Hate The Gym But Want To Lose 10 Pounds? Try This Simple At-Home Workout

Real talk: No matter how serious your fitness intentions, sometimes staying home to keep bingeing your new Netflix obsession is just sooo much more appealing than dragging your butt all the way to the gym. And, to be honest, you don’t even need the gym to get in shape anyway.

Basically, all you need are some killer moves and a set of dumbbells to slay calories like woah. To find out what at-home moves are best for fat-burning from the comfort of your own home, we asked Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., founder of TS Fitness in New York City for his faves. All you need is a pair of dumbbells.

Let’s do this!

1. Shoulder Taps, 3 sets of 15 reps

“This is an exercise that challenges the body’s ability not to rotate,” says Tamir. “It’s great as a warm up movement and can elevate the heart quickly to get into a fat burning zone.” Start strong and you’ll finish even stronger.

How to do it: Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight (A). Lift your left hand off the floor and touch your right shoulder, keeping hips stable. Place your left hand back down and touch your right hand to your left shoulder (B). That’s one rep.

2. Squat Jacks, 3 sets of 15 reps

For scoring major fat burn, plyometric exercises, which usually involve jumping, challenge your muscles to the max in short intervals. They’re also your body’s best friend. “A plyometric exercise will get the heart rate into a fat-burning zone quickly through the use of the lower body,” says Tamir. It also helps you develop power and endurance, he says.

How to do it: With your feet hip-width apart, lower your body until your knees are bent almost 90 degrees (A). Explosively jump your legs outward, and then immediately jump to bring them back to starting position (B). That’s one rep.

3. Renegade Row, 3 sets of 12 reps

“Doing a high plank with a dumbbell row will put the whole body under tension,” says Tamir. “It’s a stabilizing and strength exercise that’s great for burning fat.”

How to do it: To start, get in the pushup position with your hands on small dumbbells, feet slightly wider than hip-width apart (A). Bend your right arm and raise the dumbbell to chest level. Slowly, return to the floor (B). Repeat with left arm. That’s one rep.

These 10 plank variations will help you mix up your workout routine:

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4. Squat to Overhead Press, 3 sets of 12 reps

“This move works the largest muscles in the lower body in combination with a compound movement with the upper body,” Tamir says. “That makes it ideal for building muscle and losing fat.” The best part? It’s great for upping your bod’s “after-burn” effect, where your body burns extra calories after you’re done exercising to recover. 

How to do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them next to your shoulders (A). Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand up and press the dumbbells directly above your shoulders (B). That’s one rep. 

(The Slim, Sexy, Strong Workout DVD is the fast, flexible workout you’ve been waiting for!)

5. Dumbbell Deadlift to Row, 3 sets of 12 reps

Teaming up a deadlift and a row is the perfect way to target the large posterior muscles in your body (a.k.a. score a sexy back for tank-top season). And the larger the muscles you engage, the more calorie burn you get for your buck, he says. Bonus: This move also puts your calorie burn into overdrive after your workout is complete, says Tamir. Score.

How to do it: With slightly bent knees, hold a pair of dumbbells with palms facing your thighs. Bend at your hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor (A). Bend your elbows to pull both dumbbells to the side of your torso. Pause and slowly lower. Then raise your torso back to starting position (B). That’s one rep.

6. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge with Front Raise, 3 sets of 15 reps

This move torches fat by pairing a compound movement of the lower body and a single movement of the upper body, targeting some of your biggest muscle groups, says Tamir.

How to do it: Hold a dumbbell with both arms in front of you, palms facing each other (A). Step backward with your left leg and lower your body into a lunge. At the same time raise your arms in front of you until they’re parallel to the floor. Lower your arms and bring your left leg back to stand. Repeat with your right leg (B). That’s one rep.

7. Mountain Climber, 3 sets of 20 reps

This move is the perfect addition to a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout to promote major fat burn, Tamir says. That’s because it’s great endurance training that seriously engages your core. Move fast, but make sure you keep the correct form to score the full bennies.

How to do it: Start in the pushup position and bring your right knee towards your chest (A). Return to start and then repeat with the other foot (B). That’s one rep.

8. Dumbbell Skier Swing, 3 sets of 15 reps

This calorie burner is all about endurance. “It’s a great end to an exercise program and can be ideal for torching fat during a metabolic circuit,” Tamir says. Plus, you’ll score a tight butt and ripped abs.

How to do it: Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides and stand with feet hip-width apart. Push your hips back and bring the weights slightly behind you (A). Then quickly thrust your hips forward and squeeze your glutes as you bring the dumbbells to shoulder height. Return to start (B). That’s one rep.

Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist covering women’s equality. Her work focuses on sports, the gender gap across industries, and breaking down stigmas in women’s health. She has over 2,000 bylines for outlets including Glamour, Marie Claire, Elle, Women’s Health, SELF and Forbes. She’s currently working on her first book on women’s equality in sports.