“Let’s go, athletes!” That’s the type of high-energy and empowering encouragement you can expect to hear from trainer Danyele Wilson for the next 20 minutes in this conditioning and strength workout as part of the Women’s Health Flex Challenge—a 28-day, customizable full-body workout program.
There are a whole lot of mind and body benefits to this sweat sesh. “We’re not training to get smaller or take up less space because training should never be about what we’re trying to lose,” Wilson says. “It’s actually about everything you stand to gain.” What you have to gain from the workout video below? Strength, power, and confidence, she says.
Whether your goal is to increase lean muscle mass, strengthen your core, or boost endurance, conditioning plays an important role in any workout regimen. And, all you need is a set of dumbbells to get started.
Meet your trainer: Danyele Wilson, CPT, is a trainer, fitness content creator, founder of SPARC, a fitness and mindset app for women, and a WH January 2025 cover star. Her training focuses on heavy weights and conditioning to build strength, power, confidence, and longevity.
Your trainer will guide you through a seven-exercise warm-up featuring moves like the world’s greatest stretch, hamstring scoops, and fast-feet runs before you embark on two supersets (when you do two different exercises back-to-back with little or no rest in between), with three rounds each.
Try Wilson’s Dumbbell Conditioning Workout
“The workout I programmed is going to help you increase your lower-body power,” says Wilson. “It’s going to help you increase your core stability. It’s going to help you be more explosive, more powerful, and it’s going to help you with your cardiovascular endurance.”
First, you’ll work your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves—and get your heart rate up—with sumo squats and drop squats. Then, you’ll switch up to chest presses from a glute bridge and alternating single-arm dumbbell snatches to really focus on your power.
Ending on a finisher of fast feet to drop, Wilson wraps up with a yoga-class worthy cooldown.
You’ll keep coming back to this workout during the WH Flex Challenge. Once you’ve completed your 28-day challenge track, there are two alternative tracks to try out for even more gains. Or, return to this video in your own workout routine and watch yourself get stronger.
Directed by Dorenna Newton. Styled by Kristen Saladino. DP: Danny Dwyer. Editor: Brandon Haynes. 2nd Camera: Joey Kramer. Sound: Griff Snyder. AP: Janie Booth. PA: Akeira Cramer. Hair and makeup: Kristen Pulice. Set design: Cate Geiger Kalus. Production: Wonder Partners.
On Danyele (video): Oner Active sports bra and shorts, Mejuri hoops, Saucony sneakers
Olivia Luppino is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health where she covers health and fitness. She previously wrote for The Cut, POPSUGAR, and Salon and has written about everything from New York Fashion Week to dating app trends to the United States Women’s National Soccer team (a.k.a. her heroes). When she isn’t writing, Olivia is likely catching up on Bravo shows or running late to barre class.
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