Major Muscles Worked:

Back

Set Up:

  1. Stand with your feet hip width apart or closer.
  2. Either hold the ends of one dumbbell in each hand, or hold one dumbbell in each hand.
  3. Chest is up, shoulders are back.

The Movement:

  1. Start by hinging at the hips. Lower your upper body to about a 45 degree angle.
  2. Keep your core engaged to support your lower back.
    Your back should stay flat. DO NOT ROUND YOUR BACK!
  3. Using gravity as resistance, start by shrugging your shoulders back towards each other.
    Relax your shoulders down away from your ears.
  4. Follow through with your elbows, lifting the weight into your rib cage.
  5. At the top of the motion, try to get your elbows to touch in the back of your body.
    They’re never going to touch, but try anyway.
  6. Reverse the motion, and lower the weights with control.

Specific Cues:

  • You may feel some fatigue in your lower back. Keep your core engaged to support your lower back.
  • Do not round your back.
  • You may feel tension in your hamstrings – this is okay. It means that your back is flat.
  • Keep your wrists straight. Try not to roll your wrists as you bring the weight closer to your rib cage. The idea is to raise your elbows as high as possible. Not bring the weight as close to your rib cage as possible.

Related Exercises: