Given the unfortunate realities of our times, we have all been faced with having to adjust the way we train, learning how to implement productive workout routines at home and with daily schedules which have now become more hectic.

One thing most of us have realized by now is that we can get surprisingly effective workouts - strenuous, fast-paced, calorie-burning, and compact - right in your home.

Here are a list of hybrid bodyweight & dumbbell workouts I've been doing and ones I've used with clients. Some killer workout simplicity when you can't get out of the house or back to the gym.

Most of these workouts take a half hour. Some much less and if you push yourself, you can accomplish more than many who are in the gym for an hour or more. People have become accustomed to the assumption that progress entails long, boring sessions in the gym.

Plus, there is no shortage of data showning the effiency of short, intense interval workouts and also studies of how training sessions as brief as 7 minutes can greatly improve anyone's health and fitness at any age! And that you can gain muscle with relatively light weights: 

Workouts That Can Be Done At Home

Here are 21 such workouts. Some of them are very challenging and others as simple as it can get. The most equipment you need is a set or two of light to moderate dumbbells and a pullup bar.

If you can add an ab roller wheel and skipping rope, you're good. Personally I use: pairs of 20-25-35-55 pound dumbbells along with those other things mentioned - that's it!

Workout 1

Perform this on alternate days with as many or few rest days as per your needs and abilities.

Push:

• Dumbbell Squats 15-20 reps, followed by 10 bodyweight with 10 sec pause and then 5 more reps. 3-4 sets
• Push-ups 4 x 25-30
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 15-20
• Dumbbell Bridged Triceps Extensions 3 x 15-20
• Dumbbell Calf Raise
• (Finisher: Crunches, Neck, Wrist Curls)

Pull:

• Dumbbell Single-Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift 3x15-20
• Chins 3x15
• Dumbbell Plank Rows 3x15
• Dumbbell Curls 3x12
• Shrugs 3x15-20
• (Finsher: Crunches, Neck, Reverse Wrist Curls)

Workout 2

A nice simple routine that hits everything.

• Dumbbell (or Kettlebell) Swings 25-30 reps
• Racked Dumbbell Front Squats 12-15 reps
• Push-ups 30/fail reps
• Dumbbell Bent over Wide Rows 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Squat-to-Curl-to-Press 12 reps

repeat 3-5x, resting 60-90 seconds between rounds.

Workout 3

One:

• Dumbbell Swings 3x30
• Racked Dumbbell Front Squats 3x15
• Push-ups 20 reps
• Standing Dumbbell Press (bilateral) 3x20
• Dumbbell Curls 3x20
• Finish: Bridges, Wrist Curls, Crunches

Two:

• Dumbbell Squats 3x30
• Push-ups 30/fail reps
• Dumbbell Bent over Wide Rows 3x 12-15s
• Dumbbell Bent over rear laterals (bilateral) 3x 12-15
• Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3x25
• Finish: Bridges, Wrist Curls, Crunches

Workout 4

This is another brutally efficient simple routing that works all the major muscle groups and is a real killer for conditioning.

Superset One:

• Racked Dumbbell Front Squat 12-15 reps
• Double Dumbbell Snatch 12-15 reps

Repeat 3-5x

Superset Two:

• Push-ups 15-20 reps
• Chin-ups 5-6 reps

Repeat 3-5x

Workout 5

One:

• Double Dumbbell Snatch 15 reps
• Racked Dumbbell Front Squat 15 reps
• Push-ups 20 reps
• Running Stairs 1 Minute

(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 4-6x)

Two:

• Dumbbell BG Squat 15 reps
• Push-ups 20 reps
• Dumbbell Bear Rows 15 reps each arm
• Jumping Jacks 1 minute

(15 seconds rest in between each, one full minute at the end of the cycle. repeat 4-6x)

Off days: jumping jacks or rope skipping 60 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 10-15 minutes

Workout 6

• Push-ups 15 reps
• Racked Dumbbell Front Squats 15 reps
• Pull-ups 5-6 reps
• Jump Rope 1 minute

repeat 3-6 times

Workout 7

• Dumbbell Swings 35 reps or One-Arm Dumbbell Clean 15 reps
• Dumbbell BG Squat 15 reps
• Push-ups 20 reps
• Dumbbell Bear Rows 15 reps each arm
• Dumbbell Zottman Curls 3x25

Workout 8

One:

• Dumbbell BG Squat 3x15
• Push-ups 3-4x30/fail reps
• Dumbbell Bent over Wide Rows 3x 12-15
• Dumbbell Triceps Extensions supersetted with Dumbbell side lateral raises 3x25 each movement
• Wheel Rollouts 3x15

Two:

superset 3x:

• Dumbbell Deadlift-to-curl-to-Press 15 reps
• Inverted Rows 15 reps
• superset 3x:
• Racked Dumbbell Front Squat 15 reps
• Push-ups 20 reps

then:
Dumbbell Zottman Curls 3x25

Workout 9

The "Juarez Method" is allegedly derived from Mexico's Juarez Valley Prison which has a repeating inverse set-rep scheme which goes as follows:

Set 1: 20 Reps
Set 2: 1 Rep
Set 3: 19 Reps
Set 4: 2 Reps
Set 5: 18 Reps
Set 6: 3 Reps
Set 7: 17 Reps
Set 8: 4 Reps
Set 9: 16 Reps
Set 10: 5 Reps
Set 11: 15 Reps
Set 12: 6 Reps
Set 13: 14 Reps
Set 14: 7 Reps
Set 15: 13 Reps
Set 16: 8 Reps
Set 17: 12 Reps
Set 18: 9 Reps
Set 19: 11 Reps
Set 20: 10 Reps

When completed, you will have fired off 210 reps in total. One very practical thing about using this method is that you can apply it to many bodyweight movements. It lends itself best to push ups and squats though.

One:

• Juarez Method push ups (210 reps)
• Dumbbell Single Stiff-Leg Deadlift 3-4x12-15
• Dumbbell Bulgarian squat 3-4x12-15
  (Finisher: Bridges and Crunches)

Two:

• Juarez Method bodyweight Squats (210 reps)
• Dips 4-5x fail
• Dumbbell lateral raises 3-4x15-20
• Dumbbell Curls 3-4x20-25
  (Finisher: Bridges and Crunches)

or

One:

• Juarez Method pushups (210 reps)
• Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat 3-4x12-15
• Dumbbell High Plank Rows 3-4x12-15
• Dumbbell Curls 3-4x20-25
  (Finisher: Bridges and Crunches)

Two:

• Juarez Method bodyweight or Dumbbell Squats (210 reps)
• Push-ups 4-5x20-30
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3-4x12-15
• Dumbbell Snatch 3-4x12-15
  (Finisher: Bridges and Crunches) 

Workout 10

• Racked Dumbbell Front Squat 15 reps
• Changing-Grip Push-up 15-20 reps
• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge 15 reps
• Dumbbell High Plank Row 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Turkish Getup 10 reps

Repeat 3-5x

Workout 11

• Dumbbell Semi-Sumo Squat 15 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 10-12 reps
• Dumbbell Plank Rows 10-12 reps
• Push-ups 15 reps
• Dumbbell Glute Bridges 15-20 reps

  Repeat 3-5x.    

Workout 12

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets/fail
• Dumbbell Shrugs 4-5 sets/fail
• Dumbbell Curls 4-5 sets/fail
• Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 4-5 sets/fail
• Dumbbell Wrist Curls 2-3 sets/fail

  Repeat 3-5x.    

Workout 13

• Dumbbell Squat (Racked Front Dumbbell or Semi-Sumo Dumbbell squat) 4-5 sets
• Push-ups  4-5 sets
• Dumbbell Rows or Dumbbell Bear Rows 3-4 sets
• Dumbbell Glute Bridge 2 sets
• Wheel Rollouts 2 sets

Workout 14

One:

• Dumbbell renegade Rows 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Alternate Reverse Lunges 12-15 reps
• Spiderman Push-ups 12-15 reps

  repeat 2-4x  

Two:

• Dumbbell Split Squat 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Press 10-12 reps
• Feet-Elevated Push-ups 10-15 reps

  repeat 2-4x

Workout 15

Do both one & two the same day.   

One:

• Dumbbell Squat to Press 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Side Squat or Split Squat 12-15 reps
• Divebomber push-ups 10-12 reps
• Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swings 20-30 reps

  repeat 2x  

Two:

• Push-ups 12-15 reps
• Pull-ups or Inverted Rows 5-6 reps
• Wheel rollouts 10-15 reps
• Bear Crawls 20 Feet

  repeat 2x

Workout 16

One:

• Dumbbell Squat to Press 12-15 reps 
• Pull-ups 5 reps
• Push-ups 12-15 reps
• Wheel rollouts 12-15 reps

  repeat 2-4x  

Two:

• Dumbbell Split Squat 12-15 reps
• Dips 10 reps
• Dumbbell Rows 10 reps
• Prone Supermans 12-15 reps

  repeat 2-4x  

Workout 17

One:

• Dumbbell Squat to Press 12-15 reps
• Pull-ups 5-6 reps 
• Wheel rollouts 12-15 reps

  repeat 3-4x    

Two:

• Side Squat or Split Squat 12-15 reps
• Divebomber Push-ups 12-15 reps
• Dumbbell Rows 12-15 reps

  repeat 3-4x    

Workout 18  300 style! 

• Dumbbell front squat (50 reps total)
• Chins (50 reps total)
• Dips (50 reps total)
• Dumbbell Split squat (50 reps total)
• Dumbbell Rows (50 reps total)
• Mountain Climbers  (50 reps total)

Workout 19

A: Perform 2-4 rounds, resting 60 sec. between rounds

• Dumbbell Clean and Press: 10 reps
• Chin-up or Pull-up: 3-5 reps
• Renegade or Bear Rows: 10 reps
• Jumping Air Squats: 10 reps

B: Perform 2-4 rounds, resting 60 sec. between rounds

• Dumbbell Floor Press: 10 reps per leg
• Dumbbell Bent over Wide Row: 10 reps
• Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat: 10 reps per leg
• Double Dumbbell Snatch: 10 reps

Workout 20

Cluster One: (60 seconds of each with 15 seconds rest in between; 5 mins per cluster-total 10 mins)

• Dumbbell Squat to Press
• Dumbbell Single-Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift 
• Spiderman push ups
• Mountain climbers

Cluster Two: (60 seconds of each with 15 seconds rest in between; 5 mins per cluster-total 10 mins)

• Jumping Air Squats 
• Dumbbell Bear Rows
• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge to Bicep Curl 
• Push-ups AMRAP

Workout 21

The Mini-Murph. Homage to the legendary Crossfit workout. Perfect for all around peak conditioning and muscularity and is done with no equipment except for a bar or other apparatus to do the pull-ups.   The idea is to complete the reps in as many sets as it takes, so break up the pull-ups, push-ups, and air squats as you wish. I like to do 10 sets of 5 chins, 5 sets of 20 push-ups and air squats (which I do super slow on the eccentric portion). 

• 100 Meter Sprint
• 50 Pull-ups or Chin-ups
• 100 Push-ups
• 100 Air Squat
• 100 Meter Sprint

With some experimenting you can mix some of these workouts and see which ones work best for you. For example to mix up a three day a week routine you could combine workouts 8, 18 and 21. And maybe even leave the gym behind!