Workout 28 — Dumbbell Home Workout Journal

Workout 28: Chest & Forearms

Lie down on the floor (or flat bench) with a dumbbell in each hand resting perpendicular, on top of your thighs, palms facing one another.
Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder-width.
Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle.
Use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly.

Lie on your back with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing away from you.
Lift your hips off of the floor, engaging your glutes and hamstrings to form a “bridge.”
Push the dumbbells upward. Squeeze your pectoral muscles at the top of the movement.
Lower the dumbbells back toward the ground, but maintain your glute bridge for the entire set.

Stand facing a sturdy ottoman, bed, couch, bench, etc.
Position your hands on the edge of the furniture, slightly more than shoulder-width apart, ensuring that your elbows are not locked in place. Step your feet back until your back is straight and you are resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.
Keeping your body straight through the entire exercise, lower yourself down toward the furniture slowly and with control until your chest touches the furniture.
Push your body upward, away from the furniture until you reach the original position. Do this to failure for each set.

*Try different heights of furniture for variety and to utilize slightly different muscles each time.

Stand upright with your knees slightly bent.
Place your hands together in a praying position in front of your chest. Your elbows should be pointing out to your sides and your fingers pointing ahead of you while pushing tightly against each other.
Slowly move your hands outward away from your body so that your arms fully extend while still positioned together and pushing tightly against each other.
To feel this movement to its highest extent, you want to be pushing your hands together as tightly as you possible. You can try putting a 5 or 10 pound weighted plate between your hands to increase the difficulty.
Bring your wrists back in toward your chest.

Lie on the ground face down and place your hands shoulder width apart. Push your body off the ground through your hands while keeping your back as straight as possible.
Lower yourself back down until your chest nearly touches the ground as you inhale.
Exhale and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest, arms, and abdominal muscles.

Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand shoulder-width apart with your palms facing your body.
Without moving your elbows, lift the dumbbells in a curling motion towards the ceiling, while keeping your palms facing your body. It’s just like doing a bicep curl with your hands facing the opposite direction.

Stand upright and hold two heavy dumbbells behind your back at the height of your glutes. Your arms should be fully extended with your hands placed shoulder-width apart and your palms facing the ground in overhand grip.
Keep your feet at shoulder-width apart and slowly elevate the barbell by curling your wrist in a semicircular motion toward the ceiling. Your wrists should be the only part moving.
Hold this position for a second then lower the barbell back down towards your fingertips.