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All you need is 30 minutes and a pair of dumbbells for Arnie’s Pump Club workout

Grab your dumbbells and get ready to pump iron like the legendary bodybuilder.

By Steph Green Published June 2, 2025

Man lifting dumbbells overhead — RDNE / Pexels

Arnie is known for his impressive strength and muscular physique. Many of us might think we couldn’t possibly work out like Arnie; however, in his Pump Club Newsletter, Arnie shared a refreshingly simple and bite-sized workout for us to try. The best part is you only need 30 minutes and a pair of dumbbells to pump iron like the renowned bodybuilder himself, which is excellent news for those of us with busy schedules. The champion bodybuilder doesn’t want this workout to get complicated with switching machines, weights, and equipment; just grab your dumbbells.

Arnie’s 30-minute workout

Arnie’s 30-minute routine can help you build full-body strength either using a barbell or two dumbbells, so it’s perfect if you want to work out at home. The focus is on lower reps with a heavier weight and sufficient recovery between each movement. Lift the heavy weights with control and intention without rushing through the movements. It’s important you choose a heavy weight that you can lift safely without compromising your form.

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Start your timer for 30 minutes and power through three to six reps of each of the following exercises, resting for 60 seconds between each movement:

Dumbbell front squat
Dumbbell bent-over row
Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Dumbbell overhead press

Keep going through the exercises until that timer stops.

If you only have 20 minutes, you can try that instead; however, the goal is to complete those reps and rest for the full 60 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. You can also stretch your muscles when you’re done to help reduce muscle soreness from heavy lifting.

Longer rest times yield results

If you feel like you’re resting a lot with this workout, Arnie recommends these rest times to help you get through the heavy lifting. Some research reveals that those longer rest periods of 60 seconds or more could result in greater increases in muscle mass and strength.

Additional research showed that the best rest intervals to promote muscle growth are between 30 and 90 seconds. For this champion bodybuilder, it’s not about powering through the most reps in the least time; the goal is to lift heavy with control and intention. We’re happy to see Arnie is still delivering awesome workouts for us to try.

Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and…

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