You don't have to be a man to perform Man-Maker Mayhem. All you need is a bit of floor space, two light to medium dumbbells, and a half hour's worth of willpower. Are you ready? Then watch the video and dive in.
The series of exercises in this workout are all components of one total-body dumbbell exercise: the man-maker. As the name implies, it's a tough move that will tax every part of you: legs, back, shoulders, and even your lungs. And you'll test yourself against it in the final 2 minutes of the workout. No matter what weight you use, you'll have to work hard!
Before that, you'll perform reps of each of the individual components of the man-maker to help develop the skills and strength you'll need during different portions of the sequence. Altogether, Man-Maker Mayhem is a full-body strength-and-muscle workout—as well as one where you'll burn a ton of calories.
You can use Man-Maker Mayhem—or the other four workouts in the Bodybuilding.com All-Access Program The Total-Body Dumbbell Fix—to add variety to your workout routine and test the strength and endurance you've developed using the other workouts. It's a great weekly or bi-weekly fitness test for anyone looking to lose fat, add muscle, or become more athletic, or it can be part of a complete program with the other workouts.
The series of exercises in this workout are all components of one total-body dumbbell exercise: the man-maker. As the name implies, it's a tough move that will tax every part of you: legs, back, shoulders, and even your lungs. And you'll test yourself against it in the final 2 minutes of the workout. No matter what weight you use, you'll have to work hard!
Before that, you'll perform reps of each of the individual components of the man-maker to help develop the skills and strength you'll need during different portions of the sequence. Altogether, Man-Maker Mayhem is both a full-body strength-and-muscle workout—as well as one where you'll burn a ton of calories.
You can use Man-Maker Mayhem—or any workout in The Total-Body Dumbbell Fix—to add variety to your workout routine and test the strength and endurance you've developed using the other workouts. It's a great weekly or bi-weekly fitness test for anyone looking to lose fat, add muscle, or become more athletic.
On the Main Page, you can see a number of ways to make it slot alongside the other workouts in The Total-Body Dumbbell Fix in a complete fitness program.
Man-Maker Mayhem: Overview
As with the other workouts in The Total-Body Dumbbell Fix, you won't focus on hitting specific sets and reps as you practice these movements. Go at your own pace and complete as many reps as possible. If you find yourself struggling to learn a particular movement, pause the video and work at your own pace until you feel confident in your form.
Exercise intervals last 35-45 seconds, with 15-30 seconds of rest in between. Listen for the tone as you follow along with the video to let you know when the time is almost up. If you choose not to follow the video, you can increase or decrease the interval and rest times to adjust the intensity of the workout.
Light to medium weight is best for this workout; heavier dumbbells will build strength and hypertrophy, while lighter dumbbells benefit aerobic performance and athletic endurance. The last 2 minutes will be a burner at any weight!
Perform these first four exercises in a circuit, with about a minute of rest in between each full round. The man-maker is not part of this circuit because it is your final fitness test at the end of the workout.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
Already have a Bodybuilding.com account with BodyFit? Sign In
What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
Dumbbell Front Squat
Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, holding the pair of dumbbells up so that one end of each dumbbell rests on top of each shoulder. Hold the dumbbells parallel to each other with your elbows facing forward.
Keeping your head neutral, your back straight, and your chest high, squat down by sitting back with your hips and allowing your knees to bend as they track over your feet. Descend until your thighs are just past parallel to floor.
Pause for a beat at the bottom, then stand up by extending your knees and hips until you return to the starting position. Repeat for the entire interval.
Dumbbell Military Press
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Imagine you are holding a barbell across your chest to get your hands in the correct position. If it's more comfortable for your shoulders, hold the weights with a neutral (palms facing inward) grip.
Exhale as you push the dumbbells upward from your shoulders. Keep your back straight and core engaged, avoiding the temptation to excessively arch your lower back. After a brief pause at the top contracted position, slowly lower the weights back down to the starting position while inhaling.
Repeat this movement for the entire interval. If your shoulders start to get tired, you can switch to an alternating military press, where you press only one dumbbell up at a time, to give your muscles a little bit more rest between each rep.
Alternating Renegade Row
Position yourself in a push-up position with your body straight and core engaged to maintain a neutral spine. Grip the handles of the dumbbells to support your upper body. You'll probably need to position your feet wider than usual for balance.
Keep one dumbbell on the floor as you row with the other arm, retracting your shoulder blade as you flex the elbow, pulling the dumbbell up to your side. If you find you can't keep your body straight, or you feel pain in your lower back, it's OK to drop to your knees to modify the movement.
Lower the dumbbell back to the floor and repeat the same motion on the opposite side. Continue switching back and forth until time runs out. This is a brutal movement!
Dumbbell Sprawl
This exercise is a quick way of transitioning from the full plank position to a squat position, to quickly stand back up after a push-up. The sprawl is a unique component of movements like burpees and man-makers. If you've never done burpees or man-makers before, try practicing this movement without dumbbells first.
For the dumbbell variation, begin in the same starting position as the alternating renegade row, with your hands on the dumbbells balancing in a push-up position on your toes. In one explosive movement, jump both feet forward and land just outside your hands, heels first if possible. Immediately curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders. You should be in a deep front squat at this point. To return to the starting position, drop the dumbbells back to the floor, then jump your feet back to the starting push-up position. Repeat for the remainder of the interval.
If you keep pace with the video, you'll get both aerobic and anaerobic benefits from moving at a faster pace for three rounds, but you can also pause the video or adjust the number of rounds you complete to scale your workout up or down, as needed.
Man-Maker
You're now ready for the full man-maker. Once you've completed three rounds of this four-exercise practice circuit, you're ready for the full man-maker challenge. In the video, Rickey completes as many full man-makers as he can in two minutes, but feel free to increase the timed interval and challenge yourself as your fitness improves.
Here's the sequence of movements making up the man-maker:
- Dumbbell push-up
- Dumbbell renegade row
- Dumbbell sprawl
- Dumbbell front squat
- Military press
The only move you didn't practice in the circuit was the dumbbell push-up. Perform the push-up as soon as you get into position and right before you start the alternating renegade row. For an even tougher challenge, you can add another push-up in between each of the renegade rows.
Hold the dumbbells down in front of you, parallel to each other. Keeping your back flat, squat down and set the dumbbells on the floor. You can step your legs back one at a time, or jump both back like you did during the sprawl.
You're now in the dumbbell push-up position, with your weight on your toes and hands. Do a push-up, then perform a one-arm row for each side, bringing your elbow up as high as you can.
Hop your feet forward in the sprawl and rise up, cleaning the weights to bringing them up to shoulder level. Descend into a squat and explosively rise up, then press the weights overhead to full arm extension.
Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders, then drop your arms down in front of you back to the starting position so you can squat the weights back to the floor in front of you.
That's it. Simple, right? Now, go do it again…and again!