John Is Fit

5 Basic Dumbbell Exercises For Your Home Workout

Posted: 06 Nov 2011 09:11 AM PST

This is a guest post by Tess Mathews.

Working out is a passion for some; not for all, of course. Many people are leading a busy, still sedentary, life these days that they don't find time for a gym-schedule everyday. Doing some workouts at home sounds like a good plan, but – let's face it – comes with its own pitfalls. Prominently, we miss the guidance of an expert – a crucial element for a really serious fitness plan. But as always, we are bound to our limitations. Having a pair of adjustable dumbbells at home and doing some simple workouts won't hurt, though.

Here are some simple dumbbell exercises to follow at home for various groups of muscles.

Abdomen

Want those six packs?

Lie down on your back on a bench and hold a dumbbell on top of your chest. Raise your upper body till the shoulder blades don't touch the bench. Hold on to this position for a brief while and then lower yourself back down on to the bench. The other exercise for tightening the abdomen muscles is slightly more difficult and involves lying down with your back on the bench, hands gripping the sides of it and hold a dumbbell between your feet. Raise the legs straight up until they are perpendicular to the floor and put them down after a brief while.

Chest

Become a hot D.O.G. – darling of girls

Lie down on your back on a bench and hold two dumbbells at chest level, the elbows bent and palms facing feet. Raise the dumbbells straight up until your elbows are locked. Lower the dumbbells back slowly after a short while. Breathe out when raising the dumbbells and breathe in when lowering them back. A slight variation to this is with the palms facing each other.

Shoulders

Go wrestler go

Standing up, hold dumbbells one in each hand, at shoulder level, palms facing each other. Lift the dumbbells straight up until your elbows are locked and lower them back down after a short while. This exercise can be repeated by alternating the hands in a rhythmic motion. Care must be taken to avoid jerking the back while raising the dumbbells. These two routines can be repeated while sitting on a chair or a bench and also palms facing outwards.

Back

Never Back Down

Take one dumbbell in each hand; flex your knees and hips to bring yourself to a squatting position. Lift both dumbbells straight up maintaining the posture of the knees and hips. Lower the dumbbells back after a short while. Breathe out when lifting the dumbbells and breathe in when returning to the starting position.

Legs

Minus Achilles' heel

One dumbbell should be held with both hands, standing up, in front of your thighs. Keeping the upper body steady, lower your body by bending your knees till they form a 90 degree angle (with the portion below the knee). After holding the position for a brief while, slowly raise yourself back up. Repeating this a few times, strengthens the all the leg muscles.

That's a fair set of workouts for a simple home workout plan. But if you really have time, I would say, just cut out your excuses and go look for a gym.

Tess Mathews is a freelance writer who has a specific interest in Health & Fitness related topics. Apart from writing, she likes to keep herself fit and has her own set of workout equipment at home which includes an indoor cycling bike.

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