DOLCE DIET LIFESTYLE:
5 Best Dumbbell Exercises
by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD
Overhead Press
• Stand with feet wide, holding dumbbells with arms in a goal post position
• Brace abs into spine and extend arms straight overhead.
• Slowly lower elbows to return to start.
• Repeat for 20 reps.
Bent Over Row
• Pick up dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Push your hips back (knees slightly bent) and hinge your torso forward
• Keep your chest high and don’t let your lower back hunch forward.
• Begin holding the dumbbells end to end, then pull them up by bending your elbows out to the side.
• Control the weights as you bring them back down to the hanging position, but without letting your chest collapse in.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 15.
Sumo Squat
• Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your arms straight and your palms facing away from you.
• Place feet apart so there’s about 20 inches between your heels. Point your toes out slightly.
• Bend your knees and elbows at the same time, keeping your shoulders over your hips, and lower down so your weight is back in your heels.
• Straighten your legs and arms.
• Repeat for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Arm Circles
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended straight out to sides at shoulder height holding dumbbells.
• Keeping shoulders down, do 20 small backward circles.
• Switch and do 20 forward circles.
Hammer Curls
• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, or sit in upright position.
• Grasp dumbbells with palms facing each other, arms hanging down at your sides.
• Flex at the elbows and curl dumbbells up to approximately shoulder level, keeping elbows close to sides throughout movement
• Return to starting position and repeat for 3 sets of 10.
• You can either do both arms at once, or alternate one at a time.
