15-Minute Full-Body Mat Flow with Dumbbells
By Olivia Griffiths
Pilates Instructor & Nutrition Coach
This is a 15 minute full-body mat flow you can do at home, at your own pace. It’s a smooth, controlled sequence that blends strength and core work, leaving you feeling strong, connected, and slightly shaky in the best way.
The focus is on controlled movement, stability, and coordination, using the dumbbells to challenge both your upper body and core throughout.
Instructions
Step 1
Dumbbell chest press with a shoulder bridge. Lying on your back, press through your heels to lift your hips while performing a chest press. This activates your glutes and core while working the upper body.
Step 2
Stay lifted in the bridge and continue with chest press only. Keeping the hips high increases the intensity through the posterior chain while maintaining control through the upper body.
Step 3
Marching shoulder bridge with the dumbbells held up. From the bridge position, lift one foot at a time while keeping the weights stable above your chest. This challenges your balance, glutes, and deep core.
Step 4
Move into single leg knee in to extension at 45 degrees, with the dumbbells moving overhead as the leg extends and returning as the knee comes in. This adds coordination and deep core control while opening through the shoulders.
Step 5
Leg sweeps with arms held up holding the dumbbells. Keep the legs long and controlled as they sweep side to side, maintaining tension through your core and stability through the upper body.
Step 6
Transition into a roll up into straight leg reverse table. From seated, press up into reverse table, then bring the knees in alternating one leg at a time. As you lower back down to the mat, add a small crunch, keeping everything controlled.
Step 7
From there, extend both legs out and scoop up into straight legs for abs, focusing on that deep abdominal engagement and control through the spine.
Step 8
We then go into criss cross leg lowers, crossing one leg over the other as you lower and lift, maintaining control and keeping your core switched on.
Step 9
To finish, we return into reverse table, pressing up strong through the arms and glutes to open through the front of the body and complete the flow.
Workout Notes
Smooth, controlled, and effective. A perfect blend of strength and core in just 15 minutes.