No time, no room, no home equipment...we all have our excuses for skipping our workout. Not anymore! With the total-body dumbbell training program I will provide you with, you can exercise all your major muscle groups.
What's more, you can do that from the comfort of your home, and at your own pace. Equipment? All you need is a pair of dumbbells, albeit one of suitable weight, so you can improve your muscles and strength.
As with any other kind of workout, warming-up is essential before you start. Five to ten minutes of walking, jogging or similar is recommended.
The Exercises
Dumbbell Squat
Stand up feet shoulder width apart; hold the dumbbells straight on your shoulders or to the side of your body. Flex at the hip and then bend your knees and go all the way down as if sitting in a chair until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
Lean your torso forward if you feel that your heels are unstable on the ground. Then get back to the initial position without locking your knees at the end of the movement.
Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift
Stand up with feet shoulder width apart holding the dumbbells in your lowered arms (in front of you). Bend forward at the waist by flexing the hip. Keep your back flat and your head up.
Tighten your buttocks and lock your knees while bending forward. Stop going down at the moment when you feel your hamstrings fully stretched and go back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Lie down on your back in a semi-supine position. Hold the dumbbells next to your shoulders with palms facing forward and elbows bent.
Push the weights upward and bring them together at the end of the movement, keeping them in the same plane at all times. Do not hyper-extend or lift your body at the end of the movement.
What Does Supine Mean? Lying on the back, or with the face upward. Opposite to prone.
Dumbbell Flyes
Lie down on your back in a semi-supine position. Hold the dumbbells in your hands, arms to the ground.
Bring your palms together, above your head, drawing a half-circle with each hand while slightly bending your elbows and moving only at the shoulder joint until you feel a full stretch in your pectorals muscles and anterior deltoids.
Standing Dumbbell Press
Stand up feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Place the dumbbells above your shoulders, palms forward, and slowly raise them upward without reaching the end of the motion to prevent lifting your shoulder blades.
Then get back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Side Lateral Raise
Stand up feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells palms facing each other in front of your body and lift your arms laterally up and away until they reach your shoulders height then slowly get back to the starting position.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
Stand up with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, then bend your torso to the front and stay at a 45-degree angle with the floor.
Pull the dumbbells to the sides of your body while flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades in toward your spine then get back to the initial position.
Dumbbell Bicep Curl
You can perform this exercise each arm alone, alternating arms, or both arms together.
Hold the dumbbells next to your body palms facing forward, and then lift the dumbbells up by flexing at the elbow joint until they reach 3/4 of the way to your shoulders.
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Lie down on your back in a semi-supine position. Hold the dumbbells in your opposed palms. Your arms must be at 90-degree angle to your body and the floor.
Flex at the elbow and lower the dumbbells backward to ear level without moving your shoulder joint. Return slowly to the starting position.
Abdominal Crunches
Lie down on your back in a semi-supine position. Hold a single dumbbell with both hands.
Straighten your arms and point with them to the ceiling. Slowly raise your shoulders and upper back, concentrating on your upper abdominals. Then return to the starting position while controlling the movement.
