How to Lift Dumbbells

Dumbbells are very versatile and there are some people who use nothing but them for their workouts. Every part of the body can be targeted and there is a lot of muscle fiber being called into action. The services of these additional muscle fibers are used to stabilize and balance the body while doing various routines. This can help increase caloric expenditure and also create faster results.

Things You'll Need

• Dumbbells
• Swiss ball

Instructions

1. 

   Press them up. Grab two dumbbells and sit on a Swiss ball. Let your hands rest on your thighs. Now bring them up to a point where your elbows are bent 90 degrees and your palms are facing forward. Take a big deep breath and exhale as you press them above your head.

2. 

   Lunge with them. Lunges work your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Stand with your feet together and hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms in. Now take a long step forward and bend your back knee so that it comes about 2 inches off the floor. Now step back and step forward with the other foot. The dumbbells just stay hanging down at your sides the whole time.

3. 

   Push the dumbbells. The chest press is a pushing exercise that can be done on a Swiss ball. Lie with your back, head and neck supported on a ball. Lift the dumbbells up to a point where your palms are facing forward and your elbows are bent 90 degrees. Push the dumbbells up in the air by straightening your arms, then slowly lower them down to the starting position.

4. 

   Curl the dumbbells. Lie on a Swiss ball with your body in an incline position. Place your elbows against the ball with your palms facing in. Now lower your arms out to the sides until your arms are straight, then curl them back up.

5. 

   Punch with them. Grab two dumbbells and place your arms at your sides with your palms facing in. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and lift your arms up in the air and hold the dumbbells in front of your body. Now throw straight punches with them alternating back and forth.

6. 

   Swing them. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your hands on the two ends of a dumbbell. Now squat down to your right side with your hands down by your right foot. Stand back and twist your body and arms to the left so that the dumbbell is about eye level. Twist back to the starting position and repeat.

7. 

   Extend them. Stand in front of a Swiss ball with a dumbbell in one hand. Now bend forward and place your free hand on the ball for support. Raise your other arm so that your elbow is bent 90 degrees and your upper arm is parallel to the floor. Extend your arm straight back until it is parallel to the floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Never clang the weights together when pressing them or pushing them up. Stop them about 1 inch away from each other. When doing the over head press, keep your core contracted, your back straight and your gaze fixed forward. When doing tricep extensions, keep your arm in tight to your ribcage and look forward the whole time.