shoulders, arms straight.
  2. 2Walk your feet back until your body is one straight line from head to heels.
  3. 3Lower your chest towards the bench with your elbows tucked back, then press away.
Watch for

The hips move with the shoulders. Do not let them sag or pike up.

4

Hip hinge

10 repsHamstrings, back

  1. 1Hands on your hips, feet hip width, knees softly bent.
  2. 2Push your hips backwards and let your chest travel down. Back stays flat.
  3. 3Stop when you feel a stretch behind your thighs, then squeeze your glutes to stand.
Watch for

A hinge, not a squat. The hips move back rather than down, and you will use it twice more today.

3Squat to press, then row

Do A1, go straight into A2 with no rest, then rest and repeat. Three rounds.

Rounds
3
Rest
75 sec
Time
~12 min
Tick each round
A1

Squat to press

8 repsLegs + shoulders

START FINISH
  1. 1Hold a dumbbell at each shoulder, palms facing each other, elbows under your hands.
  2. 2Sit down into a squat, keeping your chest up and the weights on your shoulders.
  3. 3Drive up through your heels, and as your legs straighten, press both dumbbells overhead.
  4. 4Lower them back to your shoulders under control and go straight into the next squat.
Watch for

One flowing move, not two. The press starts as the legs finish, and that leg drive is what gets the weight up.

This is the exercise that sets your weight for the day.

A2

Bent-over row

10 repsBack, biceps

START FINISH
  1. 1Feet hip width, dumbbells hanging at arms' length in front of your shins.
  2. 2Hinge forward from the hips until your chest is at roughly 45 degrees. Knees soft, back flat.
  3. 3Pull both dumbbells to the sides of your ribs, leading with your elbows.
  4. 4Lower all the way down until your arms are straight, then repeat.
Watch for

Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the top, and do not let the back round.

If your lower back tires before your back muscles do, hinge a little less far forward.

4Deadlift to row, then bench press

Same pattern. B1, straight into B2, then rest. Three rounds.

Rounds
3
Rest
75 sec
Time
~12 min
Tick each round
B1

Deadlift to row

8 repsHamstrings + back

START FINISH
  1. 1Stand tall, dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing you.
  2. 2Soften the knees, push your hips back and slide the dumbbells down the front of your legs until you feel a stretch behind your thighs.
  3. 3Hold still down there and row both dumbbells up to your ribs, then lower them back to straight arms.
  4. 4Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward to stand back up tall. That is one rep.
Watch for

The row happens at the bottom, with the hips still back. Standing up is the last part of the rep, not the middle of it.

The diagram shows the bottom half. The first and last thing you do each rep is stand up tall.

B2

Dumbbell bench press

10 repsChest, shoulders, triceps

START FINISH
  1. 1Sit on the end of the bench with a dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back as you bring them to your chest.
  2. 2Feet flat on the floor, hips and shoulders on the bench.
  3. 3Start with the dumbbells just outside your chest, elbows at about 45 degrees from your body.
  4. 4Press them up until your arms are straight, then lower slowly until you feel a stretch across the chest.
Watch for

Elbows stay slightly tucked, not flared out to the sides at shoulder height.

To get up: bring the dumbbells to your chest first, then sit up. Never sit up holding them overhead.

5Lunge to curl, then knee raises

Legs and middle. C1, straight into C2, then rest. Three rounds.

Rounds
3
Rest
75 sec
Time
~12 min
Tick each round
C1

Reverse lunge to curl

6 each legLegs + biceps

START FINISH
  1. 1Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides.
  2. 2Take a long step backwards and lower that back knee towards the floor.
  3. 3At the bottom, curl both dumbbells up towards your shoulders, then lower them.
  4. 4Push through the front heel to stand back up. Do all 6 on one leg, then swap.
Watch for

Stay upright and curl only the arms. The elbows stay pinned by your ribs rather than swinging forward.

Wobbly? Do them next to a wall and rest one fingertip on it.

C2

Knee raises on the machine

8 to 12 repsCore, hip flexors

START FINISH
  1. 1Forearms flat on the pads, hands on the grips, back against the pad.
  2. 2Let your legs hang straight down and get tall through your shoulders.
  3. 3Bring both knees up towards your chest, curling the hips slightly at the top.
  4. 4Lower your legs slowly. Do not let them swing back down.
Watch for

Slow on the way down is where the work is. If you start swinging, the set is over.

Too hard by round 3? Do fewer reps rather than faster ones.

6Curl to press, then glute bridge

Two rounds to finish. Shorter rest, and the last one should be hard.

Rounds
2
Rest
45 sec
Time
~6 min
Tick each round
D1

Curl to press

8 repsBiceps + shoulders

START FINISH
  1. 1Stand tall, dumbbells by your sides, palms facing forward.
  2. 2Curl both dumbbells up to your shoulders, keeping the elbows by your ribs.
  3. 3Turn the palms to face each other and press both weights straight overhead.
  4. 4Lower them back to your shoulders, then back down to your sides. That is one rep.
Watch for

Everything is driven by the arms and shoulders here. No bending the knees to help the weight up.

Getting stuck on the press? Finish the round with curls only.

D2

Glute bridge on the bench

12 repsGlutes, hamstrings

START FINISH
  1. 1Sit on the floor with your upper back resting across the bench, feet flat and hip width.
  2. 2Let your hips drop down towards the floor.
  3. 3Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your body is flat from knees to shoulders.
  4. 4Squeeze your glutes hard for one second at the top, then lower under control.
Watch for

Ribs down and chin tucked. The lift comes from the glutes, not from arching your lower back.

The only movement today with no weight. Add a dumbbell across your hips once 12 reps feel easy.

7Afterwards

  • Write down the weight you used and how the last round felt. Next session you add a rep, or you add weight.
  • Expect to be a bit sore two days after rather than the next day. That is normal for a first session.
  • Two to three sessions a week, with a day off in between, is where this works best.

Session 01 · built 2026-09-14