Workout 19 — Dumbbell Home Workout Journal – Habit Nest

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    Workout 19 — Dumbbell Home Workout Journal

    Workout 19: Legs & Forearms


    Legs Exercises

    1. Dumbbell Deadlift 

    1. Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand, centered over your feet. Keep your feet hip-width apart and your toes slightly pointed outward. Hinge at your hips and use an overhand grip to grasp the dumbbell, shoulders positioned so that your shoulder blades can elongate.
    2. Lower your hips and bend your knees until your shins come into contact with the weights. Look forward while keeping your chest up and your back arched. Drive through your heels to lift the weights upward. 
    3. After the dumbbells pass your knees, pull them upward as you raise your chest and, thus, straightening your back. You should be pulling your shoulder blades together as you drive your hips forward. Make sure that you lock your hips and knees, move your booty back, and fire your glutes as you stand up with the dumbbells (this movement comes from your hips, not your knees).
    4. Unlock your hips and knees so that you can lower the dumbbells by hinging your hips back down. Bend your knees after the weights pass them and use your hips to guide the dumbbells to the ground. The weights should land centered over your feet at the starting position.

    2. Goblet Squat

    1. Use a light-to-medium dumbbell for this exercise. Hold one end of the dumbbell on the heels of your hand, cupping your hands around the weight, with your fingertips pointed toward the sky. (Imagine you’re holding a goblet, hence the name of this workout.) Your elbows should be pointed down.
    2. In a controlled movement, lower yourself into a squat. Your elbows may brush your knees, this is to be expected.
    3. Return to starting position, ensuring that your upper body doesn’t move the entire time, All of the workout should be in your lower half.

      3. Hip Thrust

      1. Grab a barbell, heavy dumbbell, or other at-home weight.
      2. Place your body under the barbell or put the dumbbell on the upper part of your thighs, and use a bench or other sturdy surface to support your back, neck, and head behind you.
      3. Keep your feet on the floor, put your feet directly under your knees so that when you extend, you’ll make a 90-degree angle. 
      4. Raise the barbell up from the floor primarily using your glute muscles. 
      5. Repeat the motion until the set is complete. 

      4. Tabletop + Donkey Kick

      1. Get into a tabletop position with your hands and knees on the floor and your back comfortably straight. 
      2. Raise one leg and straighten it out directly behind you while raising it as high as you possibly can. Make sure to feel the contraction in your glute muscles. 
      3. Allow the leg to slowly return to the original position and repeat. 
      4. To increase the challenge of this exercise, place a weight behind your knee or utilize a resistance band on your thighs.

      5. Calf Raise

      Caution: If you suffer from lower back problems, a better exercise would be the calf press. With this exercise, your back has to support the weight being lifted. Additionally, your back needs to be straight and still at all times. If you round your back, this can cause a lower back injury.

      1. Stand on the floor or, for more of a challenge, on a block or step, heels unsupported, with a weight in each hand. (You can also do this with a weight in one hand, using the other to support your balance.)
      2. Slowly lower your heels toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves.
      3. Before your heels touch the ground, contract your calf muscles, press in to the balls of your feet, and raise yourself up until you’re supporting your body with your toes, your heels raised up.
      4. Repeat this, ensuring full control in all movements.

      Forarms Exercises

      1. Reverse Grip Dumbbell Curl 

      1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand shoulder-width apart with your palms facing your body.
      2. 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.

      2. Dumbbell Twist-Up

      1. 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.
      2. 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.
      3. Hold this position for a second then lower the barbell back down towards your fingertips.

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