Workkin' Out!

[piercehawkeye45]

With dumbells, try to add variety and work different parts of the same muscle. Chest is usually the only muscle most people do that with. Instead of just doing regular bench press, many mix in some inclined, decline, wide, and close grip bench presses as well. This will work different areas of the same muscle. The same philosophy can be applied to almost every other muscle and it is much easier with dumbells.

For example, most people just do the regular bicep curl. For variety, work on the inside and outside part of the bicep. For example, when you do your bicep curls, keep your elbows near your side like you normally would, but instead of keeping your arms shoulder distance apart, extend them wider and do some curls that way.

Or, you can go the other way and move your hands towards your body. For example, start with the regular bicep curl pose with your hand by your thigh. Then, make sure the outside (side your finders do not bend) of the wrist facing towards you. Then, lifting one arm at a time, lift the dumbell in a corkscrew motion so now your wrist are facing sideways, kind of a hammer curl motion but your wrists are facing the opposite way.

A third technique are hammer curls. Basically hold the dumbells so the inside of your wrists are facing each other. Do bicep curls that way. You can also use different combination of these as well. For example, normal bicep curl up, hammer curl down. Or, extended hammer curl up (first bicep variation with hammer grip), regular grip down.

This may make it easier or harder on your wrists and elbows if you have issues with those. Just play around with movements for a bit and see what you like or dislike.