Basic Dumbell Exercises for Beginners
Posted by Sasha Alova | Under Health & Fitness Friday Feb 12, 2010Dumbbells are light and safe-too-use free weight training equipment. Available in various weights, they can be used in the home in various movements to target various muscle groups. From the beginner weight trainer to the professional body builder, dumbbells are popular weights of choice. They are effective in stabilizing the muscles, reduce the risk of injuries, and improve over all posture. As opposed to weight machines, dumbbells are flexible and allow you to perform a wide range of movements.
Dumbbell Exercises for the Chest
The flat dumbbell press can be done by flatly lying down on a bench and by holding the dumbbells above your chest. Make sure that your arms are extended and that your palms face towards your feet. Once you are in this figure in a slow movement put the weights to your chest then back to your original position. You can do this exercise in different reps.
Incline dumbbell press. The procedure is similar to the flat dumbbell press except that you must adjust the incline of the weight lifting bench to an angle of between 30 degrees and 45 degrees.
Lateral raises. Stand upright with your shoulders apart and knees slightly bent. Hold the weights at your sides. Slightly bend your elbows and raise the weights out on both sides, keeping the elbows slightly bent. Once both your arms are directly parallel to the floor, slowly return the dumbbells to starting position and repeat.
Dumbbell Exercises for the Biceps
Hammer curls. Stand straight holding a dumbbell on either side. Make sure your palms are turned inwards. Curl the weights up without moving your shoulder and your elbows locked. The exercise can be done with one or two arms at a time.
To do the preacher curls, the weight lifting bench should be set at around 45 degrees. Stand behind the bench while holding a dumbbell and on the back rest put the back of your upper arm. On a full length, extend your arms. Towards your face, curl the weight up and keep a firm position with the back of your upper arm in the back rest.
Exercises Using Dumbbells for the Back
Dead lifts. Do the starting position for the lateral raises. With your lower back, bend slowly so that the weights are headed down your legs. Keep your back flat and the lower back slightly arched inwardly, not rounded. Keep your head up. Go only as low as you can and then use the lower back again to stand upright.
There are also dumbbell exercises for the triceps, the calves, and the legs. Just always remember to do warm-ups and some stretching exercises before you work out. Start light and slowly go for heavier weights as you find more ease in performing the same exercises and a fixed number of repetitions. You might want the presence of a spotter each time you do workouts so you would have someone watch the lifts and intervene when you need help. Set the dumbbells down carefully after you are done using them.
Choose the proper weight equipment at Your Weight Room Equipment and be ready to keep those muscles building.
