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Turn your mornings right by keeping fit by these exercises!
Dumbbell Pec Fly
Peck flys are a great way to hit the centre of your chest.
- Lie down flat on a bench or on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your tighs.
- Use your thighs to raise the dumbbells up above you, with your palms facing each other.
- Slowly open your arms, keeping your wrists in the same position and with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Tense your chest to bring the two dumbbells back up in the air and together, holding for 2-3 seconds, concentrating on contracting the centre of your chest muscles. . The movement should only occur in your shoulders, not your elbows. This is one rep.
Dumbbell Bent Over Rows
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bend forward, keeping your spine in a neutral position.
- Tense your core and both lats, raising the dumbbells up towards your torso, holding at the top for 2-3 seconds.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back down. This is one rep.
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Skullcrushers are a great way to get a tricep workout with reasonably light weights.
- Lie flat on a bench or on the floor with your knees bent or over the end of the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand straight out in front of you.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells towards your face until your elbows are at 90 degrees.
- Tense your triceps, slowly straightening your arms and bringing the dumbbells out in front of you. This is one rep.
Dumbbell Tricep Flip Backs
- Begin by placing your hand and same knee on a bench or other knee-height, raised surface. Hold a dumbbell in your other hand. This is your starting posititon.
- Raise your upper arm until it is parallel to the floor, your upper and forearm should make a right angle with you holding the dumbbell.
- Tense your tricep muscle at the back of your arm, pushing the dumbbell out behind you.
- Lower the weight back down to the starting position. This is one rep.
Garhammer Raise
The garhammer raise may sound strange, but it’s a great exercise for hitting your core.
- Lie on your back with your arms above your head and your legs extended in the air above you.
- Keep your core tensed and lower your legs down to a few inches above the ground.
- Engage your abs whilst your legs are above the floor and raise your legs up with your toes pointed.
- When your legs are above you, raise your lower back off the floor to bring your toes over your head.
- Keep your abs tight and lower your legs back down to your start position with them elevated a few inches above the floor. This is one rep.
Squat Dumbbell Oblique Raises
This is a great dynamic movement to hit your whole body whilst working to tone your arms.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of you. Place your feet shoulder width apart and squat down. This is your starting position.
- Tense your glutes to explode up, using some of that momentum to raise the two dumbbells over your head in front of you. As you do this, twist to the side by tensing your obliques (side abs).
- Slowly reverse the motion, bringing your hands back down and squatting into the start position ready to do the same on the opposite side. This is one rep.
Deadlift
Deadlifts are another keystone exercise that you really should master. They’re also the exercise in which you’ll likely lift the most weight, so they’re fun!
- Place a barbell in front of you, and stand behind it with your shins touching the bar, with your feet hip width apart. Keep facing directly in front of you for the entire movement.
- Lower yourself down, grabbing the bar just wider than your feet. Either have your palms facing backwards, or have one forwards and one backwards. This reverse grip helps prevent the bar from rolling, which may be an issue as you lift heavier weights.
- Whilst holding the bar, squeeze your shoulder blade together and tighten your core. It is essential that you keep your spine in a straight, neutral position. Do not bend it when performing a deadlift. The deadlift is quite a straightforward movement, the difficulty comes in because you can easily injure your lower back if you’re not careful.
- Squeeze your legs and power up through your heels. Raise the barbell against your shins, keeping it close to your centre.
- As the bar raises to the level of your knees, move them back to continue lifting the bar up to your thighs. Squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement, but not leaning backwards (this is bar form).
- Slowly lower the bar back down again, pushing your knees forwards as the bar passes lower than them. This is one rep.
Push Ups
Push-ups are a bodyweight staple exercise. They are great for working your chest and triceps.
- Place your hands shoulder width apart on the floor, making sure your hands are directly below your shoulders.
- Straighten your back and legs, standing on the balls of your feet.
- Slowly lower yourself down, bending your arms until your one or two inches above the ground. Make sure not to flare your elbows out too much. At most your elbows should be out at a 45 degree angle to your body.
- Tense your chest and triceps, pushing yourself back up. This is one rep.