Tag: dumbbells

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Dumbbell Triceps Kickback

An easy exercise for your triceps is the kickback.

Hold a dumbbell in the right hand. Stand in a split-stance position with the left leg forward. Keep your weight distributed through the heels of both feet. Brace your abdominal and core muscles to stabilize the spine. Slowly lean forward, shifting most of your upper extremity body weight into the left side. Pull your shoulder blades down and back. Your head should be aligned with your spine. Maintain these engagements throughout the exercise.

Bend your right elbow bringing your upper arm parallel to, and close to, your torso. Your forearm should hang perpendicular to the floor.

Exhale and slowly straighten your elbow. Your upper arm should remain stationary next to your torso. Do not allow the upper arm to rise during the movement. Do not allow the low back to sag or your torso to rotate.

Inhale and slowly bend your elbow, returning to starting position.

Repeat and change sides.


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Inclined dumbbell press

The incline dumbbell bench press is a great exercise for building mass on the upper chest.

Sit on an incline bench angled between 45 and 60 degrees,  grasping a dumbbell in each hand at the top of your thighs.

Then, use your thighs to help push the dumbbells up, as you lay back on the bench.

Your feet should be firmly on the floor, a raised platform, or on the bench in order to allow your spine to be in a neutral position. Pull your shoulder blades down and back so that they make firm contact with the bench.

Press the dumbbells to a position over your eyes or slightly higher, with your elbows straight. Wrists should be in a neutral position and palms facing forward.

Inhale and lower the dumbbells toward your upper chest, but slightly wider toward the armpits. Gently touch the dumbbells to your chest. Keep the elbows under the wrists and the wrists in a neutral position. Performing the exercise with the elbows close to your torso emphasizes more triceps. Performing the exercise with the elbows flared out from the body emphasizes more pectorals. Maintain all points of contact with the bench and keep your feet firmly on the floor throughout the exercise.

Exhale and gently press upwards to full elbow extension with the dumbbells over your eyes. Maintain your points of contact with the bench and floor. Do not allow your back to arch. Keep the wrists in a neutral position throughout the movement.

Repeat.


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Swiss ball dumbbell chest press

Changing the bench for a stability (Swiss) ball turns any exercise into a more challenging one because we have to stabilize the body. This requires focus and involves your core muscles.

Performing the dumbbell chest press on a Swiss ball will not only work your chest but your full core.

Sit on the ball holding one dumbbell in each hand and your feet flat on the floor. Slowly begin walking your feet forward as you tuck your tail under, lowering your spine onto the ball as you walk your feet away from the ball until your head, shoulders and upper back are resting on the ball. Knees are bent to about 90 degrees with your thighs and torso parallel to the floor. Brace your abs to stabilize your spine.

Pull your shoulders down and back until you feel your shoulder blades hugging the ball. With the dumbbells near your chest and palms facing forward, keep the wrist straight, not bent.

Exhale, focus on your chest, and press the dumbbells upward with your elbows straight but not locked. Keep your feet pressed into the floor and your hips pushed up towards the ceiling to maintain stability and control during the exercise.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat.Imagine that a bar connects the dumbbells. Try to keep the dumbbells parallel with each other and wrists in neutral position. Your head,

Imagine that a bar connects the dumbbells. Try to keep the dumbbells parallel with each other and wrists in neutral position.


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Standing dumbbell front raise

This is a classic shoulder exercise. It focuses on the anterior head of the deltoid.

Stand holding dumbbells lightly touching thighs and palms facing your thighs. Your elbows should be straight or slightly bent. Your feet slightly wider than hip distance. Contract your abs, bracing your torso and pull your shoulder blades down and back. Do not allow the back to arch. Your head should be aligned with your spine.

Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells up in front of your body. Your elbows and upper arms should rise together and lead the movement ahead of the forearms and dumbbells. Raise the dumbbells until your arms are level with your shoulders, parallel with the floor. Do not allow the back to arch. Keep the wrists in neutral, do not allow them to bend.

Inhale and gently lower the dumbbells back to your starting position in a controlled manner. Keep your elbows straight and neutral grip position.


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Dumbbell Reverse Fly

Reverse dumbbell flyes strengthen the posterior shoulder and upper back. Strength and development in the rear shoulders and thoracic spinal muscles improve upper body posture, function, and movement.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your body, and your knees slightly bent. Keeping your back flat, bend forward at the hip joint.

Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells up, forward and out to the sides until your arms are almost level with the shoulders, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to your starting position. Repeat.


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Stability ball dumbbell lying triceps extension

The focus of this exercise is on stability and strength.

Lie back on the ball so your middle and upper back are supported and your feet are planted firmly on the ground. Raise your hips so they are in line with your torso. Holding a dumbbell with both hands and palms facing the ceiling.

Inhale and lower the dumbbell by bending the elbows. Your upper arms shouldn’t move. Exhale and return to the starting position by contracting the triceps and straightening your arms.

Do not allow your elbows to flare out to the sides. They should stay in the same place throughout the movement. Keep your shoulders locked down and back to prevent injury. Squeeze your abs and glutes to help prevent your body from swaying.


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Dumbbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is an upper body exercise that strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps while improving muscular balance. Using dumbbells allows for a great range of motion in the chest and can also be easier on the shoulders and prevent pain.

Pick up the dumbbells off the floor, palms facing in. Position the ends of the dumbbells on your thighs, and sit down on the bench. To get in position, you need to rock back pushing the dumbbells back with your thighs and only slightly bending at the elbows.

Lie on your back with your feet firmly on the bench, your spine in neutral position. Pull your shoulder blades down and back so that they make firm contact with the bench.

Keeping your wrists in neutral, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling. With the elbows fully extended, the dumbbells should be above your chest.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest.

With elbows close to your sides the exercises emphasizes more triceps. If the elbows are flared out from the body the exercise emphasizes more pectorals. Do not allow the back to arch away from the bench. Maintain all points of contact with the bench and keep your feet firmly on the bench.

Exhale and gently press upward to straighten the elbows back to starting position.


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Lying Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise

The incline rear deltoid raise is an effective way to target your posterior deltoid. The incline position of this exercise isolates the deltoid (shoulder) muscles, which makes the movement more rigorous. Because it’s done on a bench, the lower back is supported, reducing the risk of injury.

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie on a bench facing the backrest, which is angled at 10 to 30 degrees. Allow your arms to hang toward the floor with your elbows slightly bent and back of our hands facing each other. Brace your core and abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine.

Exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells up, forward and out to the sides until your arms are almost level with the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you reach the end position. In the raised position, your arms should look like a “V”. Keep your torso firmly pressed into the backrest and do no allow the back to arch.

Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells back to your starting position. Repeat.

Technique is very important in this lift. If the dumbbells are raised to an end position behind the head, the emphasis shifts off the shoulders and onto the latissimus dorsi (back).


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Twisting standing dumbbell biceps curl

You can build your biceps by doing curls while standing or seated, and with a variety of tools. The twisting standing dumbbell curl features an extra movement to help give you the biceps you want. This exercise engages the forearms as well as the biceps. In addition to creating balance in the upper and lower arm, this exercise improves wrist mobility.

Stand straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Let your arms hang by your sides with the palms facing your body.

Exhale and bend your elbow to raise the dumbbell toward your shoulders. Rotate your forearms as the weights ascend so your palm faces your shoulder at the peak of your movement. Keep the elbow close to your side and the upper arm as still as possible.

Inhale, lower the dumbbell to the starting position slowly. Rotate your forearms in reverse so your palms again face your body when your arms are extended downward. Repeat with the other hand.


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Alternate front dumbbell raise

This is a popular exercise for the anterior deltoid. It isolates shoulder flexion.

Stand holding dumbbells lightly touching the front of your thighs and palms facing your thighs. Your elbows should be straight or slightly bend.

Engage your abs and pull your shoulder blades down and back. Keep your spine in a neutral position. Your head should be aligned with your spine.

Exhale and slowly raise one dumbbell up in front of your body until your arms are level with your shoulder. Your elbow and upper arm should rise together and lead the movement ahead of the forearm and dumbbell. Do not allow the back to arch or the wrists to bend.

Inhale and gently lower the dumbbell back to starting position.

Repeat with the other arm.


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