Arnold Press
STEP 1.
Sit on a flat bench and hold a pair of
dumbbells at the level of your shoulders.
Your palms should be facing inward, and
your elbows should point to the side, not
forward, as illustrated.
STEP 2. Press upward with the dumbbells,
while rotating them at the same time so
that your palms end up facing outward at
the top. While pressing the dumbbells up
and rotating your hands, remember to pull
the dumbbells toward each other without
locking your elbows.
STEP 3. Pause at the top most position,
then lower the dumbbells to the starting
position through the same path you took
in raising them.
Primary: Deltoids
Secondary: Triceps
Military Press
This is one of the most effective of all the
shoulder-building exercises, and should be
incorporated in workout programs of all
levels once the correct movement has been
mastered and feels comfortable.
STEP 1. Sit with your back on a bench that
allows a steep incline - between 80° and
90°. Grasp the barbell with an overhand
(pronated) grip with your hands just a little
wider than shoulder-width apart and rest it
on your upper chest.
STEP 2. Brace your shoulders and back, then
inhale and press the bar straight up, keeping
your elbows slightly bent at the top.
STEP 3. To finish, lower back down to the
start position, keeping your abdominals and
lower back braced, then repeat for the
desired number of reps.
Primary: Deltoids
Secondary: Pectoralis, Triceps
Lat Pull
This exercise works both the back and biceps
effectively.
STEP 1.
Sitting on a bench, grab a bar with a false
overhand - thumb on the same side as your
fingers - shoulder-width grip.
STEP 2.
As you pull your shoulder blades together and
down, while sticking your chest out, pull the bar
to your chest. Then, pause with the bar an inch
or so from your chest, and slowly let it rise to
where it began. Throughout, keep your chest out.
Primary: Latisumus Dorsi
Secondary: Biceps, Trapezius
Seated Low Row
This is a very good back exercise that also isolates the
upper back effectively when you retract the
shoulderblades during the movement.
STEP 1.
Place your feet on the platform, keeping a slight bend
in your knees and making your posture "tall". Grasp the
handles and extend your back forward while keeping
your shoulders slightly retracted, and then pull your
elbows in and back toward the sides of your torso - the
handles should come all the way in until it reaches your
navel.
STEP 2.
Hold the position for a second before returning back
out, keeping the movement under control: your arms
returning to the extended position; your back going
slightly forward; and with your knees slightly bent.
STEP 3. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Primary: Trapezius
Secondary: Latissimus Dorsi,
Bench Press
STEP 1.
Lie on your back with your feet supported either by a
raised platform or the floor. Make sure that you do not
over-extend your lower back and keep your buttocks in
contract with the bench. Take an overhand grip on the
bar, slightly wider than a shoulder-width apart. Inhale
and push the bar off the rack then move it lower down
to the midline of your chest.
STEP 2. Try to keep the bar, your wrists, elbows, and your
shoulders working on the same line of axis - straight up
and down.
STEP 3. Hold for a second then push the bar back up,
making sure that you shoulders do not hunch forward
away from the bench and that it is your triceps muscles
and chest that are pushing.
STEP 4. Keep your upper body in contract with the bench
as much as possible and keep your breathing rhythmical
- exhale when you push the bar back up.
Primary: Pectoralis
Secondary: Deltoids, Triceps
Dumbbell Pull-Over
This exercise develops the entire chest and also
works the triceps muscles and back muscles
STEP 1. Lie on a flat bench with your head
supported and your feet either in contract with
the floor. Hold a dumbbell with both hands,
encircling it with your palms against the underside
of the top set of plates. Raise the dumbbell up in
front of your chest, with your elbows slightly bent
STEP 2. Inhale and lower the dumbbell back past
your head and back to the limit of your range of
motion, keeping your elbows slightly bent at all
times. Hold the stretch for a second before
exhaling and returning the dumbbell back up to
the starting position.
STEP 3. Repeat for the number of repetitions
desired, maintaining correct posture.
Primary:Pectoralis
Secondary: Latissimus Dorsi, Triceps
Seated Triceps Extensions
STEP 1.
Sit on a bench, and grab a pair of
dumbbells. Hold them so that they are
at arm's length above your head with
palms facing inward together.
STEP 2.
Keep your upper arms stable as you
lower the dumbbells behind your head
until your forearms are just past parallel
to the floor.
STEP 3.
Pause, then straighten your arms to
return the dumbbells to starting
position.
Primary: Triceps
Secondary: Deltoids
Bicep Curls
This is a useful exercise for beginners because it helps
correct any imbalance between the strength of the two
biceps and allows for variations of hand grip that help
develop biceps further.
STEP 1. Stand tall, maintaining good posture, with your
feet hip-distance apart, and your knees slightly flexed,
leaving your arms by your sides with your palms facing
forward.
STEP 2. Inhale, then raise the dumbbells slowly toward
your shoulders as you exhale, keeping your elbows
close to your sides. Make sure that you do not allow
your elbows to travel forward.
STEP 3. When you have raised the dumbbells to your
shoulders inhale and slowly lower them back to the
starting position.
Primary: Biceps
Dumbbell Squat
STEP 1.
While holding two dumbbells by your side at
arm's length, keep your feet roughly a
shoulder-width apart and pull your shoulder
blades back.
STEP 2. Slowly bend your knees and lower
your body. Stop when you find that your
thighs are parallel to the floor.
STEP 3. It is important to keep your knees
from moving forward past your toes and
have your lower back in its natural arched
alignment. Slowly return to the starting
position in the same manner.
Primary: Quadriceps
Secondary: Glutes
Dumbbell Lunges
STEP 1.
Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart and grasp a
dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward;
make sure that your toes face forward.
STEP 2. Slowly inhale and step one leg forward, keeping
your knee above your ankle and dropping the knee of
your rear leg toward the floor. Stop the movement
when the rear knee is 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5
centimeters) from the floor.
STEP 3. Exhale and push yourself back to the starting
position off your front leg.
STEP 4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions,
then repeat the exercise stepping your other leg
forward
Primary: Quadriceps
Secondary: Glutes
Leg Curl
This is a basic but effective exercise that
promotes the development of the hamstrings.
STEP 1.
Lay face down on the machine, with its leg
pad just above your heels and make sure that
your knees line up with its pivot points.
STEP 2. Slowly exhale and pull your heels
toward your hips, flexing your knees as much
as you need to for comfort.
STEP 3. When you have moved as far as you
can without any sense of straining, inhale and
slowly return your heels to the starting
position
Primary: Hamstrings
Secondary: Glutes
Dumbbell Calf Jumps
STEP 1.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold
them at your sides at arm's length.
STEP 2.
Dip our knees so they're bent about
45 degrees and jump as high as you
can. Point your toes toward the floor
when you jump.
STEP 3.
Allow your knees to bend 45 degrees
when you land, then immediately
jump again.
Primary: Castrocnemius
Secondary: Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Reverse Crunch
This exercise works the lower of your abdominal muscle and when
performed correctly can eliminate the use of other muscles to cheat
the movement.
STEP 1.
Lie flat on a bench and reach back to hold on to the underside of the
bench behind your head. Bend your legs at the knee, raising your feet
off the bench so that your knees are over your hips.
STEP 2.
Slowly draw your abdominal muscles toward your spine, then slowly
exhale and push your spine into the bench - start with your lower
back and make the movement flow up your spine until your hips roll
up off the bench.
STEP 3
Imagine that the bench is made of soft plastic and try to leave an
imprint of your spine in it.
STEP 4.
When you have rolled the full length of your spine, inhale slowly and
return to the starting position, pushing your spine into the bench as
you roll back down.
Primary: Rectus Abdominis
Secondary: Obliques
Abdominal Twists
STEP 1.
Lie on your back, extend your legs straight up,
and place your hands out to your sides at the
level of your shoulders.
STEP 2.
While keeping your upper body stable, roll your
legs downward toward one side - bringing your
feet toward the floor.
STEP 3.
Roll your legs back up to the starting position
and toward the opposite side. Then, return to
the upright position again.
Primary: Obliques
Reverse Flys
• STEP 1. Sit on the front edge of a bench while holding a
pair of fairly light dumbbells. Lean forward at the hips to
get your chest as close to your thighs as you can
without rounding your back.
• STEP 2. As you hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip.,
let your arms hang down from your sides in line with
your cables.
• STEP 3. Raise the dumbbells up to either side of your
body by making a wide, arcing motion with your arms
until they are parallel to the floor and your elbows are
just below shoulder level. Your wrists should be in the
same plane as your ears before you return to your
original position.
• Variations: Changing your grip from neutral to underhand-grip directs the workout toward your external
rotators while switching to an overhand grip shifts more
work to your rear delts.
T-Bar
• STEP 1. Straddle a T-bar - row machine
and grab the handles with an overhand
grip. Make sure you are standing with
your feet shoulder-width apart and
your knees slightly bent, as shown.
• STEP 2. Keep your back flat and bend
your waist until your upper body is
about 45 degrees from the vertical, the
bar hanging at arm's length directly
below your shoulders.
• STEP 3. Then, squeezing your shoulder
blades together , lift the bar as close as
you can to your lower chest. Pause,
then slowly lower the bar back to the
starting position.
Preacher Curl
• STEP 1. Using an underhand grip,
hold onto a EZ-curl bar. Rest your
upper arms on the sloping preacher
bench, as illustrated, while holding
the bar at an arm's length in front.
Try to have a slight bend in your
elbows of 5-10 degrees.
• STEP 2. Lift the bar as high as
possible while keeping your upper
arms firmly planted on the pad.
• STEP 3. Pause, then slowly return
the bar to the starting position.
Incline DB Curl
• STEP 1. Sit on an incline
bench, and grab a pair of
dumbbells. Position the bench
so it has roughly a 45-degree
bend.
• STEP 2. Curl the dumbbells
toward your chest as far as
possible without moving your
upper arms forward.
• STEP 3. Return to the start
position in a controlled
manner.
Shrugs
• STEP 1. Stand upright and hold two
fairly heavy dumbbells at your sides,
with your palms facing each other
(neutral-grip).
• STEP 2. Keep your shoulders relaxed.
Shrug your shoulders as if you were
trying to touch them to your ears.
• STEP 3. Hold the top most position,
then gradually lower them to the
starting position. Do not bend your
elbows or shift your head forward
during the motion.
French Curl
• STEP 1. Sit at the end of a bench and
grab the barbell with a full, overhand
grip slightly shy of being shoulder
width. Hold the bar over your head
with your arms straight but your
elbows unlocked.
• STEP 2. Bend your elbows slowly and
lower the bar toward the back of
your neck.
• STEP 3. Pause, then press back up the
starting position while making sure
that your upper arms are in the same
position throughout the workout
movement.
Hammer Curl
• STEP 1. Sit on the edge of the
workout bench and hold a
pair of dumbbells using a
neutral grip (as shown on the
diagram) and let them just
hang at arm's length.
• STEP 2. Without changing
your wrist positioning, slowly
curl the weights up toward
your shoulders. Remember
to keep your upper arms
tucked against your sides as
you go through the motion.
Good Mornings
• STEP 1. Hold a barbell with an
overhand grip so that it rests on your
upper back and not on your neck. Set
your feet a shoulder-width apart and
knees slightly bent while keeping your
back straight. Focus your eyes forward.
• STEP 2. Gradually bend forward using
your hips to lower your chest while
maintaining the natural arch in your
lower back. Keep your head up and
maintain about the same angle of your
knees.
• STEP 3. Lift your upper body back into
starting position.
Step Ups
• STEP 1. Hold a pair of dumbbells and
stand 2-3 feet from an exercise
bench. Place your right foot on the
bench and the left foot on the floor.
• STEP 2. Drive your right heel down
and pull your left leg up but only
allow your left toes to touch the
bench.
• STEP 3. Lower your left leg first, and
then your right. Repeat, this time
lunging up with your left leg.
Leg Curl
• STEP 1. Lay face down on the machine,
with its leg pad just above your heels
and make sure that your knees line up
with its pivot points.
• STEP 2. Slowly exhale and pull your
heels toward your hips, flexing your
knees as much as you need to for
comfort.
• STEP 3. When you have moved as far
as you can without any sense of
straining, inhale and slowly return
your heels to the starting position.
Leg Extension
• STEP 1. Position your lower legs
behind the shin pad, making sure that
the pad is on the lower part of your
shins rather than your ankles. Line
your knee up with the pivot points on
the machine and make sure that your
starting position is comfortable.
• STEP 2. Exhale and extend your legs at
the knee - stop the movement just
before your legs become straight.
• STEP 3. Inhale and slowly return your
legs to the starting position.
Push Press
• STEP 1. Place a loaded barbell on a
rack at about your upper-chest
level. Grasp the bar with both
hands, and lift it off the rack and
support it on your shoulders.
• STEP 2. Dip your body by slightly
bending the knees, hips, and ankles.
• STEP 3. Suddenly drive upward with
your legs, pushing the barbell up off
your shoulders and vigorously
extending your arms overhead until
your elbows are locked.
Leg Press
• STEP 1. Place your feet a hipdistance apart on the footplate with
your toes facing forward, and set
the seat so that you have a 90
degree angle at the knee.
• STEP 2. Exhale and slowly push your
feet away, making sure that you
keep them flat on the footplate.
• STEP 3. Push out to a point at which
you still have a slight amount of
flexion at your knees.
• STEP 4. Inhale and slowly return to
the starting position
Side Lunge
• STEP 1. Grab a single dumbbell or
weight plate and hold it with both
hands in front of your chest as you
stand with your feet shoulder-width
apart.
• STEP 2. Step as far as you can to your
weaker side, keeping that foot pointing
straight ahead. Push your hips back and
squat down as far as possible, keeping
your bent knee directly over your
corresponding foot.
• STEP 3. Push through your left heel to
return to the starting position, then
immediately lunge to your other side to
finish one repetition.
T Push-ups/Plank Rotations
•
STEP 1. Place a pair of dumbbells at the spot where
you position your hands for a standard pushup slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grasp the
dumbbell handles and set yourself up in pushup
position with feet hip-width apart.
•
STEP 2. Lower our body to the floor.
•
STEP 3. As you push yourself back up, rotate the right
side of your body upward as you bend your right arm
and pull the right dumbbell to your torso. Then
straighten your arm so that the dumbbell is above
your shoulder. Your arms should form a T with your
body.
•
STEP 3. Lower the dumbbell bak down, and repeat,
this time perfuming the move to your left. Raise the
dumbbell and rotate your body in one fluid motion.
Front Raises
•
STEP 1. Stand straight with your
feet hip-width apart and a light
dumbbell in each hand.
•
STEP 2. Your arms should be
hanging down in front of your
thighs - turn your wrists so that
your palms face back behind you.
•
STEP 3. Keeping your arms
perfectly straight, slowly raise the
weights out and up in front of
your until your arms are parallel
to the floor.
•
STEP 4. Hold for a second, then
slowly lower the weights back
down.
Lateral Raise
• STEP 1. Stand with your feet a
shoulder-width apart, keeping your
back straight and arms slightly in front
of your torso. With your elbows slightly
bent, take a dumbbell in each hand.
• STEP 2. Raise the dumbbells out and up
to the level of your shoulders. Keep
your palms facing the ground.
• STEP 3. Keeping your elbows bent,
lower slowly back to the start position
and repeat for the desired number of
reps.
Single Arm Snatch
• STEP 1. Begin by squatting lower over a
dumbbell. Maintain a locked and rigid
lower back and have your feet placed a
shoulder width apart.
• STEP 2. Grasp the dumbbell and tighten
the abdominal muscles. In a rapid and
continuous motion, lift the dumbbell
upward until your arm is straight and
locked, as illustrated. The dumbbell
should travel close to the body and not
swing out or away.
• STEP 3. Briefly hold it above your head,
then bring it down to the starting position.
Incline Bench Press
• STEP 1. Lie on your back
on a bench set at a low
incline (30-45 degrees).
Hold the barbell at
roughly shoulder-width
length.
• STEP 2. Lift the bar so
that it is over your eyes.
• STEP 3. Slowly lower the
weight to your chest,
pause, then push it back
up over your eyes.
Decline Bench Press
•
Avoid rounding your back during this exercise as it
not only strains the back, but cheats your chest
muscles from doing the work. Keep your back flat on
the bench. Choose heavier weights for a decline
bench press than a regular bench press since it is
generally easier to lift the weight.
•
STEP 1. Lie flat on an decline exercise bench - feet
secured at the high end of the bench for support.
Position the weights along the sides of your chest,
elbows aimed at the floor.
•
STEP 2. Turn the weights so that your palms face
forward.
•
STEP 3. Keeping your back flat on the bench, slowly
press the weights up until your arms are fully
extended above your chest, elbows unlocked.
•
STEP 4. Slowly lower the weights back down along
the sides of your chest and repeat.
Kickbacks
•
STEP 1. Take a dumbbell in one hand, then
place your opposite knee on a bench, together
with your other hand, and place your other
foot on the floor, flexing it slightly at the knee.
Then pull the arm holding the dumbbell
straight back and up to your side, making it
parallel to the floor - keep your back straight.
•
STEP 2. Holding the dumbbell so that you have
a 90 degree angle at your elbow, exhale slowly
and extend your arm as far as it will go, or until
your wrist, elbow, and shoulder are in line.
•
STEP 3. Inhale and lower the dumbbell slowly,
but only until you reach an angle of 90 degrees
at your elbow. Repeat for the required number
of reps.
•
STEP 4. Repeat holding the dumbbell in the
other hand
Calf Raise
• STEP 1. Position
yourself on a leg press
machine with the toes
of both feet on the
platform, a little closer
than shoulder-width
apart.
• STEP 2. Flex your feet
so that they're flat on
the platform.
Dips
• STEP 1. Grab hold of the parallel
bars on a dip station and lift
yourself until your arms are fully
extended, as illustrated. Keep
your knees bent and lock your
ankles together.
• STEP 2. Gradually lower your
body by bending your elbows
until you find your upper arms
are parallel to the bars.
• STEP 3. Pause, then push
yourself back to the starting
position.
Diamond Push Ups
• STEP 1. Place yourself in the
standard pushup position but
have your hands placed
directly under your chest
with your index fingers and
thumbs spread and touching
so they form a "diamond".
• STEP 2. Keep your back flat
as you lower your body until
your chest is nearly touching
your hands.
• STEP 3. Pause, then push
yourself back up the starting
position.
Chest Fly
•
STEP 1. Grasp a light-to-moderate pair
of dumbbells, then lie back with your
arms extended up over your upper
chest. Your elbows should be slightly
bent and your arms facing each other.
•
STEP 2. Inhale, then slowly lower your
arms out to the sides of your torso in a
semi-circle - keep the movement under
control with your elbows still slightly
bent - until there is a full, comfortable
stretch in the area of your chest and
shoulders around the level of shoulderheight.
•
STEP 3. Hold the stretch for a second
before bringing the dumbbells back in
to meet at the top of the movement exhale as you return to the starting
position.
Back Extensions
•
STEP 1. Position yourself into a backextension station by placing your feet
under the leg brace/anchor so that it is
hooked there.
•
STEP 2. With your upper thighs resting
on the bad, lock your hands behind
your head and bend forward at the hips
until your upper body is just short of
being 90 degrees to the floor.
•
STEP 3. Slowly raise your torso until it's
in line with your lower body, then lower
it. Alternatively, you can hold onto a
weight by bracing it with your arms
across your chest and do the same
motions.
Incline Fly
•
STEP 1. Lie on an incline bench while
holding a dumbbell in each hand.
•
STEP 2. Extend your arms straight up
above your chest, palms facing in
toward each other with your elbows
slightly bent.
•
STEP 3. Keeping your arms fixed in this
position, slowly lower your arms out to
your sides - in an arc like motion - until
the weights are level with your chest.
•
STEP 4. Slowly bring your arms back up
in the reverse of the previous arc
motion, until the weights are once
again above your chest.
Bench Dip
•
STEP 1. Place your palms on a bench
so they face forward, and position
yourself as illustrated. keep your legs
relatively straight out in front, with
both heels firmly on the floor.
Straighten your arms and move your
torso forward so that your behind
and back are just in front of the
bench.
•
STEP 2. Bend your arms to right
angles, lowering your behind toward
the floor as shown. You can make the
exercise easier by by bending your
knees and moving your feet closer to
the bench
V-Ups
•
STEP 1. With your back on the floor,
and your legs straight, hold your
arms straight above your chest, and
have your fingers point upwards.
•
STEP 2. Fold your body upward by
lifting your legs off the floor and
stretching your arms toward your
toes, while consciously contracting
your abdominal muscles.
•
STEP 3. Then, pause for a short time,
and return to starting position.
Bent-over Row
•
STEP 1. With your feet shoulder-width apart and
your knees bent roughly 15 to 30 degrees, keep your
torso straight with a slight arch in your back as you
lean forward at the hips. Your torso should be, at this
point, roughly parallel to the floor. Grab the barbell
off the floor using a false overhand grip (thumbs
should be in line with the rest of your fingers) that's
slightly wider than shoulder width. Let this bar hang
at arm's length in front of you.
•
STEP 2. Slowly retract your shoulder blades as to
have the bar pull up to the lower part of your
sternum. Try not to use your arm muscles, and focus
on getting the most activity out of your middle-back
muscles.
•
STEP 3. Pause at the top where your chest should be
sticking out toward the bar. Then, slowly return to
the starting position while keeping your torso in the
same position throughout the movement.
Remember that your bent knees should provide all of
the suspension your torso requires to be steady.
Concentration Curl
• STEP 1. Sit on a bench, hold
a dumbbell in one arm with
your elbow resting on your
inner thigh. Keep your
forearm straight, as
illustrated.
• STEP 2. Raise the dumbbell
up toward your shoulder
while only bending at the
elbow. Keep your wrist
straight through the
movement.
Plate Raise
• STEP 1. Stand upright, grab a single
weight plate with one hand on each
side of the plate - similar to a car
steering wheel.
• STEP 2. Raise the plate in front of
you until you can see down the
center.
• STEP 3. Pause for a few seconds,
then lower it in a controlled and
slow motion.
Skull Crusher
•
STEP 1. Lie on a bench with your knees
bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold a
fairly light dumbbell in your left hand
and straighten the arm so that the
weight is above your shoulder. Use
your right hand to reach across your
chest and up the upper part of your
left arm to help stabilize it.
•
STEP 2. Turn the weight so that your
palm faces in. Without moving your
upper arm, bend your elbow and
slowly lower the dumbbell until it
reaches the side of your head.
•
STEP 3. Slowly press the weight back
up above you. Finish the set, then
switch positions to work your
Upright Row
•
STEP 1. Stand with your feet slightly
wider than a shoulder-width apart
and take an overhand grip on a
barbell with your hands also a
shoulder-width apart.
•
STEP 2. Pull up to the level of your
chin, keeping the bar close to your
body and keeping your elbows
higher than the bar.
•
STEP 3. Hold for a few seconds
before lowering back to the start
position, ensuring that your elbows
remain slightly bent and avoiding
any bouncing or jerking movements.