Form as always is important and especially with this move as it is easy to default to your back when swinging the dumbbell up. OUCH! Please don't let your back do the work here - you should be driving up using you legs while swinging the weight up with perfectly straight and strong arms. Set your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your lower back slightly arched, bend at your hips and knees and lower your torso until it forms a 45-degree angle to the floor. Now swing the dumbbell between your legs.
Keeping your arms straight (very important! no bending elbows!), thrust your hips forward, straighten your knees, and swing the dumbbell up till arms are in vertical alignment to your body and you are in a standing position. Reverse the movement and swing the dumbbell back between your legs again. That's one rep. Continue to swing the weight back and forth forcefully. I personally like to start at the end position with weight above head. It helps get the momentum going.
The next option is a one arm dumbbell swing. You might want to start with this option using a lighter weight until you get used to the movement.
Notice he stops at shoulder height which is fine to do. Continuing the movement to overhead allows you to engage more of the shoulder's front, middle and rear deltoids.
Here are more compound moves that combined with The Swing will give you a full body workout.
Chest Press: works your triceps, chest and front deltoid
Push Up: Just can't beat the push up - works your chest, back, shoulders, triceps, core
Lunge to a biceps curl: Do your stationary lunch with a dumbbell in each hand as pictured in my October 5th post "Blast Your Glutes and Legs!" First do your lunge completely and once in the upright position of the lunge then and only then execute a perfect biceps curl.
Run through these four moves by doing 20 reps of each exercise (if 20 push ups is too much do ten then take a 10 second break before doing another 10) and repeating a complete set three times. Between sets do jumping jacks or jump rope for two minutes then take a 60 second recovery (or as long as it takes) before starting the next set.
Run through these four moves by doing 20 reps of each exercise (if 20 push ups is too much do ten then take a 10 second break before doing another 10) and repeating a complete set three times. Between sets do jumping jacks or jump rope for two minutes then take a 60 second recovery (or as long as it takes) before starting the next set.
any suggestions for doing these exercises if you don't have a dumbbell or kettlebell?
ReplyDeletea heavy book or double a grocery bag and put more than one book. Maybe an empty plastic container (water, juice, etc.) and fill with sand or pennies. . . . . a soccer ball :-))
ReplyDelete