This Challenging Stair Workout Is Guaranteed to Work Your Entire Body

Updated on 2/7/2017 at 4:45 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Ericka McConnell

If you have a set of stairs and a pair of dumbbells, you can get in a solid heart-pumping, butt-kicking, arm-toning workout — and in just 13 minutes! You can spare that in your day, right?

Directions: Grab a pair of 3- to 10-pound dumbbells, or two sets so you can use lighter or heavier weights depending on the move, and let's get started. Here's the workout with explanations of each exercise below.

Note that if any of the moves are too difficult, focus on one part of the move — either the legs or the arms. You can also just skip the dumbbells altogether and hold imaginary weights.

One minute of stairs: hold a dumbbell in each hand by your side and walk up and down the stairs
One minute of step-ups
One minute of stairs
One minute of step-ups with shoulder press
One minute of stairs
One minute of forward lunges with bicep curls
One minute of stairs
One minute of step-ups with dumbbell to knee
One minute of stairs
One minute of step-ups with butt kick and triceps kickback
One minute of stairs
One minute of backward lunges with wide bicep curls
One minute of stairs

Basic Step-Up

Hold a dumbbell (go for the heavier set) in each hand by your side. Step your right foot onto the second step. If this is too challenging, step up onto the first step.
Straighten your right leg to stand on the step while lifting your left knee into the air.
Bend your right knee and lower your left foot to the floor.
Step your right foot on the ground.
Place your left foot on the second (or first) step, straighten that leg, and lift your right knee into the air.
Lower your right foot to the floor, and then step your left foot onto the floor.
Continue alternating for one minute.

Step-Up With Shoulder Press

Start with a set of dumbbells slightly above your shoulders; arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle with elbows at your side.
Perform step-up as usual, but every time your knee lifts into the air, straighten your arms above your head, coming into a shoulder press.
As you step your foot back to the floor, lower the weights to the shoulders.
Continue alternating the move on each side for one minute.

Forward Lunge With Bicep Curl

Stand a few feet in front of the first step, holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand.
As you step your right foot onto the first step, come into a lunge and perform a bicep curl.
Push off the right heel and step your right foot back to the floor, straightening the arms down.
Continue alternating sides for one minute.

Step-Up With Dumbbell to Knee

Using both hands, hold one dumbbell above the head.
Perform a step-up as usual, but every time your knee lifts into the air, lower the dumbbell to the knee.
As you step your foot back to the floor, raise the dumbbell overhead.
Continue alternating sides for one minute.

Step-Up With Upright Row

Hold a set of dumbbells in front of the thighs. Start with the heavier set of dumbbells, and if you need to switch to the lower set halfway through, that's OK.
Perform step-ups as usual, but every time your knee lifts into the air, pull the dumbbells up to the chest and do an upright row.
As you step your foot back to the floor, lower the weights.
Continue alternating sides for one minute.

Backward Lunge With Wide Bicep Curl

Stand with both feet on the first step. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your side, rotating the hands slightly away from you.
Step the right foot behind you (coming off of the step) into a reverse lunge and bend the elbows into a wide bicep curl.
Step the right foot back onto the step as you straighten the arms to the starting position.
Continue alternating sides for one minute.