by Darryl Jones

Dumbbells are one of the best pieces of home gym equipment anyone can own. They take up a very small amount of space and can be used to work almost every muscle in the body. There are literally hundreds of different exercises you can do with them but below are the top 5 dumbbell workouts.

The first thing people think of when talking about dumbbells is the bicep curl. This is one of the easiest to do. To start stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold the weights with your palms facing in towards your legs. Bend the arm at the elbow in a slow and controlled motion and turn the wrist so the palm is facing up as you lift. Lower slowly and repeat with the other arm. This is known as an isolation exercise as it targets the bicep and to a lesser extent the shoulder.

The overhead press is designed to work the shoulder muscles. You begin with a dumbbell in both hands at the same height as your shoulders with palms facing out. Push both arms up towards the roof slowly. Locking the elbows to fast can cause damage to the joints. Return to the resting position slowly and repeat. Aways keep your back straight when standing or sitting to perform this exercise. This works all the muscles in the shoulder and also the triceps.

To really work the back of the arms try the triceps extension. Take one dumbbell and sit in a chair or bench. Lift the weight with both hands above your head. To work these muscles drop the weight and then straighten your arms again. As always do this slowly and control the movement. If performed correctly you will feel the burn through the arms.

To work the chest try the front raise. Begin standing and with a weight in each hand, palms facing inwards. Keep the arms straight and raise them until they are horizontal to the floor. Lower and repeat in a controlled motion. This is a great exercise for the upper chest and the front of the shoulders.

To strengthen your legs you need to do squats. Take a dumbbell in both hands and hold them at shoulder height. With a straight back crouch down until your thighs are level with the ground. Push up back to a standing position and repeat. This exercise works the entire lower body from the lower back right through the legs.

If you are new to weight lifting start with low weights to prevent an injury. You can then increase the weight to whatever feels comfortable. In general you should be able to do at least 8 repetitions of each exercise. Once you can do more than 10 you should raise the weight. - 39969