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10 to 1 Full Body Workout
Equipment Needed: light, medium, and heavy dumbbells, physio ball, bosu ball
Description: This is a circuit-style strength workout. Complete each exercise for descending reps: 10, 9, 8… down to 1. Move through the exercises with minimal rest to keep your heart rate up and maximize time under tension for strength and conditioning benefits.
How the 10-to-1 Circuit Works: Start each round with 10 repetitions of the first exercise, then 10 of the second, and so on. After completing one round of 10 reps for every move, reduce the rep count to 9 for all exercises and repeat. Continue decreasing the reps each round until you finish the final round of single repetitions. This format is efficient for full body strength, metabolic conditioning, and progressive fatigue management.
Warm-Up: Begin with a steady 1-mile jog on the treadmill or 10 minutes on the elliptical to raise your core temperature. Follow with dynamic mobility: leg swings, arm circles, hip openers, and a few bodyweight squats and lunges to prepare joints and activate the major muscle groups.
Alternating Dumbbell Flies on Physio Ball: Lie with your upper back and shoulders supported on a physio ball and both feet planted firmly on the floor. Use light to medium dumbbells and press both arms straight above your chest. Keeping a slight bend in the elbow, lower one arm to the side while the other remains extended, creating a 90-degree angle at the shoulder. Alternate sides for the prescribed reps. Focus on controlled motion and squeezing the chest on the concentric phase. This variation engages the core for stability while targeting the chest and shoulders.
Standing Arnold Press: Stand with a slight split stance for balance, holding medium dumbbells. Begin with a curl, bringing the weights toward your shoulders with palms facing you. Rotate the wrists and press the dumbbells overhead in a controlled arc to finish with palms facing forward. Reverse the motion back to the start. The Arnold press works the entire shoulder complex and incorporates a rotational component for improved mobility.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows: With feet hip-width apart, hinge at the hips keeping a long spine and neutral neck. Hold medium to heavy dumbbells with arms extended toward the floor. On the exhale, pull the elbows up beside your torso, squeezing the shoulder blades together and stopping when the elbows reach roughly shoulder height. Lower with control. This move builds back strength, helps improve posture, and balances pressing movements.
V-Abs: Lie on your back holding one heavy dumbbell or a weight plate. Extend your arms overhead and legs long, hovering a few inches off the ground. On the exhale, lift your torso and hips to form a V, drawing your knees toward your chest and pulling the weight over your knees. Lower slowly to the starting position. Maintain a braced core; reduce weight or use no weight for a modification. V-abs emphasize the rectus abdominis and hip flexors while challenging overall core stability.
1/2/1 on Bosu: Position a bosu to your right. Start in an athletic stance and quickly push off your left leg to step onto the bosu with your right foot, then rapidly step off to the right with your left foot, ending in a low single-leg squat position on the bosu. Pause for 2 seconds to emphasize eccentric control, then repeat the pattern to the left. One sequence on the left and one on the right equals one complete rep. This plyo-stability move develops single-leg power, balance, and ankle stability.
Intensity and Progression Tips: Choose dumbbell weights that allow you to complete the reps with good form while feeling challenged on the last few reps of each set. If your form breaks down, reduce the weight or slow the tempo. Keep rest intervals short between exercises for conditioning; rest up to 60–90 seconds between full rounds if needed. To advance the workout, increase weight, add an extra round, or shorten rest periods.
Modifications: Replace the physio ball flies with floor dumbbell presses if you lack a ball. Swap the bosu sequence for step-ups or single-leg box squats if you need lower-impact options. Use lighter weights, fewer rounds, or lower reps to scale the workout to your fitness level.
Cool-Down: Finish with gentle walking or cycling for 5 minutes, then stretch major muscle groups—hamstrings, quads, chest, shoulders, and hips. Include deep diaphragmatic breathing to promote recovery.
Disclaimer: Consult your doctor before starting a new fitness program. This workout was developed as part of a Summer SWEAT Series with input from fitness professionals, but you participate at your own risk. Modify exercises as needed and listen to your body.
This post is sponsored by Finish Line as part of the Summer SWEAT Series. I was compensated and all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Fit Foodie Finds!