If you're just starting your fitness journey in 2022, you might not be able to get to the gym yet, depending on the COVID situation where you live. On the other hand, you might not want to – you may prefer to work out in the comfort of your own home, or haven't committed to a gym membership just yet.
Whatever the reason, we've got you covered. Grab a set of dumbbells (or browse our best adjustable dumbbells and best kettlebells guides, if you don't have any yet) and try out this 45-minute circuit workout from personal trainer Emma Goodman-Horne.
Originally uploaded to Fit&Well's Instagram account, Horne takes her usual high-energy, HIIT-influenced approach to fitness and pairs it with resistance training to help you burn fat and build muscle simultaneously. This workout combines bodyweight movements like press-ups and lunges with weights work for a total-body burn. Check out the video in full below:
Watch Horne's weight workout below:
Why do this workout?
This is a total-body workout, and we mean total-body. With moves designed to tone and build muscle in your legs, arms, shoulders and core, you'll be torching calories while breaking down the muscles in your body with small micro-tears. As your body recovers, your muscles will repair themselves bigger and stronger – this is the principle on which weight training is founded on.
You don't have to be a bodybuilder, or want to grow your arms to super-size, in order to use weights. Even using smaller weights helps improve your "body composition", the ratio of fat to muscle to bone in your body. Core, leg, and arm strength are very important in everyday life, and vital in keeping good health as you age.
A stronger grip has been found to be an "indispensable biomarker" for older adults in studies, indicating good heart health and a decreased likelihood of falls. Maintaining lower body and core strength, on the other hand, helps with everything from getting out of a chair to going on long walks.
To make sure those muscles grow and heal after this workout, you need to be getting your protein intake in and taking rest days. We recommend our best protein powder for weight loss, but whole foods like lean cuts of high-quality meat and fish, tofu, nuts, seeds and pulses are good sources.
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