Physical Training Program II: Dumbbell Circuit
Here’s an 8 week basic training program you can stick to and build on long term. This combines calisthenics, cardio, core, and mental toughness exercises while maintaining recovery and injury prevention.
Program Details 📒
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Frequency: 5 days per week (1 active recovery day, 1 rest day)
- Gear needed: Several sets of dumbells/kettlebells and a pull-up bar
- What you'll do: dumbbell strength circuit and breathing exercises
- How long it'll take: 30+ minutes for circuit workouts
- What it'll prepare you for: hitting the gym for a more intense full body workout
Dumbbell Circuit 🛠️
Dumbbells offer the perfect balance between control and resistance, allowing you to build strength, balance, and coordination through a full range of motion. By cycling through compound movements like squats, lunges, presses, and rows, you challenge multiple muscle groups while improving joint stability and muscle symmetry.
Unlike machines, dumbbells demand more from your stabilizers and core, leading to better functional strength and injury resilience. The added load boosts hypertrophy (muscle growth) and metabolic burn, helping you build lean muscle while torching calories. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, dumbbell workouts can be scaled to meet your needs, making them a highly efficient way to get strong, sculpted, and resilient.
Breathing Exercises 🐉
Breathing Exercises can enhance lung capacity and control, enabling runners to manage breath more efficiently and delay fatigue. They also promote relaxation, helping to maintain a steady heart rate during intense workouts and reducing the risk of overexertion.
Two types here: Box Breathing, which is used by Navy Seals and other high performers to improve concentration and Deep Calm Breathing which can help bring down your heart rate after a run.
Use the free Oak Meditation app for these breathing exercises.
Weeks 1–3: Full Body
This phase consists of compound movements that activate all major muscle groups. It's designed to ease your body into training and gradually increase the overload throughout the microcycle. Advanced lifters may skip this phase and extend phases 2–4 instead.
Before Each Workout
- Jump Rope Warm-Up: 5 minutes
- Mobility Drills: 10–15 minutes
- Rest Times Between Sets: 60–90 seconds
Day 1 – Full Body
- Goblet Squats: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Bent Over Rows: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Bench Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Roll Outs: 3 sets x 15 reps
Day 2 – Full Body
- Farmer Squats: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Prone Rows: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Incline Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Seated Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Twisting Planks: 3 sets x 30 reps (15 each side)
Day 3 – Full Body
- Step-Ups: 3 sets x 10 reps (each side)
- Single Arm Rows: 3 sets x 10 reps (each side)
- Single Arm Press: 3 sets x 10 reps (each side)
- Single Arm Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 10 reps (each side)
- Core – Otis Ups: 3 sets x 15 reps
Rest Days x3
Note: Use these for mobility, cardio, or focusing on lagging body parts (e.g. legs).
Weeks 4–6: Full Body Plus
This phase adds isolation movements to target smaller muscle groups while continuing to emphasize compound lifts. Volume and difficulty increase, along with more training days.
Day 1 – Full Body + Isolation
- Squat Thrusters: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Commando Rows: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Floor Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Hang Clean Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Skull Crushers: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Supinating Curls: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Supermans: 3 sets x 15 reps
Day 2 – Full Body + Isolation
- Overhead Split Squats: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Bent Over Row (head supported): 4 sets x 8 reps
- Close Bench Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Scott Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Pull-Overs: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Around the World (Chest): 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Windshield Wipers: 3 sets x 20 reps (10 each side)
Day 3 – Full Body + Isolation
- Weighted Squat Jumps: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Incline High Rows: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Twisting Incline Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Push Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Single Arm French Press: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Concentration Curls: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Weighted Crunches: 3 sets x 15 reps
Day 4 – Full Body + Isolation
- Box Squats: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Bent Over Alternating Rows: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Alternating Incline Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Alternating Shoulder Press: 4 sets x 8 reps
- Bent Over Shoulder Extensions: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Underhand Flys: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Reverse Crunches: 3 sets x 15 reps
Rest Days x3
Note: Use these for mobility, cardio, or focusing on lagging body parts (e.g. legs).
Weeks 7–9: Upper/Lower Split
Before Each Workout
- Jump Rope Warm-Up: 5 minutes
- Mobility Drills: 10–15 minutes (e.g. yoga)
- Rest Times Between Sets: 60–90 seconds
Day 1 – Lower Body
- Sumo to Goblet Squat: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Elevated Hip Thrusts: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Walking Lunges: 4 sets x 10 reps
- RDLs: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Standing Calf Raises: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Russian Twists: 3 sets x 50 reps (25 each side)
Day 2 – Upper Body
- Commando Row: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Wide to Close Bench Press: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Hang Clean and Press: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Pull-Over: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Man Makers: 3 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Weighted Otis Ups: 3 sets x 30 reps
Day 3 – Lower Body
- Bulgarian Split Squats: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Dumbbell Swings: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Superset: Farmer Squat 4 sets x 10 reps + Farmer Walks (50m)
- Single Leg RDLs: 4 sets x 10 reps (each side)
- Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Supermans: 3 sets x 20 reps
Day 4 – Upper Body
- Low to High Incline Row: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Floor Press: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Single Arm Snatch: 4 sets x 10 reps
- Around the Worlds (Chest): 4 sets x 10 reps
- Core – Side Planks: 3 sets x 60 sec (each side)
Rest Days x3
Note: Use these for mobility, cardio, or focusing on lagging body parts (e.g. legs).
Weeks 10–12: Classic Split
Day 1 – Legs
- Squats (DB on shoulders): 4 sets x 12 reps
- Sumo Deadlifts: 4 sets x 12 reps
- RDLs: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Jumping Bulgarian Split Squats: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Lying Hamstring Curls: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Single Leg Seated Calf Raises: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Core – Accordion Crunches: 3 sets x 30 reps
Day 2 – Back & Biceps
- Bent Over Low Row: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Incline High Row: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Single Arm Close to Wide Row: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Pull-Overs: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Hammer Curls: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Circular Curls: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Core – Twisting Planks: 3 sets x 50 reps (25 each side)
Day 3 – Chest & Triceps
- Twisting Bench Press: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Incline Close Press: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Single Arm Floor Press: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Underhand Fly: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Skull Crushers: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Kickbacks: 3 sets x 12 reps
- Core – Roll Outs: 3 sets x 25 reps
Day 4 – Shoulders & Traps
- Hang Clean Press: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Scott Press: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Windmill Press: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Superset (4 sets x 10 reps each):
- Front Raise
- Lateral Raise
- Reverse Fly
- Seated Shrugs: 4 sets x 12 reps
- Core – Weighted Crunches: 3 sets x 25 reps
Rest Days x3
Note: Use these for mobility, cardio, or focusing on lagging body parts (e.g. legs).
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