PUSH, PULL, AND SWING WITH THE MUSCLE-BUILDING KING
I f you’re like most red-blooded Americans, you already own a pair of these old-school strength tools. Look in your basement or under your bed. If you don’t have them, I bet your uncle Jake would be glad to give you his old pair; check in the shed under the “as-seen-on-TV” abs machine he never used.
Dumbbells are simple and simply useful: A friend of mine takes his out of commission every December to keep his Christmas tree stand from toppling over. But they are especially handy for quick and effective workouts and for taxing every fiber that makes up your musculature. Here’s how to rock your range of motion with this classic dynamic duo.
TARGET MUSCLES: biceps
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Your arms should be hanging straight at your sides with the dumbbells resting on the fronts of your thighs.
PULL: Keeping your upper arms locked at your sides, slowly pull the dumbbells up until the weights almost reach your shoulders—your palms should now be facing in toward your body. Pause, slowly lower the dumbbells back down, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
STOP BEFORE THE TOP.
Don’t touch the weights to your shoulders. Doing so may shift your elbows forward. This displaces some of the effort from your biceps to your front deltoids and wrist flexors. Instead, lock your elbows to your sides and stop curling when the weights are a few inches from your shoulders.
CHALLENGE YOUR HANDS.
Loop a hand towel around each dumbbell handle and hold the dumbbells as usual. The thicker grip forces your forearms to work harder than they usually do to hold the weight.
INCLINE HAMMER CURL
Lie on an incline bench set at 45 degrees with your arms hanging straight down to the floor, which them behind your body, as opposed to in line with your torso. Your palms should face toward each Perform the exercise as explained in the main exercise.
ZOTTMAN CURL
At the top of the curl, rotate your wrists inward until your palms face forward. Lower your arms back down until they’re almost locked, then rotate your wrists outward so they once again face forward.
PRONE HAMMER CURL
Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie with your chest against a bench that’s set to a 45-degree incline with your arms hanging straight down to the floor, palms facing in toward each other. This hand positioning places more emphasis on your brachialis, while lying facedown allows the bench to support your upper body, removing momentum from the exercise so that all of the effort is placed on your biceps. Without moving your upper arms, perform a Biceps Curl, keeping a neutral grip. Lower the weights and repeat.
DID YOU KNOW?
Good form = better results. Compared with men who performed Curls using only a partial range of motion (that is, they didn’t bring the weight all the way down), lifters who used a full range of motion were about 10 percent stronger, according to Brazilian researchers.
TARGET MUSCLES: chest, shoulders, and triceps
SETUP: Grab a dumbbell in each hand, then lie flat on a bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Position the dumbbells along the sides of your chest, elbows pointing toward the floor. Turn the dumbbells so that your palms face toward your feet.
PUSH: Keeping your back flat on the bench, push the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended above your chest, but don’t lock your elbows. (This will keep your chest, shoulders, and triceps in a prolonged state of contraction, which will work them much faster and more thoroughly.) Pause, lower the dumbbells back down to the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH.
Inhale as you lower the dumbbells, then exhale as you push them back up into the Setup position.
KEEP YOUR BODY FLAT.
Arching your back positions your body to allow other muscles—particularly your triceps—to help lift the weight, which reduces effort from your chest while placing your lower back at risk of strain. Keep it on the bench.
ADD A FLEX AT THE TOP.
Once you’ve pushed the weights up, squeeze your pectorals together as if you were trying to squeeze a quarter between them.
FLOOR PRESS
Lie flat on the floor, holding the weights with straight arms above your shoulders. As you lower the weights, stop when your upper arms gently touch the floor, then press back up.
INCLINE CHEST PRESS
Choose a pair of dumbbells that are 10 to 20 percent lighter than you would to do the Chest Press. Lie on an incline bench set at between 30 and 45 degrees. The angle of the bench changes the ratio of effort, sharing more of the stress with your shoulders, which means you’ll lift less weight. Perform the exercise as explained in the main exercise.
ALTERNATING CHEST PRESS
Slowly raise one dumbbell until your arm is fully extended but not locked. Pause, and as you lower weight back to the starting position, raise the dumbbell in your other hand. Continue to alternate.
TARGET MUSCLES: chest and front deltoids
SETUP: Grab a dumbbell in each hand, then lie flat on a bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your arms straight up above your chest with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing toward your feet.
PULL: Keeping your arms in this position, sweep the dumbbells down and out to your sides in an arc until the dumbbells are at about chest level. Pause, pull your arms back up to the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
KEEP ELBOWS LOCKED.
If you bend your elbows more as you bring them down, you turn the exercise into a pushing movement (essentially a Bench Press) instead of a pulling movement, making it less difficult. To keep that from happening, bend your arms slightly before you perform the move, then keep your elbows locked in that bent position throughout the exercise.
OPTION
INCLINE CHEST FLY
Lie on an incline bench set at between 30 and 45 degrees. Perform the exercise as explained at left.
TARGET MUSCLE: rectus abdominis
SETUP: Lie flat on your back on a mat or carpeted surface, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Use both hands to grab a dumbbell by its ends, and rest it on your chest.
PULL: Keeping the dumbbell in place, slowly pull your head and shoulders 4 to 6 inches off the floor and toward your knees. Pause as you contract your core muscles, lower yourself back down, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
DON’T PEEL OFF THE FLOOR.
Instead of rolling up, concentrate on folding your upper body forward, keeping your shoulders and upper back straight (not rounded) as you crunch.
NEVER HOOK YOUR FEET.
Whenever you anchor your feet during abdominal exercises, you take stress away from your abs and transfer more of the effort onto your hip flexors, the muscles that attach the front of your torso to your legs.
OPTION
LONG-ARM CRUNCH
Extend your arms so the dumbbell is above your chest. Perform the exercise as explained at left.
TARGET MUSCLES: back, chest, core, glutes, legs, shoulders, and triceps
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Your arms should be hanging in front of you with the dumbbells resting on the fronts of your thighs.
PUSH, PULL (AND SWING): Push your hips back and bend your knees slightly so the dumbbells drop to just above your knees. In one move, explosively swing the dumbbells upward toward your shoulders, push your hips forward, and drive your feet into the floor to straighten your legs. As the dumbbells come above waist height, bend your knees to help “catch” them in front of your shoulders. Quickly push your heels into the floor as you simultaneously push the dumbbells over your head. Reverse the motion to lower the dumbbells into the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
KEEP YOUR FEET FLAT. You should be able to wiggle your toes. That will tell you that your weight is loaded more along the back of your body.
TARGET MUSCLES: legs (primarily the quadriceps)
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Raise both dumbbells up to your chest, palms facing in, and place one end of each dumbbell on the front of each shoulder. Your elbows will be pointing down.
PUSH: Keeping your torso straight, slowly push your hips back, bend your knees, and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor or lower. Push yourself back up until your legs are straight but not locked, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
DON’T SUFFER IN SILENCE.
If resting the dumbbells on your shoulders is uncomfortable, try wrapping a towel across the front of your chest and draping the ends over your shoulders to cushion the weight.
TARGET MUSCLES: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Your arms should hang down at your sides and your knees should not be locked.
PUSH: Keeping your head and back straight, push your hips back and slowly squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. (Your knees should be directly above your toes; avoid letting them extend past your feet.) Push yourself back up into the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD.
Don’t stare down as you squat. Looking down during the exercise (or moving your head to look left or right) will affect your balance, which can make the exercise more difficult to do.
STRAIGHTEN YOUR LEGS. DON’T LOCK YOUR KNEES.
Locking them takes the load off of your muscles and redirects the stress to your knee joints.
PUSH THE FLOOR AWAY.
This tactic will allow you to better engage the muscles in your legs.
JUMP SQUAT
Perform the exercise as described in the main exercise, but after you lower yourself into a squat, jump as high as you can. Land softly, with your knees bent. Return to the Setup position, and repeat.
BULGARIAN ISOMETRIC SQUAT
Stand about 3 feet away from a weight bench, with your back to it. Grab a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging at your sides. Extend your right leg back and rest your right foot on top of the bench—the top of your foot should be flat on the top of the bench. Bend your left knee and lower yourself down until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, straighten your left leg, and repeat. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
TARGET MUSCLES: glutes, legs, lower back, trapezius, abs, and calves
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a pair of heavy dumbbells on the floor in front of you. Bend your knees and grab the dumbbells with palms facing your body.
PULL: With your chest held up and away from your body and your back flat, slowly pull the dumbbells off the floor by standing up as you thrust your hips forward. Pause, lower the dumbbells back down to the floor, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
STRAIGHTEN YOUR LEGS.
Before you start to pull the weight from the floor, extend your legs. Feeling tension from the dumbbells before you lift them distributes the effort of the exercise evenly throughout your muscles.
KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT.
Resist the urge to raise your shoulders or bend your elbows as you go. The dumbbells should stay close to your body as you lift until your legs are straight but not locked.
NEUTRAL-GRIP DEADLIFT
Grab the dumbbells with a neutral grip—palms facing in toward each other. Perform the exercise as explained in the main exercise.
SUMO DEADLIFT
Place a heavy dumbbell on its end and stand in front of it with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed out to the sides. Bend your knees, reach down, and grab the dumbbell with both hands, wrapping your fingers over the sides of the bell, palms facing down. Perform the exercise as explained in the main exercise.
TARGET MUSCLES: back, glutes, and hamstrings
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding a pair of dumbbells, palms facing your body. Your arms should be hanging down in front of your legs.
PULL: Slowly push your hips back and sit back, allowing your knees to bend more as you bend forward (keeping your chest up) and lower the dumbbells to just below your knees. Pull your torso back into the Setup position, then repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
STAY TIGHT.
Keep the weights as close to your body as possible. This will focus all of the effort onto your hamstrings, not your lower back.
OPTION
SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
Lift one foot an inch or two off the floor behind you so that you’re balancing on the other foot. Holding this position, slowly shift your hips backward and bend forward until your back and back leg are almost parallel to the floor. Allow your arms to hang straight down. Raise your torso back up into a standing position and perform the required number of repetitions. Switch legs and repeat the exercise.
TARGET MUSCLES: back, glutes, hamstrings, and core
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, a slight bend in the knees, and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing backward. Your arms should be hanging straight down in front of your thighs.
PULL: Keeping your back flat, legs straight, and knees unlocked, bend forward from your waist and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Reverse the motion to return to the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
DON’T ROUND YOUR BACK.
Your low back should stay naturally arched during the movement.
OPTION
SINGLE-LEG STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFT
Balance yourself on one foot by lifting your other foot a few inches off the floor behind you. Without changing the bend in your back leg, bend at your waist and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor while raising your back leg. Perform the pull portion as explained.
TARGET MUSCLES: medial deltoids (the sides of your shoulders)
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward. Your arms should be hanging at your sides with a slight bend in your elbows.
PULL: Keeping your elbows slightly bent, slowly pull your arms up and out from your sides until they are parallel to the floor—your body should resemble the letter T. Pause, slowly lower your arms back down to your sides, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
STOP AT PARALLEL.
Raise your arms slowly to avoid allowing momentum to raise them higher than parallel, which can cause injury.
DON’T ROTATE YOUR ARMS.
Some people think turning your shoulders forward makes the move more effective, but it only increases your risk of injuring them.
SEATED (OR KNEELING) LATERAL RAISE
Choose a weight that’s 40 to 50 percent lighter than you might use for a Lateral Raise and sit on a weight bench (or kneel on a mat or carpeted floor) with your arms hanging straight down at your sides, palms facing forward. Perform the exercise as described in the main exercise.
LATERAL T-RAISE
Bend your arms at 90 degrees. Hold this arm position as you perform the exercise as described in the main exercise.
SINGLE-ARM LATERAL RAISE
Instead of raising both arms simultaneously, raise one arm at a time. This trick will force your core muscles to work harder in order to keep you balanced as you go.
TARGET MUSCLES: rear deltoids, rotator cuff muscles, and upper and middle back
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and a light dumbbell in each hand. Bend at your waist and lean forward until your back is flat and as parallel to the floor as possible. Let your arms hang down directly below you, palms facing in.
PULL: Keeping your back fixed in this position and your arms straight and elbows unlocked, slowly pull the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor. Pause, then slowly lower your arms back down into the Setup position.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
DON’T LIFT YOUR TORSO.
If you rise as you lift, you’re using momentum and your lower back to cheat the weights upward. Instead, focus on making sure that only your arms are moving during the exercise.
SINGLE-LEG STANDING CALF RAISE
TARGET MUSCLES: calves
SETUP: Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and stand on a stable surface that’s 6 to 12 inches tall (such as a step or a block of wood). Place your foot on the step so that just the ball of your foot is on the edge and your heel is hanging off.
Grab the edge of a wall with your left hand for balance if necessary, then tuck your left foot behind your right ankle so your weight is resting on the ball of your right foot.
PUSH: Slowly push through the ball of your right foot and raise your right heel up as high as possible. Pause, slowly lower your right heel down as far as you can, and repeat. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
TRY IT SEATED.
Your calves are made up of two different muscles—the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Performing the exercise with a straight leg (as shown) primarily works the gastrocnemius, but bending your knee places more stress on your soleus. Try a set of Seated Calf Raises with your foot on a weight plate and a dumbbell on the knee of the working leg.
TARGET MUSCLES: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Your arms should be hanging at your sides.
PUSH: Take a big step forward with your left foot and lower your body until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Your right knee should be an inch or two off the floor and should be bent at a 90-degree angle, and only the ball of your right foot should be on the floor.
Quickly reverse the motion by pushing yourself back into the Setup position, then step forward with your right foot, lowering your body until your left knee is bent at 90 degrees. Step back into the Setup position and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
LISTEN TO YOUR KNEES.
If stepping forward bothers them, try performing a Reverse Lunge by taking a big step backward, instead. Lower yourself down by bending the knee of your forward leg and sinking down until your forward thigh is parallel to the floor.
LOOK FORWARD.
Don’t look down at your feet. Staring at the floor can cause you to lose your balance.
NARROW YOUR STANCE.
The closer your feet are to each other, the harder your core muscles will have to work to stabilize your body.
WATCH YOUR KNEES.
Never let your knee travel past your toes as you lunge. Your forward knee should end up directly over your foot, so that your leg forms a 90-degree angle.
WALKING LUNGE
Start in the Setup position described in the main exercise. Do a Lunge by stepping with your left foot until both legs are bent at 90-degree angles. Stand and lift your back (right) leg slowly. Take a big step forward and lower into another Lunge. Alternate the leg with which you step forward after each rep so you continue walking forward.
SIDE LUNGE
Hold the dumbbells at your sides, take a wide step out to your right while keeping your toes pointed straight ahead, and bend your right knee until your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor and your left leg is extended at an angle. Push yourself back to the starting position and step to the left with your left foot. Return to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
TARGET MUSCLES: chest, core, shoulders, and triceps
SETUP: Kneel on the floor with two hex dumbbells spaced shoulder-width apart on the floor in front of you. Grab the dumbbells with your palms facing down and get into a pushup position. Your arms should be straight but not locked and your legs should be extended behind you.
PUSH: Bend your elbows and lower your chest down toward the floor. Push yourself back up into the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
WATCH YOUR POSTURE.
Your body should form a straight line from your head down to your heels, and your eyes should be focused on the floor. Before you begin, contract and tighten your core as if you had to zip up a really tight-fitting jacket.
KEEP YOUR ELBOWS TIGHT.
They should be as close to your sides as possible. Winging them out redirects the stress of the move to your elbow joints.
DON’T PUSH YOUR BODY UP.
Instead, imagine that you’re trying to push your hands through the floor. This tactic will help generate more power with every repetition.
T-PUSHUP
Perform the exercise as explained in the main exercise, but as you push yourself up, rotate your body to the right, lift the dumbbell in your right hand off the floor, and extend it straight up toward the ceiling. (Your body will look like a T.) Twist back down, place the dumbbell back on the floor, then do another Pushup. As you push yourself up, rotate to the left and extend the dumbbell in your left hand up to the ceiling. Keep alternating from right to left.
Extra credit: Includes a Swing!
PUSHUP DRAG
Start in a Pushup position with a dumbbell on the floor next to your left side. Bend your elbows, lower your chest toward the floor, and then push yourself back up until your arms are straight. Shift your weight to your left arm as you reach your right arm underneath your body to grab the dumbbell. Drag the dumbbell underneath you until it rests at your right side. Get back into a pushup position and repeat, this time dragging the weight to your left side with your left hand as you shift your weight onto your right arm.
Extra credit: Includes a Swing!
TARGET MUSCLES: shoulders, legs, triceps, upper trapezius, and core
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a heavy dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights up in front of your shoulders with palms facing each other.
PUSH: Keeping your back straight and eyes forward, squat down about 6 inches, then explosively push up with your legs as you push the dumbbells straight above your shoulders. Pause, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the Setup position, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
PUSH THROUGH YOUR HEELS.
This will give you more power when pushing the weights directly overhead.
TARGET MUSCLES: upper trapezius
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and a heavy dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Your arms should be hanging down at your sides.
PULL: Without moving your arms, raise your shoulders up toward your ears as high as you can. Lower them back down, then repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT.
Bending your arms as you raise the weights would shift effort to other muscles that will tire out before your upper trapezius muscles do.
DON’T ROLL YOUR SHOULDERS.
Your upper trapezius muscles are designed to pull your shoulders up and down—not backward or forward—so doing so could cause neck strain.
DID YOU KNOW?
You can increase your metabolism by at least 8.5 percent if you eat 18 grams of protein prior to a training session, according to research in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
TARGET MUSCLE: rectus abdominis
SETUP: Lie flat on your back on a mat or carpeted surface with your knees bent and feet together and flat on the floor. Place a light dumbbell between your thighs close to your knees and squeeze it so it stays in place throughout the exercise. Stretch your arms out to your sides, palms down, for support.
PULL: Holding the dumbbell tightly in place and keeping your feet together, slowly pull your knees up to your chest so that your hips and lower back lift off the floor. Pause, lower your legs back down, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
CONTRACT YOUR CORE.
Contracting your abdominal muscles before you start and keeping them that way throughout the exercise will help support your lower back.
GO SLOWLY.
The slower you perform this exercise, the longer your abdominal muscles will remain under tension. Imagine that you’re trying to empty—as slowly as possible—a bucket of water that’s attached to your pelvis.
OPTION
DOUBLE CRUNCH
Use both hands to hold another light dumbbell by its ends, and rest it on your chest with your elbows flared out to your sides. Holding both dumbbells in place, slowly pull your head and shoulders off the floor as you simultaneously pull your knees up to your chest. Pause, lower, and repeat.
TARGET MUSCLES: core
SETUP: Kneel on a mat or carpeted surface. Holding a light dumbbell with both hands, lean back until your torso is at a 45-degree angle. Extend your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the floor.
SWING: Keeping your core muscles tight and arms straight, rotate your torso to the right as far as you can, then rotate to the left as far as you can. Return to the Setup position (that’s 1 rep) and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
BRACE YOUR CORE.
Avoid injury by tightening your abs and twisting slowly.
OPTION
RUSSIAN TWIST
Instead of kneeling, sit on the floor with your knees bent and heels on the floor. Without moving your legs, perform the exercise from side to side as described. As another option, raise your feet an inch or two off the floor and keep them there while you perform the exercise as explained.
TARGET MUSCLES: core
SETUP: Lie on your left side on a mat or carpeted surface with your legs straight and prop your upper body up on your left elbow and forearm so your elbow is positioned directly underneath your shoulder. Grab a light dumbbell with your right hand and extend your right arm toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor.
PUSH: Keeping your right arm extended, tighten your core muscles and push up your hips until your body forms a straight line from your ankles to your shoulders, keeping your head in line with your body. Hold this position for the required amount of time, then switch sides and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
KEEP YOUR CORE TIGHT.
Brace your core by contracting your abs forcefully, then hold them in that contracted state. (Imagine you’re expecting to be punched in the stomach at any time.)
TARGET MUSCLES: core
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and use both hands to hold a dumbbell by its ends. Bend your arms so that they’re roughly at 90-degree angles, hold the dumbbell in front of your chest, and tuck your upper arms into your sides.
SWING: Keeping your upper arms locked in place, twist at your waist and swing your torso as far left as you can. As you go, raise your right heel off the floor and pivot off the ball of your right foot. Reverse the motion by twisting at your waist and swinging your torso as far right as you can, raising your left heel and pivoting off the ball of your left foot. Return to the Setup position and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
DON’T TWIST TOO FAST.
If you do, you’ll place your lower back at risk of injury. Instead, perform the motion at a normal pace.
TARGET MUSCLES: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves
SETUP: Stand in front of an exercise bench or step with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Your arms should be hanging at your sides.
PUSH: Keeping your back straight, place your left foot firmly on the bench and push yourself up (using only your left leg) until your right foot is able to step up on top of the bench—but don’t place your right foot on the bench. Pause, then take 2 seconds to lower your right foot back down to the ground so that it lands softly.
Perform all the required repetitions with your left foot on the bench, then repeat with your right foot on the bench.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
BRUSH THE FLOOR.
If you find that you are cheating by pushing off with your back foot, try to just brush the floor with your toes instead of placing your foot completely on the floor.
CROSSOVER STEPUP
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand next to a bench or step that’s about knee-height. If your left leg is next to the step (as shown), raise your right foot and cross it in front of your left leg. Place it flat on the step. Push off with your left leg and straighten your right leg until you are standing on your right leg on top of the step. Step onto the floor with your left foot and then your right foot. Reverse the movement by crossing your left foot in front of your right leg and placing that foot on the step. Completing the move equals 1 repetition. Continue for the required reps.
TARGET MUSCLES: Latissimus dorsi, lower back, middle trapezius, and rhomboids
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Keeping your back flat, bend forward at your waist until your torso is almost parallel to the floor—your arms should extend straight down below you.
PULL: Without moving your upper body, pull the dumbbells up to the sides of your torso and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Pause, lower the dumbbells back down, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
LOOK AT THE FLOOR.
Keep your head, neck, and spine in line with each other.
PULL SHOULDERS BACK.
Keep them that way throughout the exercise. This activates your middle- and upper-back muscles.
HAVE A BALL.
Imagine you have one between your shoulder blades. Try to squeeze that ball with your shoulder blades as you pull the weights up.
OPTION
SINGLE-LEG ROW
Stand with a light dumbbell in each hand. Bend your right knee to lift your right foot behind you, then slowly bend forward at your waist until your back is almost parallel to the floor, and then row.
TARGET MUSCLES: biceps, Latissimus dorsi, lower back, posterior deltoids, and trapezius
SETUP: Stand tall with your left side to an exercise bench and a dumbbell in your right hand. Rest your left hand and knee on the bench, bend at your waist, and let your right arm hang down toward the floor, palm facing in toward the bench.
PULL: Draw the weight up close to your body until it reaches the side of your torso. Pause, lower the dumbbell back down until your arm is straight, and repeat. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
DON’T TWIST YOUR TORSO.
If you do while lifting the dumbbell, your lower back and core muscles will take on some of the effort, preventing you from working your upper back efficiently.
OPTION
LAWNMOWER PULL
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and stand in a split stance, left foot in front of your right by about 2 feet, left arm hanging at your side. Bend your left knee and your hips until your torso is at about a 45-degree angle, letting the dumbbell hang at arm’s length. In one move, explosively straighten your left leg and thrust your hips forward as you rotate your torso, pivot your feet, and pull the weight to your shoulder. Reverse the move and repeat. After you’ve performed the required number of repetitions, switch sides and repeat.
TARGET MUSCLES: abdominals, lower back, and shoulders
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a light dumbbell in both hands with a hand-over-hand grip. Both of your arms should be extended above your right shoulder.
SWING: Keeping your knees slightly bent, quickly twist your torso to your left and bend at your waist as you draw your arms across and down—the dumbbell should end up just outside of your left knee or ankle. (You should move as if you’re chopping wood.) Quickly reverse the movement with the same intensity, and repeat. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
STICK WITH PERFECT FORM.
Your arms should stay nearly straight, and your core muscles should remain tight throughout the exercise.
SINGLE-LEG WOODCHOP
Hold a light dumbbell with a hand-over-hand grip and your arms extended above your right shoulder. Bend your left knee 90 degrees to lift your left foot behind you. Balancing on your right leg, perform the exercise as explained in the main exercise. Do the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
REVERSE WOODCHOP
Bend your knees and lean forward, positioning the dumbbell along the outside of your left calf. Straighten your legs and use your core to swing the weight up and over your right shoulder, then bring the weight back down. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
TARGET MUSCLES: triceps
SETUP: Grab a light dumbbell in each hand, then lie flat on an exercise bench with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Straighten your arms above you so that the weights are above your head, palms facing in.
PUSH: Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and slowly lower the dumbbells until they reach the sides of your head. Slowly push the weights above you, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
DON’T MOVE UPPER ARMS.
Before you begin, point your arms up at the ceiling, and then concentrate on keeping your upper arms in place.
OPTION
TATE PRESS
Lie flat on an exercise bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms above your chest, palms facing toward your feet with the ends of the weights touching each other. Bend your elbows so they extend out to the sides and lower one end of each dumbbell to the center of your chest. Push the weights back up without letting the dumbbells come apart, and repeat.
TARGET MUSCLES: triceps
SETUP: Stand tall with your left side to an exercise bench and a dumbbell in your right hand. Rest your left hand and knee on the bench, bend at your waist, and let your right arm hang down toward the floor, palm facing in toward the bench. Pull your right elbow up so that your upper arm is in line with your back. Your arm should be at a 90-degree angle, knuckles pointing toward the floor, palm facing in.
PUSH: Without moving your upper arm, slowly extend your arm straight back. Pause, reverse the movement, and return to the Setup position. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
GO SLOWLY.
Avoid moving your upper arm. Slowly straighten your forearm and do not bend your wrist.
STARE STRAIGHT DOWN.
Don’t turn your head to the side to see if your arm is straight, because this can sometimes cause neck stress. Instead, look to make sure your upper arm is parallel to the floor before you begin the exercise, then keep your eyes on the bench for the rest of the movement.
OPTION
TWO-ARM TRICEPS KICKBACK
Stand straight with your knees unlocked, your feet shoulder-width apart, and a light dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your back flat, bend forward at your waist until your torso is parallel to the floor, then raise and lower both dumbbells at the same time.
TARGET MUSCLES: triceps
SETUP: Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in both hands. Push the dumbbell over your head and hold it so that either both hands wrap around its middle or your palms are flat against the inside plate.
PUSH: Without moving your upper arms, slowly bend your elbows and lower the dumbbell behind your head as far as possible. Push the dumbbell back overhead until your arms are straight, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
KEEP YOUR CORE TIGHT.
Don’t allow your torso to lean backward or forward. Bracing your core as if you expect someone to punch you will help keep your body straight.
FOCUS ON YOUR FOREARMS.
Slowly lower the weights to ensure proper form. Your forearms should lower to at least parallel to the floor.
RESIST MOVEMENT.
Keep your upper arms stationary. Your elbows shouldn’t change position throughout the move.
TARGET MUSCLES: Latissimus dorsi and middle trapezius
SETUP: Grab a dumbbell and lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Shift yourself so that the top of your head is even with the very end of the bench. Wrap your hands around the inside end of the dumbbell, then press it above your chest.
PULL: Slowly move the dumbbell in an arc over your head, lowering it until your upper arms are in line with your head. Pause, pull the dumbbell back into the Setup position above your chest, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
NEVER BEND YOUR ARMS.
If you do, you’re cheating the weights upward by using your triceps muscles.
OPTION
CROSS-BENCH PULLOVER
Position yourself perpendicular to a weight bench and lie back so that only your shoulders and upper back are resting on it—your head will hang off one side while your body will be on the opposite side, knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Your body should be straight from your knees to your head. Perform the exercise as explained.
TARGET MUSCLES: shoulders, triceps, and upper trapezius
SETUP: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, just outside your shoulders, palms facing in.
PUSH: Keeping your back straight and eyes forward, push the weights up over your head until your arms are straight, elbows locked. Lower the weights to the Setup position and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
WORK FROM TOP DOWN.
The weights should travel in a straight line, starting from your shoulders. Don’t push them up at an inward angle that allows them to touch at the top of the movement.
SQUEEZE YOUR GLUTES.
By doing so, your body is forced into a position that automatically stabilizes your spine.
OPTION
SINGLE-ARM SHOULDER PRESS
Stand tall, holding one dumbbell just outside your shoulder with your arm bent and your palm facing your shoulder. Perform the required number of repetitions as explained, switch sides, and repeat.
TARGET MUSCLES: biceps, calves, core, glutes, hamstrings, posterior deltoids, quadriceps, and upper and lower back
SETUP: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a dumbbell in each hand against your thighs using an overhand grip (palms facing in). Push your hips back, bend forward slightly, and bend your knees slightly. The dumbbells will lower to about knee height.
PULL: In one continuous movement, explosively thrust your hips forward and stand up, rising up on your toes as you simultaneously shrug your shoulders, bend your elbows, and pull the dumbbells up to shoulder height. Lower the dumbbells to the Setup position and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTER
PUSH THEN PULL.
Push your hips forward before shrugging your shoulders. The hip snap starts the dumbbells moving explosively; from there, the movement should be fluid as you simultaneously pull up your elbows and explosively jump onto your toes.
TARGET MUSCLES: total body
SETUP: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell resting on the floor between your feet, ends facing to the sides. Squat down and grab the dumbbell with your right hand, palm facing back. Your left arm should hang down at your side.
PULL: In one continuous—and explosive—motion, drive your heels into the floor and straighten your legs and hips while simultaneously bending your right arm and raising your elbow as high as possible to pull the dumbbell upward. (Imagine you’re trying to thrust the dumbbell up toward the ceiling without letting go of it.) As the dumbbell reaches chest level, let your forearm rotate up and back from the momentum of the lift as you push your hips forward and drop into a shallow squat to “catch” the dumbbell above you. While squatting and catching, straighten your arm and your legs. At the top, you should be in a standing position with the dumbbell directly above your right shoulder, right arm straight, and palm facing forward. Reverse the motion to bring the dumbbell back into the Setup position, and repeat. Perform the required number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat.
PERFORMANCE POINTERS
STAY TIGHT.
Keep the dumbbell as close to your body as possible at all times. Pulling up while it’s away from your body may put undue strain on your shoulder and lower back.
USE ENOUGH POWER.
The force of your pull upward should make you rise up on your toes.
THINK “ARM TO EAR.”
Concentrate on the position of your arm at the top. It should line up just behind your ear. Positioning it too far behind your head can hyperextend your lower back.
Other Dumbbell Exercises to Try
The following exercises shown in the kettlebell chapter can also be performed with a dumbbell or dumbbells.
The following exercise in the sandbag chapter can be performed with dumbbells:
