One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to work out more and get fit, but if it was that easy; we wouldn’t have to make the same resolution year after year. Most people find it difficult to find motivation and time to work out, as they say these aren’t excuses. If you’ve seen one of those fitness motivational shirts that tell you that there are no excuses and working out is my treat, then you know how it feels to be guilty for not working out enough. Though, working out really is difficult if you tend to work for long hours and have only a few hours of rest a day. Another reason for skipping working out is not being able to go to the gym. The best option for this is to make it more convenient for you.
Creating your home gym can be expensive, but creating a home gym doesn’t require expensive equipment. All you need for a starter pack is some reliable dumbbells, a mat and maybe a jump rope.
You’ve managed to set up your home gym and now you’ve used up every dumbbell move in the book. Your routine is starting to get boring. There are now new exercises you can perform with dumbbells. You can add these exercises to your workout routine to change it up a bit.
Here are some new ways to use dumbbells:
Plank with Front Raise
This exercise will work the back, arms, core and shoulder muscles.
Take two light dumbbells and grab one on each hand. Start in a plank position, this position appears like you are performing a push up. Keep your shoulders to feet straight and avoid pivoting your bottom upward. If you start to feel tired, just lower your body to the floor and return to planking when ready. Let your feet be parallel to your hand and dumbbell, they should be hip width apart. Make sure your elbows are locked to avoid slipping and landing on the dumbbells. Start this exercise by lifting your right hand and pushing it forward. Your arms should be straight in front of you, return to original position and repeat on other arm. This is considered one repetition, perform this for 10 reps. If you find this workout too hard, you can practice it without using dumbbells. The further your progress the heavier your weights should be.
Dumbbell Runs
This exercise will work the arms, back, shoulder, oblique and ABS.
Pick your weights and place one on each hand. Put your hands to your side, palms facing your body. Raise your hands and create a 90 degree angle with your elbow. Raise your right hand and place the dumbbell near your chin. Now, take your left elbow and push it backward until it is facing the ceiling. This will be your starting position, your arms should appear as if it is in mid run. Switch the position of your arms. You can do 40 reps in 2 sets.
Toe Raises and Shin Stretch
This exercise will work the thigh, core and buttocks.
Grab your dumbbells on each hand and position them on your shoulder. Keep your feet, hips width apart and engage your core and squeeze your buttocks. Lift your body using your toes and hold this position for 3 seconds and go back to your heel, life your toes and stretch your shin. Come back to starting position and repeat these steps 15 times.
Dumbbell Squat Thrust
This exercise will engage the core, shoulders, legs and chest.
Place a dumbbell in each hand and stand shoulder width apart. Keep your back and arm straight. Slowly lower your body to perform a squat, lower your weights until it hits the ground. Arch your upper body forward and step or jump your legs back into a push up position. You can perform a push here or opt to kick your legs back to squat position. Raise your body and jump, this will be one repetition. You can perform this for 15 repetitions.
Dumbbells are one of the cheapest and best workout equipment out there. You can basically perform most workouts with dumbbells. You can change up your dumbbell weights as soon as the workouts feel too easy. It’s normal to move up to heavier weights after two months of using the same weight. You can also use your dumbbells for your cardio exercises. You can run or jog while carrying some weights. You can do a dance routine with weights. Dumbbells are a great investment. You can use it as an all in one gym, it can work your back muscles, biceps, legs and more.
