Major Muscles Worked: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders Set Up: Lie on a bench, floor or a ball, feet firmly on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your knees Elbows are straight, holding the weights towards the ceiling, positioned over the chest. The ends of the dumbbells are either touching, or and inch or two apart. The Movement: Bend your elbows, lowering the weights with control until your upper arms touch the floor. As you lower the weights, keep the weights (and your wrists) directly over your elbows. This means that the weights will separate from each other as they lower. Without pausing at the bottom of the movement, press the weights back to the ceiling. Reverse the movement of the weights, keeping them over the chest, and gradually bringing them closer to each other at the top of the motion. Twist your palms so that they are now facing each-other Read More . . .
Category: 2 hand weights
Bicep Curls
Major Muscles Worked: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders Set Up: Stand tall with your feet about hip width apart. Chest up, and shoulders back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. The Movement: Keeping your elbows close to your sides, bending your elbows, curl the dumbbells up so that they’re now at your shoulders. You can rotate your palms so that they’re facing your shoulders, or your palms can be facing in, towards the mid-line of your body. With your elbows close to your sides, lower the weight with control back to the starting position. Pause before starting the next repetition Specific Cues: Focus on keeping your elbows as close to your body as possible. If your elbows splay away from your body, your weight may be too heavy. Resist the urge to sway back & forth with your hips while lowering the weight to your thighs. Read More . . .
Front Raise
Major Muscles Worked: Shoulders Set Up: Stand with your feet closer than hip width apart. Feet should be parallel to each other. Hold one dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Chest is up, shoulders are back. The Movement: With your palms facing the front of your thighs, slightly bend your elbows. Relax your shoulders down away from your ears. Keeping the bend in your arms the same, lift your arms in front of you. Keep your torso stationary – try not to rock back. If you are, lighten your weight. Pause at the top of the motion. Lower the weights with control. Specific Cues: If your torso is moving a lot, you may need lighter weights. You may want to stagger your feet if you’re finding too much pressure in your back. Front Raise with Bands Variation Step in the middle of your band depending on the resistance of your band, Read More . . .
Bulgarian Split Squats
Major Muscles Worked: Legs This movement is an advanced variation of the Lunge. If you need to modify this exercise, a backward lunge is great substitution. Also, the height of the step will have a huge impact on the difficulty of this exercise; a low step will be easier, and as the step gets higher, it will become more difficult. Set Up: Stand about a leg length in front of a step, facing away from the step. Carefully, place one foot on top of the step. you may need to move closer to the step to place your foot on it, and then hop forward. Shift your hips back, so that they’re about 1/2 way distance between your feet. The Movement: With most of your weight in the heel of the front foot, slowly bend your front knee, and lower your hips. Lower as far as you can, pausing briefly at Read More . . .
Shoulder Press
Major Muscles Worked: Shoulders Set Up: Hold 2 dumbbells in your hands at shoulder height Turn your palms so that they’re facing each-other thumbs are towards your shoulders, pinkies towards the front of your body. Chest Up, Shoulders Back Engage your core. The Movement: Keeping the weights the same distance from each other, press the weights above your head, towards the ceiling. At the top of the movement, the weights should be directly overhead, elbows straight, and biceps by your ears. Slowly, with control, lower the weights back to the starting position. Specific Cues: When pressing overhead,make sure that your arms aren’t in front of your body. this puts a lot of unnecessary stress on your upper back and shoulders At the top of the movement, the weights can travel closer together – just make sure that they don’t travel away from the center line of your body. Variations: Push-Press * Read More . . .
Chest Fly
Major Muscles Worked: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders Set Up: Lie on a bench (incline or flat) or a ball, feet firmly on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other Elbows are slightly bent, holding the weights towards the ceiling, positioned over the chest. The Movement: Keeping the bend in your elbows the same throughout the entire movement, and palms facing each other, slowly separate the weights, lowering your arms to the ground. Go as far as you can Get a good stretch across your chest, and go as far as you can without losing control of the weights. Reverse the movement, squeezing the chest, and bringing your hands back together above your chest. Specific Cues: If you could trace the path of your dumbbells in the air, it would make a semi-circle – not a triangle At the top of the movement, with the dumbbells towards Read More . . .