Some thoughts and discussions from me.
3 Dumbbell Exercises That Are Harder Than They Look
Good morning, babes. How was your weekend? Do anything fun?
Mine was pretty packed! Friday night kicked off with a girls night turned guys-and-girls night. We started with martini’s – and ended with crepes.
Then Saturday during the day I got some work done, got in a trail walk with my good friend, and then met Lauren and Greg to go see the Wild Animal Sanctuary here in Colorado, followed by a brewery.
We saw grizzly bears, wolves, lions, tigers, and more! They were all rescued from bad situations and now live in the 900 acre sanctuary 🙂
And then Sunday, I got in a lovely 40 minute run, worked ALL day long with online client and boot camp schtuff, and then ended they day with a little barbeque on our new patio!
My usual run to the reservoir
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We finally got our patio and backyard landscaped. It took us forever to choose a landscaper, but I’m so happy with how it ended up.
Now it’s Monday, and it’s a full day!
But first – let’s talk dumbbells. I love working with dumbbells because they’re extremely versatile, and almost everyone has access to at least a pair or two.
When I’m training clients – whether online or in-person, whenever I use the following exercises, I typically get a “whoa! That’s a lot tougher than it looks!” response afterward (as I’m wearing an evil grin…muahaha.) SO – I thought I’d talk about them on the blog.
3 Dumbbell Exercises That Are Harder Than They Look
1. The Shoulder to Shoulder Dumbbell Press
It’s not quite a unilateral exercise, but instead an offset exercise. While you’re still using two limbs, you’re shifting which side presses more weight each time you alternate sides. I recommend using a dumbbell that’s about 15-20% heavier than what you would use in a regular dumbbell overhead press.
[Tweet “Have you ever tried out the shoulder to shoulder DB press? #fitfluential”]
2. The Eccentric Push Press
Those eccentrics will getcha! Really focus on resisting gravity on the downward motion on this exercise.
3. Walking Heart Beats
This one can be really great for the serratus if you do it correctly. Make sure to depress and retract the scapulae, almost as if you’re trying to dig them in your back. Then go into the movement of the exercise, making sure to keep that core engaged.
Give one – or all – of them a go in your next workout, and if you do, make sure to let me know how you like them!
[Tweet “3 Dumbbell Exercises that are Harder Than They Look -via @TrainerPaige”]
What’s one exercise that you always find harder than it looks? (Any type of pallof pressing always falls in this category for me, too!)
What’s your favorite piece of gym equipment right now?
You always have the best workouts and give me inspiration to try new things in my lifting!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…Butternut Squash Cranberry Salad {GF, Paleo, Vegan, Low Cal}
Aw thank you, Megan!
Ahh I love this! I’ve not tried the shoulder to shoulder press but the other two definitely get the same reaction from my clients.
Brittany @ Barr & Table recently posted…The Next Chapter
The main benefit to using dumbbell exercises in your workout routines is that on top of exercising the main muscles, dumbbell exercises will also require the input from various stabilizing muscles as well.
This is in contrast to exercising on gym-type machines where main targeted muscles are isolated and are the only ones being utilized.
Dumbbell exercises allow complicit muscles to grow in strength together and prevent muscle groups from developing independently and out of sync.