Exercise Tutorials:
Dumbbells

Learn About Exercise Technique!

Not getting the most from your workouts? This section will teach you everything you need to know about how to perform an exercise with the correct execution so that you can progress much faster during your fitness journey.

DB Bench Press

How To: Lay flat on a bench (on your back), stick your chest out and start by holding the dumbbells together directly above you. Slowly lower the dumbbells down and out wide to stretch the chest. Slowly push back up by gradually bringing the dumbbells together, with your chest still sticking out and your shoulders pinned back against the bench. Squeeze at the top and repeat.

Works: Chest (primary), Shoulders, Triceps

Key Points:

  • Stick your chest out
  • Keep shoulders pinned back against the bench at all times
  • Avoid your shoulders creeping forward
  • Gradually bring the dumbbells together as you come up
  • Squeeze your chest at the top of the movement
  • Stretch the chest at the bottom of the movement

DB Shoulder Press

How To: Place the bench to a full incline, before sitting down on the bench. Bring the dumbbells up to eye level, with the edge of the dumbbells pointing out to the side. Slowly push the dumbbells straight up above your head, whilst gradually bringing them together at the same time. Slowly come back down to eye level and repeat.

Works: Shoulders (front-delt)

Key Points:

  • Gradually bring the dumbbells together as you come up
  • Push the dumbbells directly above your head, as opposed to forward or back
  • Bring the dumbbells to nose level at the bottom part of the movement

DB Goblet Squat

How To: Place the dumbbell to your chest and hold it with your fingers pointing upwards, squat down as far as you can, push back up to the top.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Key Points:

  • Keep the dumbbell close to your chest
  • Keep your upper body upright
  • Avoid arching your back
  • Keep your whole foot flat on the floor
  • Feet shoulder width apart

DB Romanian Deadlift

How To: Place the dumbbells in front of you, bend your knees slightly, slowly lower the dumbbells down the front of your legs, hold the stretch at the bottom, slowly come back up.

Works: Hamstrings (primary) Glutes, Core

Key Points:

  • Keep your knees slightly bent
  • Keep your back straight and avoid arching
  • Keep the dumbbells very close to you at all times
  • Hold at the bottom for one second
  • Keep the tempo slow and controlled
  • Slowly come back up to the top of the movement and do not swing back

DB Squat

How To: Stand straight and place the dumbbells by your side. Stick your chest out, keep your upper body upright and squat down as far as you can. Push back up to the top.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Hamstrings, Core

Key Points:

  • Feet shoulder-width apart
  • Keep the dumbbells by your side
  • Keep your upper body upright
  • Avoid arching your back
  • Keep both feet flat on the floor

Bent-Over DB Row

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, keep your back straight, look down, and have the dumbbells by your side. Bring the dumbbells up past your side and as far up as you can go, driving up with your elbow and keeping your elbow tucked in. Squeeze at the top and slowly come back down to the bottom, before repeating.

Works: Back (lats) (primary), Bicep, Core

Key Points:

  • Keep your elbow tucked in as you come up
  • Drive up with your elbow
  • Drive as far up as you can and squeeze your back
  • Go as low as you can at the bottom part of the movement and stretch your back

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

How To: Place the dumbbells by your side, with the edge of the dumbbell pointing out to the side, curl the dumbbells up towards your chest, squeeze at the top, come back down and straighten your arm.

Works: Biceps (primary)

Key Points:

  • Keep your elbows fixed at all time
  • Come up and down like a lever
  • Squeeze the bicep at the top of the movement
  • Straighten your arm fully at the bottom of the movement

Dumbbell Skull Crusher

How To: Lay flat on a bench (on your back), with your head on the edge of the bench. Start with your arms straight up, with the dumbbells in your hands. Slowly bring the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows as far as you can go. Slowly bring the dumbbells back up and straighten your arm at the top.

Works: Triceps (primary)

Key Points:

  • Keep your elbows fixed at all times
  • Stretch the triceps at the bottom of the movement
  • Straighten your arm fully at the top of the movement

DB Lateral Raise

How To: Sit on the edge of a bench/chair, with the dumbbells by your side and the edge of the dumbbells pointing out to the side. Slowly extend out to the side and go as far as you can without your shoulders coming up. Slowly come back down and repeat.

Works: Shoulders (mid-delt) (primary)

Key Points:

  • Keep your shoulders down
  • Extend out to the side, rather than straight up
  • Slow and controlled reps
  • Elbows slightly bent

DB Bulg. Split Squat

How To: Place your back foot on the edge of a bench, come forward half a metre with your front foot, place the dumbbells by your side, bend down with your front leg, push back up with your front leg.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Core

Key Points:

  • Keep your back foot on the edge of the bench
  • Place your foot half a metre forward
  • Lean forward slightly and hover over your front leg to maximise tension
  • Keep the dumbbells by your side
  • Push up with your front leg

DB Lunge

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the dumbbells by your side. Step forward half a metre with one foot, bend your front knee, with your back leg following. Lean forward over your front leg with your head, before pushing back up and back with your front leg.

Works: Quads (primary), Glutes, Core

Key Points:

  • Lean forward over your front leg to increase tension
  • Avoid going too far forward (half a metre step forward is fine)
  • Focus on pushing up with your front leg

DB Hammer Curl

How To: Stand up straight with both arms straight and the dumbbells by your side (edge pointing forward). Slowly curl the dumbbells up towards your chest, keeping your elbow in a fixed position and ticked in by your side. Come as far up as you can and squeeze at the top, before coming back down, straightening your arms and repeating.

Works:

  • Biceps (primary)

Key Points:

  • Keep your elbows fixed at all time
  • Come up and down like a lever
  • Squeeze the bicep at the top of the movement
  • Straighten your arm fully at the bottom of the movement
  • Keep your elbows tucked in
  • Keep the dumbbells close to you

One Arm DB Row

How To: Place your knee on the side of a bench with the hand that is the same side as your knee flat on the bench also. Keep the other leg standing and hold the dumbbell in front of and to the side of your standing leg. Bring the dumbbell up past your side and as far up as you can go, keeping your elbow tucked in. Squeeze at the top and slowly come back down to the bottom, before repeating.

Works: Back (Lats) (primary), Biceps, Core

Key Points:

  • Keep your elbow tucked in as you come up
  • Drive up with your elbow
  • Drive as far up as you can and squeeze your back
  • Go as low as you can at the bottom part of the movement and stretch your back

Bent-Over Rear Delt Fly

How To: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, stick your bum out and come down, with your back straight and the dumbbells out in front of you (edge facing forward). Extend the dumbbells out to the side and up, with your elbows bent. Go as far out and up as you can, before slowly coming back down. Bring the dumbbells together before repeating.

Works: Rear-delts (primary), Back (Lats), Core

Key Points:

  • Keep your back upright
  • Extend out and up
  • Bend your elbows as you come up
  • Drive up with your elbows
  • Keep looking down

Inc. Bench DB Bicep Curl

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