Having an effective exercise routine will help you get the results you desire. Give this full-body workout a try.
Pull-Ups
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Grab a pull-up bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Imagine you're pulling the bar down to you.
Drive your elbows down and back as you bring your chest toward to bar. Resist the urge to kick your legs in an effort to help yourself up. At the bottom of the movement, you want your arms to be fully extended (unless it hurts your shoulder joints).
Dumbbell Chest Press
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Keep your feet firm on the ground, and your head, upper back, and butt pressed into the bench. Press the dumbbells straight up.
Avoid flaring your elbows—keep them around 45 degrees in relation to your body. There's no need to touch the dumbbells at the top. Once your arms are fully extended, return the weights to the shoulder and outer chest area in a controlled motion
Suggested Weight for Men: 40- to 70-pound dumbbells
Suggested Weight for Women: 15- to 30-pound dumbbells
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
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Stand tall with a pair of dumbbells by your sides. With a slight bend in your knees, push your hips back and lower your torso and upper body forward. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
Focus on hinging from the hips and keeping the dumbbells close to your body. Once the weights pass your knees, you should feel a stretch in your hamstrings and glutes. Squeeze your glutes, pull your hips through, and stand up tall to complete the rep.
Suggested Weight for Men: 20- to 40-pound dumbbells
Suggested Weight for Women: 10- to 20-pound dumbbells
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
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With a dumbbell in one hand and your legs wider than shoulder-width apart, bend at the waist and place your opposite hand on a bench. Keep a squared-up stance and a neutral spine, and pull the dumbbell up to your side. Keep the pulling arm close to your body throughout the movement.
Suggested Weight for Men: 30- to 50-pound dumbbells
Suggested Weight for Women: 15- to 30-pound dumbbells
Overhead Dumbbell Press
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Stand with a pair of dumbbells at shoulder-height. Keep a neutral grip with your palms facing each other. Tighten your core and press the weights overhead. Lower the weights under control back to shoulder height to complete the rep.
Suggested Weight for Men: 20- to 30-pound dumbbells
Suggested Weight for Women: 10- to 15-pound dumbbells
Kettlebell Front Squats
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Hold a pair of kettlebells in the "rack position" (chest-height, under the chin). The weights should rest on the outside of your forearms and you should maintain a neutral wrist position.
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and keep your toes slightly pointed out. As you prepare to squat, keep your chest up and core tight. Push your butt back and focus on opening your knees. Keep your head neutral and eyes looking forward throughout the movement.
Squat down as low as you can without breaking form. Return to the starting position by driving your hips through and standing tall.
Suggested Weight for Men: 12- to 16-kilogram kettlebells
Suggested Weight for Women: 6- to 10-kilogram kettlebells
Arm Blast - Bicep Curls
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Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing each other. As you curl the weights up to shoulder-height, slowly rotate the palms open. At the top of the movement, your palms should be facing you.
Try to minimize excessive swinging (or cheating) with the body as you lift the weight. Lower the weight in a controlled motion to complete the rep.
Suggested Weight for Men: 20- to 30-pound dumbbells
Suggested Weight for Women: 10- to 15-pound dumbbells
Arm Blast - Dips
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Don't neglect the backside of your arms. As long as you have healthy joints (especially shoulders), dips are a great exercise for your triceps.
Grab the bars and keep your head and chest up. Lower your body in a controlled motion—try to go as low as you can. Push your body back up to the starting point by extending your arms from the elbow joint.
Note: I prefer using parallel bars or even rings to perform this exercise. Be cautious when using a chair or bench, as they're not the best for your shoulders.
Doug Balzarini
Author Bio 9 of 11
Doug Balzarini is a personal trainer, fitness writer and creator of DB Strength. He's currently offering his services in Beverly, Mass., at Iron Village Strength & Conditioning.
Doug has several certifications, ranging from MMA to CrossFit. You can find out more on his website, DBstrength.com.
Links:
Facebook Page
Twitter
YouTube
Workout Details
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In this workout, you'll complete three different groups of exercises. The first two groups (A and B) include three exercises. The last group (C) includes two opposing arm-specific movements.
This workout is not meant to be timed, but you should keep your rest periods quick—less than 30 seconds between exercises and less than 90 seconds between sets. This will keep your heart rate elevated, help with caloric burn, and keep your session effective and efficient.
Note: This workout should be done in a circuit, meaning you'll complete the first exercise of a group, move on to the second, then go on to the third. Once you complete all three exercises, go back to the first to begin the second set.
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