10 Dumbbell CrossFit Workouts for the Hotel Gym
Hotel gyms can be hit or miss but you can usually count on them having dumbbells.
You take a walk down to the hotel gym to see what you'll be working out with when you stop dead in your tracks...all you see are treadmills and dumbbells.
Not exactly ideal, especially when you love barbells, rings, boxes, and kettlebells.
It's not as bad as it seems, though. The truth is you can do some great workouts with just a couple of dumbbells, even if they’re light.
It doesn’t matter if your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, dumbbells can play an important role in both. So don’t get discouraged when you find that your hotel gym has no barbells or heavy weights.
The ten workouts we’ve listed here are perfect for hotel gyms with dumbbells that only go up to around fifty pounds, a common thing to see when you’re traveling.
Each one will test your strength and conditioning, plus they’ll help you build muscle and burn a ton of calories through high numbers of repetitions.
10 Dumbbell CrossFit Workouts for the Hotel Gym:
“Hotel Hell” (Dumbbells + Bodyweight)
“Makimba” (Dumbbells + Bodyweight)
“DG” (Dumbbells + Pull-Up Bar)
“Jump Around” (Partner Workout With Dumbbells + Jump Rope)
“Tumilson” (Dumbbells + Treadmill)
“Choe” (Dumbbells + Bodyweight + Treadmill)
“Painstorm XV”(Dumbbells)
“18.0” (Dumbbells)
“Nick” (Dumbbells)
“Mark Whitford” (Dumbbells)
Remember to warm up before performing these workouts.
Get your body primed for high-intensity training and your blood flowing with ten to fifteen minutes of dynamic stretching, light cardio, and bodyweight exercises.
Workout #1 - “Hotel Hell”
This one is first because it's a personal favorite. In fact, it's my go-to travel workout for light dumbbell-only situations.
For Time:
100 Dumbbell Thrusters (35/25 lb)
5 Burpees at the Top of Each Minute
Start with 5 burpees. Then complete as many thrusters as possible until the minute is up. Repeat until 100 total thrusters are completed.
Here’s a video of Jason Khalipa doing Hotel Hell.
Workout #2 - “Makimba”
This workout of the day (WOD) and the person it's named after have an unusual backstory, which you can read here if you're interested.
We're just going to focus on the WOD itself because it's not a bad way to light some calories on fire with only a couple of light dumbbells and your body weight.
15-10-5 Reps for Time:
Workout #3 - “DG”
DG is a hero WOD, named after U.S. Air Force Major Walter David Gray, 38, of Conyers, GA. He was assigned to the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron, based in Fort Carson, CO, and died on August 8, 2012, from injuries suffered during a suicide bomb attack in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 10 minutes:
8 Dumbbell Thrusters (35/25 lb)
12 Dumbbell Walking Lunges (35/25 lb)
Workout #4 - “Jump Around”
This one requires a partner and a jump rope and is a fun way to work out with someone while traveling.
Every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 15 minutes with a partner:
8 Alternating Dumbbell Snatches
After every 3 minutes perform:
Partners are working on different exercises and switch at the end of each minute.
The remaining time in the minute after completing the prescribed reps is the rest period. Every third minute, both partners complete 50 double unders or 75 single-unders.
For example: in minute 1, Partner A completes the dumbbell snatches while Partner B completes the overhead press. In minute two, they switch. In minute 3, they each complete the 50 double-unders or 75 single-unders.
Continue this pattern for 15 minutes.
Workout #5 - “Tumilson”
This hero WOD requires either a treadmill or some room to run.
U.S. Navy Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon "JT" Thomas TuMileson, 35, of Rockford, IA, was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit and died on August 6, 2011, in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his helicopter crashed.
Here's the WOD named for him.
8 Rounds For Time:
200-meter Run (use a treadmill or run outside)
11 Dumbbell Burpee Deadlifts (60/40 lb)
Adjust the weight of the dumbbells as needed. Many hotel gyms will not have sixty-pound dumbbells.
Workout #6 - “Choe”
This Hero WOD is named for US Navy Lt. Florence B. Choe and another Navy officer who were shot and killed on March 27, 2009, by an Afghan National Army soldier at Forward Operating Base Shaheen near Mazar-e-Sharif (northern Afghanistan's Balkh province), which borders Uzbekistan. Choe was 35. She is survived by her husband and her daughter (who was 3 y/o old at the time).
As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 35 minutes:
Buy-In:
9 Man Makers (35/20 lb Dumbbells)
11 Burpees
In the remaining time, AMRAP of:
300-Meter Run
27 Air Squats
Workout #7 - “Painstorm XV”
7 Rounds for Time
10 Man Makers
30 Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatches (15 per side)
40 Single-Arm Overhead Lunges (20 per side)
Workout #8 - “18.0”
21-15-9 Reps for Time of:
Dumbbell Snatches (50/35 lb)
Workout #9 - “Nick”
This hero WOD is named for U.S. Army Specialist Nicholas P. Steinbacher, 22, of La Crescenta, CA, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, based in Fort Hood, TX, died on December 10, 2006, of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his Humvee with an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq.
He is survived by his parents Paul and Carolyn, and brothers Dan and Kirk.
12 Rounds For Time:
10 Dumbbell Hang Squat Cleans (45/35 lb)
Workout #10 - “Mark Whitford”
This Firefighter Hero WOD is dedicated to Mark Whitford, FDNY, Engine 23, who was killed on September 11, 2001.
4 Rounds for Time
15 Dumbbell Thrusters (40/20 lb)
50 Meter Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunges (40/20 lb)
These workouts are perfect for hotel gyms with only dumbbells. They're tough. They will test your strength, conditioning, and will to complete them. Stay motivated and push through.
