Are you bored of doing the same exercises with dumbbells? Bicep curls, triceps extension, hammer curls, and repeat. Well, the good news is that you don’t need to stick with this mundane workout routine. Instead, try incorporating dumbbells in the following ways for more fun (and more benefits for the body!).
Russian Twist
Ready to work out your abs and get that six-pack you’ve always wanted? Well, one way to get close to your dream body is to incorporate Russian twists into your routine. Invest in a hex dumbbell set with a rack, then sit on the floor, lift your legs slightly (so that they hover a few inches above the floor), and twist your upper body from side to side. Hold a dumbbell in your hands and the workout becomes instantly more challenging.
Walking Lunges
Lunges are good…but you can up your lunging game with a dumbbell in each hand. Do your lunges the same way as before, but this time the weight on each side will require balance, and this adds another dimension to the workout (and more weight to lift between lunges!)
Pushup Rows
You know the benefits of a pushup, and you know the benefits of a row, so now it’s time to let these two worlds collide. Place two dumbbells on the floor in front of you and get ready for a pushup. However, while pushing yourself back up, you’re going to lift one of the dumbbells into a row. Take it in turns and feel the burn as it travels throughout your upper body.
Weight Transfer Plank
Planks are too easy, right? You’re probably shaking your head while thinking of the horrific plank in a previous workout. Either way, you’re going to challenge yourself now (don’t worry, you only need a light weight). Place the dumbbell outside the left arm; then, while in a plank, pick it up in the left hand, transfer it to the right hand, put the dumbbell outside your right arm, and go back into the plank position. After a couple of seconds, reverse the process.
Bridges
If you didn’t know, bridges should be in the workout routines of all those wanting to boost the butt and core. Start by laying down on the floor with your back flat and the soles of your feet also flat (knees in the air). From here, push off from your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees (at a 45-degree angle to the floor).
Bridges are difficult, bridges with a dumbbell are going to bring your workout routine alive even more. Place the dumbbell carefully on the stomach and feel as it adds new intensity to the exercise.
Front Squat
In case you haven’t noticed already, dumbbells offer a fantastic way to make existing exercises more challenging. While everybody has done squats a thousand times, you may not have done them with a dumbbell in each hand. Lift each dumbbell so that they hover just above each shoulder; slowly squat down and remember form as you maintain balance and drive back up with the legs.
Lateral Raise
To finish, here’s an exercise that sounds easy, and even looks easy, but gets harder and harder with every single rep. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and with a dumbbell in each hand. When you’re ready, lift both arms away from your sides until you make a ’T’. At the end of the movement, your wingspan will form a straight line from dumbbell to dumbbell.
Add these creative exercises to your workout routine for more fun (and to test the body!).
