Monday, January 19, 2009

Home Workout Routines with Dumbbells

Required Equipment:
  • Set of Dumbbells
  • Stability Ball
  • Jog outside or Treadmill


1.) CARDIOVASCULAR- WALKING/JOGGING OUTSIDE

Notes:
Warm up for 5 minutes walking briskly. After 5 minutes. Jog until you are too tired to jog anymore. When you get tired walk briskly for 2 minutes. After the 2 minutes walk start back jogging. Repeat this sequence until you complete 20 minutes.


Goal:

You goal is to build up to jogging the whole 20 minutes. Every day you should jog more than you did the previous time. THE MORE YOU JOG THE MORE CALORIES YOU BURN.

2.) PUSH UPS

  • Lie down on the floor, chest down. Palms are flat on the floor about a shoulder-width apart and level with your shoulders. Your feet are together and your legs are and back are straight
  • Look forward and as you go down , make contact with the floor with your chin
  • When you come up, don’t bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up. Apart from being poor form this makes you look like a floundering lobster !
  • Breathe out as you go up.
  • Pause and then repeat the process
Once you have mastered the basic push up, there are many ways to customize it to your liking and fitness level. Some of them are very challenging, others are great fun to do with friends. Experimenting with these will help keep you motivated - well, hopefully.

HOW MANY: 2 SETS OF 20
REST: 40 SECONDS IN BETWEEN SETS

3.) DUMBBELL ROWS

Tips:

Put your feet close together and grab two dumbbells. Bend forward as far as you can go, so your torso is close to parallel to the floor. Bend your knees slightly and keep your head up and back arched inwards. Hold dumbbells at arm's length straight down. Pull dumbbells straight up to your sides keeping your elbows out. Concentrate on squeezing with your middle back. Return slowly to starting position. You can also do this with a barbell or with an underhand grip.

HOW MANY: 3 SETS OF 20
REST: 40 SECONDS IN BETWEEN SETS


4.) DUMBBELL CURLS

Tips: Stand straight up, with your head up and your legs straight. Start with the dumbbells at arm's length with your palms facing in. Curl dumbbells up at the same time, twisting your wrists on the way up. Your palms should be facing up when you are at the end of the movement. Do NOT swing and do NOT move your elbows. They should stay in the same place during the whole movement. Keep your arms close to your side. This one is easy to cheat on... so don't do it! You can also do this with a barbell, or by alternating one hand at a time.

HOW MANY: 3 SETS OF 20
REST: 40 SECONDS IN BETWEEN SETS


5.) DUCK SQUATS

Starting Position:

Stand with feet wider than shoulders, knees slightly bent, toes turned outward. Hold a dumbbell with both hands in front of body.


Action:

INHALE: Squat until thighs are nearly parallel to the floor, sticking butt out as if sitting in a chair.
EXHALE: Squeeze glutes as you straighten legs to starting position to complete one rep. Special Instructions Keep abs contracted. Make sure knees to not pass the line of the toes.

HOW MANY: 3 SETS OF 20
REST: 40 SECONDS IN BETWEEN SETS


6.) CALF RAISES

Tips: Place a wooden block or something similar on the ground that is at least 2 - 3 inches tall. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Position your toes and balls of feet on the block with arches and heels extending off and resting on the floor. Raise your heels by extending ankles as high as possible. Lower heels by bending your ankles until your calves are stretched. Repeat. Keep your knees straight throughout exercise or bend knees slightly only during stretch. Can also be done with a barbell on your back instead.

HOW MANY: 3 SETS OF 20
REST: 40 SECONDS IN BETWEEN SETS


7.) SHOULDER PRESS


Preparation:

Position dumbbells to each side of shoulders with elbows below wrists.

Execution:

Press dumbbells until arms are extended overhead. Lower and repeat.

HOW MUCH: 3 SETS OF 10
REST: 40 SECONDS IN BETWEEN SETS


8.) CRUNCHES

Tips: Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, or resting on a bench with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. If you are resting your feet on a bench, place them three to four inches apart and point your toes inward so they touch. Place your hands lightly on either side of your head keeping your elbows in. Don't lock your fingers behind your head! Push the small of your back down in the floor to isolate your ab muscles. Begin to roll your shoulders off the floor. Continue to push down as hard as you can with your lower back. Your shoulders should come up off the floor only
about four inches, and your lower back should remain on the floor. Focus on slow, controlled movement - don't cheat yourself by using momentum!


HOW MANY: 3 SETS OF 25 REPS
REST: 30 SECONDS BETWEEN SETS



9.) CARDIOVASCULAR- WALKING/JOGGING OUTSIDE


Notes:
Warm up for 5 minutes walking briskly. After 5 minutes. Jog until you are too tired to jog anymore. When you get tired walk briskly for 2 minutes. After the 2 minutes walk start back jogging. Repeat this sequence until you complete 20 minutes.


Goal:
You goal is to build up to jogging the whole 20 minutes. Every day you should jog more than you did the previous time. THE MORE YOU JOG THE MORE CALORIES YOU BURN.

5 comments:

Get In Shape said...

This looks like an intense work out! I'll have to give it a try. Check out TheAbMan.com for some more advice about getting in shape.

rax said...

You really did a great job on that! pretty nice site and useful content for people.best home fitness equipment

Mitchell said...

Thanks for sharing. To get the best workout at home I always prefer kettlebells, or my first love: the dumbbell.

Thanks again for showing us how to get the best workouts with dumbbells.

-Mitchell

bella said...

exercise ball core workouts focuses on using an exercise ball to strengthen all of the muscles in the abs and back including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal/external obliques and the erector spinae.

mocomoney said...

The hindu squat routine I use really works the legs and core plus its a good cardio workout also.