Whether you're going back to the gym or working out at home, adding weights to your workout can be a challenge. One such person who has become a bit of a national favorite in the UK is Joe Wicks, aka Body Coach, for his "PE With Joe" classes on YouTube during the Coronavirus pandemic, helping kids keep up their fitness routine at home.

Not surprisingly, Wicks' 35-minute home dumbbell workout has been viewed over 1.3 million times on YouTube. So, on a recent trip to the gym, I practiced a full-body workout using a variety of dumbbells and exercise mats. (I am still working out at home. Here is a selection of the best adjustable dumbbells on the market.)

The workout itself is a circuit of seven exercises repeated four times: do 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds; after 28 minutes, rest 90 seconds, then go into a five-minute ab blaster, designed to keep your heart rate up for 35 minutes and burn calories during that time. Wicks explains each exercise and coaches you on form, making it perfect for people of all levels. If you are just starting or returning to weightlifting, choose lighter weights; if you are more experienced, choose weights that are challenging and difficult to lift to the last rep.

Not for you; read on to see what happened when I tried this 10-minute abs workout that has 65 million views (spoiler alert: it's killer)

As mentioned, this workout consists of four sets of this circuit of seven exercises The exercises are to be performed. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, and then do the full 28 minutes. The circuit is as follows:

Front squats: carry dumbbells on your shoulders, feet shoulder-width apart, legs slightly turned outward.

Shoulder press: carry dumbbells on your shoulders and press them up over your head. Movement is controlled. If momentum is needed, bend the knees and bounce slightly upward.

Reverse Lunge: Hold one dumbbell in each hand and reverse lunge backward with one leg at a time. Do the same on the opposite side. [15] [16] Bicep curls: For this exercise, hold one dumbbell in each hand and roll the weight up to your torso, alternating one arm at a time. Be careful not to swing the weights back and forth. Movement should be slow and controlled to work the biceps. [17] [18] Thrusters: Hold dumbbells in each hand, squat down and place the dumbbells on the floor. The entire exercise should be one fluid movement. [19] [20] Goblet squat: hold one dumbbell close to your chest, open your legs slightly wider than in a normal squat, squat down deep with slow and controlled movements, and drive up while keeping your weight on the heels of your feet. [21] [22] Romanian deadlift: Hold the dumbbells next to your body, bend your knees slightly, keep your back straight, and lower the dumbbells to the floor. Perform the entire movement slowly and with control. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs.

After four repetitions of this circuit, move on to the ab finisher. Perform the next exercise twice. [25] [26] Crunch: with your back on the floor, knees bent, and arms extended, crunch upward, keeping your hands extended above your knees.

Bicycle: lie on your back, knees on the tabletop, hands on temples, elbows out to the side. While working the torso, slowly place the right elbow on the left knee and then straighten the leg. Do the same on the opposite side.

Reverse Crunch: With hips pressed against the floor and arms outstretched to the sides, engage the core, lift hips off the mat, drop heels and tap the floor.

Single Leg Crunch: Lie on your back with your feet on the floor, crunch up and extend your right leg. While crunching, extend left arm to right leg and tap calf, shin and sole. Lower back and do the same on the other side.

Plank: Hold the plank with your weight on your elbows and your core engaged. Be aware that your navel should be sucked into your spine.

I went to the gym for this workout and increased or decreased the weight of the dumbbells as I did each circuit to make it more challenging. Unlike Joe, I did most of the exercises with two 7kg dumbbells instead of 10kg, but the beauty of this workout is that you can customize it with weights that feel challenging to you.

For the goblet squats, I chose 10 kg dumbbells to push myself, but for the bicep curls, I dropped to 5 kg dumbbells because I felt like my form would break down if I tried to lift heavier weights. If you only have one set of dumbbells at home, that is fine, but purchasing a set of adjustable weights will help a lot to level up your workout.

Throughout the entire workout, my heart rate maintained about 160 beats per minute, which is definitely my tempo heart rate mode. This is definitely my tempo heart rate mode. I burned more calories than a normal strength session, which I attribute to the 30-seconds-on, 30-seconds-off format; I knew I only had 30 seconds, so I really pushed myself.

Also, on the fourth and final circuit, I felt more confident in the movement and pushed myself to do one more rep. For beginners, the repetitive nature of this workout helps build confidence. [14] [15] I have always been a big fan of Joe Wicks. I have trained with him a few times in London and during the pandemic I was channeling his home workouts. He has great energy and really pushes you to work hard. Once my legs stop shaking, I'll definitely be back.

I need more workout inspiration. Read on to see how I tried this abdominal workout with dumbbells, Pamela Reiff's six pack abdominal workout, and Heather Robertson's HIIT workout.