Workout of the week: 25-min dumbbell upper-body strength

12th December 2025

25-min dumbbell upper-body strength - Man in black sportswear performs dumbbell row in strength training area at EVO Fitness, surrounded by weight plates.

ALL LEVELS / dumbbell upper-body strength / 25 minutes

Equipment: Gym bench & dumbbells

Time passes differently depending on what you’re doing. Scroll through your phone, and minutes vanish in a blink. Hold a plank, and suddenly you’ve entered a new dimension where every second lasts forever. The truth is, workouts take a portion of our daily time, but the right ones can make that time pass by more quickly.

And that’s exactly what you’ll get with this dumbbell upper-body strength workout. With 6 exercises, each with its own set number of reps, you have one goal only: complete as many rounds as possible within a 25-minute time cap.

Bench dip 10x
Dumbbell row 12x
Dumbbell push press 14x
Renegade row 16x
Deficit push-up 18x
Lateral raises 20x

You have 25 minutes. Ready?

WORKOUT SETUP

AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
6 exercises
Different reps
25 minutes
Equipment: Gym bench & dumbbells

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

25-min time cap

1 – BENCH DIP

10 reps

Sit on the edge of the gym bench. Grasp the edge of it, pointing your fingers to your feet. Keep your legs extended, with your heels touching the floor.
With your palms, press to lift your body and slide forward, clearing the edge of the bench.
Now lower yourself until your elbows are bent.
Slowly push yourself back up to the starting position.
Repeat.

2 – DUMBBELL ROW

12 reps

Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Engage your core and set your shoulders back.
Hinge at the hips, keeping your back straight, until the dumbbells are just below your knees.
Pull the dumbbells toward your torso, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Lower the weights slowly under control and repeat.

3 – DUMBBELL PUSH PRESS

14 reps

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.
Clean the dumbbells to bring them to shoulder level, palms facing in and elbows tucked close to your body.
Lower into a shallow squat, keeping your core engaged and chest up.
Push through your heels to stand, driving both dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
Lower the dumbbells back to shoulder height with control.
Repeat.

4 – RENEGADE ROW

16 reps

Grab two dumbbells and set your body up in a high plank position.
Your hands and feet should be more than shoulder-width apart.
Now lower your body until your chest is parallel to your hands.
Push up with power and start rowing one dumbbell up to your chest, and then the other.
Slowly return to the starting position.

5 – DEFICIT PUSH-UP

18 reps

Place your hands on two dumbbells, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, creating a small deficit.
Set your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core.
Lower your chest between your hands until you feel a stretch in your chest.
Push back up to the starting position, keeping your body aligned throughout.
Repeat.

6 – LATERAL RAISES

20 reps

Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, palms facing your body.
Keep a slight bend in your elbows and raise both arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
Pause briefly at the top, then lower the weights back down slowly and with control.
Repeat.