This Post will go into more detail on what I do with these workouts. Its always important to change your workouts, as after a while your body learns how to do exercises more efficiently resulting in a poorer workout. I'm not going to go into what I do for my abdominal exercises as this can change on the day depending on what I fancy, though if you look through my post on Abs you can get a good flavour on the kind of things I like!
The Workouts
Bench Press (Dumbbell)
Similar to the barbell exercise that you will associate with those done in the gym (or at home if you're lucky!) this exercise uses Dumbbells and the Dumbbell Bench and is fairly straight forward. The starting position involves lying back down on the dumbbell bench, holding the dumbbells with an overhand grip with the dumbbells at chest height.
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| Starting Position |
Now move the dumbbells up vertically until the arms of straight but without locking into place. Hold the weights in place and then lower back down to the starting position.
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| Finishing Position |
Muscles Used
- Pectoralis Major Sternocostal Part
- Pectoralis Major Abdominal Part
The primary muscles used are those that make up your chest, however there are some secondary muscles that are involved including components of your chest and triceps.
Fly (Dumbbell)
This is a great exercise that works the pectorals again but this time with the arms moving in a different direction so its a great compliment to the bench press exercise! The starting position is lying on a bench with the arms spread holding dumbbells with the elbows slightly bent. It is important not to overdue it with your first attempt as this can be a difficult and too much weight can force your arms to drop too low causing an injury in the process!
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| Starting Position |
Now raise both the dumbbells and bring them together over the chest keeping the arms straight. Hold the dumbbells in place, then slowly lower down to the starting position making sure not to let your arms bounce.
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| Finishing Position |
Muscles Used
- Pectoralis Major Sternocostal Part
- Pectoralis Major Abdominal Part
As mentioned this exercise uses the pectoral muscles again, and again uses shoulder and triceps muscles, which is unsurprising!
Pull-up
This is exercise is not to be confused with a chin-up. They are similar, however a pull up uses an overhand grip and a chin-up uses an underhand grip, while you would expect this doesn't make much of a difference I find that a pull-up is a much more intense exercise! Start this exercise by grabbing an overhead bar with an overhand grip with your feet off the ground (if the bar is too low just bend your knees!)
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| Starting Position |
As I'm sure you have realised, all you need to do now is pull yourself up! when at the top, hold and then slowly lower yourself down to the starting position!
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| Finishing Position |
Muscles Used
- Latissimus Dorsi
This is a great exercise for working your back, but beyond this there are also secondary muscle interactions from the biceps and some of the shoulder and neck muscles. This is a fairly well known exercise and popular for the obvious reason that it works lots of different regions of the body in one go!
Push Up
Another common exercise here, with lot of emphasis on the chest like some of the other workouts. The starting position is lying on the floor with palms on floor just over shoulder width apart and the body straight.
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| Starting Position |
Now straighten your arms pushing your body up in the process, keeping you back and bottom straight, when at the top hold and lower your body back into the starting position.
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| Finishing Position |
Muscles Used
- Pectoralis Major Sternocostal Part
- Pectoralis Major Abdominal Part
In terms of muscles used this is similar to the bench press, though instead of using dumbbells you are using your own body weight, so the heavier you are the harder this becomes. As this exercise becomes easier then there is a need to increase the number of reps, either that or chance the spacing between the hands.
Pullover (Dumbbell)
This exercise is simalar to to the exercise known as the 'skull crusher' and rightly so, as if you don't take care you could loose control and crush your skull like the exercise of the similar name (found in the arms and shoulder workout!). The start of this exercise is to lie against a bench with only the back making contact and a dumbbell being held over the chest with both arms being straight.
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| Starting Position |
Keeping your arms straight lower the weight behind your head until it is just below horizontal. Hold and then raise the weight back to the starting position.
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| Finishing Position |
Muscles Used
- Pectoralis Major Sternocostal Part
- Pectoralis Major Abdominal Part
Again this is another pectoral heavy exercise, though this workout is designed to focus more on this area then on the back as I have had issues in the past so I don't like to do too much at a time! Saying that though this does has some components with the back as well as the shoulders and triceps to a smaller degree again!
Decline Bench Press (dumbbell)
As the name would suggest this is like the first exercise but instead of being on a level surface, the dumbbell bench is declined up to a 45 degree angle. Apart from this the start position is exactly the same!
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| Starting Position |
As before raise your arms until they are straight without locking into place, then hold and lower back into the starting position. I would advise having someone with you when doing this exercise for the first time as by the end of a workout this one can be difficult and if you get stuck you could really hurt yourself doing this one!
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| Finishing Position |
Muscles Used
- Pectoralis Major Sternocostal Part
- Pectoralis Major Abdominal Part
Exactly the same muscles are used as in the bench press though the decline adds an extra degree of difficulty to the move!
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