Contrary to what most people believe, a dumbbell actually does not only work the arms out. With proper variations, it can provide a whole body workout with you just occupying minimum space. Here are some exercises using dumbbells that you should incorporate into your daily workout program.
Exercises for the Arms and Shoulders
You should start with the exercises that work your arms and shoulders out as they are the most common targets for dumbbell exercises.
Dumbbell Shoulder-to-Shoulder Press – In this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Rest each dumbbell on top of the shoulders. Then, slowly lift the dumbbell upwards with your right arm. Bring it back down. That is one repetition. Do the same with your left arm.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly – With this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, bend your knees slightly. Bend your body forward at the hips and make sure that your torso is parallel to the floor. Hold one dumbbell in each hand and put your arms down with the palm of your hands facing inwards. Bend your elbows slightly. Then, slowly raise your hands, along with the dumbbells, sideways and extend the elbows above your shoulders. Go back to the starting position.
Exercises for the Core
There are also dumbbell exercises that you can perform in order to work out and tighten your core muscles.
Dumbbell Russian Twist – Place a gym mat on the floor and sit on it. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your arms close to you. Bring both the dumbbells to your right side. Make sure that you keep your spine in place and that your spine will not twist along with the movement. See to it that the only movement will come from your arms. Afterwards, bring the dumbbells to the left side. Repeat the steps as necessary.
Renegade Rows – Hold a dumbbell in each of your hand. Then, start with the push up position. Make sure that your feet are shoulder-width apart and the dumbbells are positioned below your chest. Afterwards, pull one hand holding the dumbbell to your obliques, close to the torso. Put the dumbbell back down and repeat the same steps with your other hand.
Exercises for the Back and Chest
These are exercises that you can do to work your back and chest out with the dumbbells.
Dumbbell Floor Press – Lie on your back on the floor. Place your feet flat on the floor, too. While your hands are holding the dumbbells, position them on your shoulders. Make sure that your elbows are touching the floor. Then, slowly raise the dumbbells forward, just directly above you. Go back to the starting position and repeat.
Dumbbell Chest Supported Row – On an incline bench, lie face down and support your weight with your toes. Hold the dumbbells in front of you, parallel to the floor. Pull these dumbbells towards your chest. Feel a nice squeeze on the muscles of your upper back. Slowly put the dumbbells back down. Repeat the steps as necessary.
Exercises for the Glutes and Legs
The following exercises will help you work out the following muscle groups – your glutes and legs with dumbbells.
Dumbbell Front Squat – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. While holding the dumbbells, place them on your shoulders and make sure that you keep your elbows up. Then, bend your legs and lower down your body until your hips are already below the knees. See to it that you will keep your back straight. Afterwards, push your body upwards and go back to your starting position.
Dumbbell Side Lunge – In this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells with both hands and place them on your sides. Then, take a big step to your left side with left foot. Push the hips back and lower down your body to a deep lunge position. While doing so, move your hands towards the floor until your chest is closer to your left knee. Go back to the starting position and repeat with your right foot.
Full Body Exercise
This dumbbell exercise targets the full body.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Snatch – Start in a wide-squat stance. Hold a dumbbell with your right hand in front. Pull its weight up, keeping it close to your body, and push upwards. Once the dumbbell reaches the chest, extend your legs fully. Squat back down and repeat. Do the same with your left hand.
Indeed, a dumbbell targets different muscle groups. You can obtain a full body workout with just a dumbbell. So, better include these exercises to your workout routine for optimum space utilization.
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