Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your chest out, midsection firm, back straight. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, by your sides, with your palms facing your body and your elbows slightly bent raise the dumbbells up and outwards so the dumbbells are just above shoulder height, ensuring your palms are facing downwards. Now lower down slowly and repeat.
Standing Barbell Upright Rows
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Keep your back straight, chest out and midsection firm. Hold the bar in front of your thighs, with an overhand grip (palms facing your body) and your hands about 5-6 inches apart. Pull the bar up, keeping it close to your body, until it reaches your upper chest. Keep your elbows up (past shoulder height) and outwards. Lower the bar down slowly and repeat the exercise to complete your set.
Standing Barbell Military Press
Beginners: Perform this exercise without placing any weight plates on the bar.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your chest out and midsection firm, good posture is vital. Have your hands on the barbell using an overhand grip, with your palms facing upwards and hands just past shoulder width apart. Start with the barbell at your upper chest / across the front of your shoulders. Push the bar up until your arms are fully extended then lower down slowly to starting position then repeat. You don’t need a lot of resistance or weight on your barbell – as you will see when performing the Military Press yourself. Lighter weights and good form is essential when learning this exercise. As you become more advanced with your weight training, and your strength increases, you can gradually increase the resistance of the weight plates.
Do not perform this exercise if you suffer from lower back problems.
Seated Barbell Military Press
Beginners: Perform this exercise without placing any weight plates on the bar.
Sit on the bench with the back pad raised high on an incline to support your back. Keep your chest out and midsection firm and have your lower back firmly placed into the raised back pad on the bench. Have your feet on the floor or on the foot pads on the bench. Have your hands on the barbell using an overhand grip, with your palms facing upwards and hands just past shoulder width apart. Start with the barbell at your upper chest / across the front of your shoulders. Push the bar up until your arms are fully extended then lower down slowly to starting position then repeat.
Standing Barbell Shrugs
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent. Have your hands on the barbell using an overhand grip (palms facing your body) wider than shoulder width apart. The bar should be in front of your thighs, at arms length. Shrug or raise your shoulders up to the sides of your head. Then lower down and repeat. Keep the movement controlled throughout the exercise. Do not raise the bar then let it drop to starting position.
Dumbbell Upright Rows
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your chest out, midsection firm and back straight. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, with an overhand grip (your palms facing your body), and your dumbbells about 3 inches apart pull the dumbbells upwards, keeping them close to your body, until they nearly reach your upper chest. Keep your elbows up (past shoulder height) and outwards at the top of the movement. Now lower the dumbbells down slowly and repeat the exercise according to your workout.
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your chest out, midsection firm and your back straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing forward and the dumbbells just above shoulder height. Your elbows should be bent and facing outwards. Now push up, in a slight arc type motion, so that your dumbbells are at arms length above your head with your elbows only slightly bent. Now lower down slowly and repeat.
Arnold Dumbbell Press
This exercise can be performed either standing up or seated. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your chest out and midsection firm. With a dumbbell in each hand have your arms bent with the palms of your hands facing towards you – dumbbells should start at upper chest / shoulder height. Push the dumbbells upwards, twisting your wrists so the dumbbells and your palms are facing front wards, until your arms are fully extended above your head. Lower the dumbbells down again rotating your wrists to starting position.
Machine Shoulder Press or Machine Military Press
Sit in the machine facing frontward. Place your feet firmly on the floor or on the foot pads so your back is pushed firmly into the back bench of the machine. Place your hands on the handles with your palms facing forwards. Push the handles up so that your arms are extended above your head. The handles should be at arms length. (Don’t jar your elbows by bouncing the handles at the top of the movement.) Lower the handles back down to starting position, don’t “clunk” the plates or weights on the machine. Keep the exercise smooth pushing the handles back up again before the weights touch. Repeat for required amount of reps
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your chest out and midsection firm, do not arch your back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing forward and the dumbbells just above shoulder height. Your elbows should be bent and facing outwards. Now push up, in a slight arc type motion, so that your dumbbells are at arms length above your head with your elbows only slightly bent. Now lower down slowly and repeat.
Standing Dumbbell Front Shoulder Raises
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keep your chest out and midsection firm, back straight. Have a dumbbell, in each hand, at arms length with your palms facing your thighs and elbows slightly bent. Raise the dumbbells just past shoulder height then lower down slowly to starting position then repeat for the required amount of reps.
Seated Rear Lateral Raises
Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor. Keep your chest out and midsection firm. Lean forward so your chest is nearly touching your lower thighs. Have a dumbbell in each hand and your arms extended in an arc position with your dumbbells behind your calves or ankles. Raise your arms up so your hands are in line with your shoulders. Squeeze, then lower your dumbbells back down to starting position. Repeat for required amount of reps.
Cable Upright Rows
Stand facing the cable machine. Have your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Keep your chest out and midsection firm, back straight. Place a bar attachment on the bottom pulley. Using an overhand grip (palms facing your body) and your hands about 5-6 inches apart pull the bar up, keeping it close to your body, until it reaches your upper chest. Keep your elbows up (past shoulder height) and out. Lower down slowly and repeat the exercise until you have completed your reps.
© Mandy Gibbons
Virtual Fitness Trainer
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