6 Basic Dumbbell Exercise For Weight Loss

          Weight training has a great number of numerous benefits we can all bear witness to. It can help you lose body fat and boost your health. It helps raise metabolism which encourages the muscles to burn calories, increase bone density and thus keep bones strong. In fact weight lifting is recommended by medical institutions to shed off excess weight.

It is important to begin exercising with some stretching for at least 10 minutes. This is to warm-up the body to gradually lead the body into a workout

Basic dumbbell exercises include workouts targeting at each of these muscle groups, with repetition of ten to twelve times for each exercise:

1. Chest Press

Lie down on the floor or on a bench with your knees bent. With shoulders apart, hold up the dumbbells over with elbows bent and palms facing out. Slowly extend your arms upwards until the elbows are nearly straight (that is don't lock the elbows), and have the dumbbells touch each other. Return to the starting position, without dropping your elbows below the surface of the bench.

This exercise strengthens the pectoral muscles in the front of the chest.

2. Bent-Over Row

Start with your right knee resting on a bench. With your back parallel to the ceiling, place your right hand on the bench for support. With your left arm hanging down, hold on to a dumbbell and slowly raise the arm up to the armpit. Lower the weight to the starting point.

To do this without a bench, stand with your legs apart. Then bend your knees and lean forward at the hips.

The bent-over row strengthens the muscles at the back of the shoulder.

3. Triceps Extension

Lie on your back with a dumbbell in your hand. Place your dumbbells above your eyes with elbows bent and palms facing each other. Slowly extend your arms nearly straight. A little bend in on the arm keeps tension on the tricep muscle. If you find it hard to keep the arms extended, use the opposite hand to lend some support.

The triceps extension can be done lying on a bench or on the floor. The exercise aims at strengthening the tricep muscles in the back of the upper arm.

4. Biceps Curl

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the palm facing upward. Slowly curl the dumbbells up and try to touch them to your shoulders.

This exercise can be done standing or seated. It strengthens the biceps muscle in the front of the upper arm.

5. Quadriceps

With legs shoulder-width apart and arms hanging at the side with a dumbbell in each hand, squat down with your knees bent no more further beyond the feet. Keep the back straight as you bend.

This exercise works on the quads, hamstrings and glutes.

6. Pressing Up Abs

Lie flat on the floor and bend the knees. Hold a dumbbell with both hands stretched upwards. Do a sit-up while keeping your buttocks on the floor.

This exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles.

To learn more on how to use dumbbells in your workout regimen, check out fitness trainer and author Mike Westerdal's Dumbbell Routines And Exercises (consists of an eBook, video demos and printable logs).

Tips Of All Sorts is a health reporter's journal with notes on modern day issues that matter to everyday living.

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