I have found a killer group of AB and chest stuff for alternating weight days but I was looking at this routine (can't do the full push ups yet) and wondered your opinion for a starter routine.

Dumbbell workout

Input appreciated all .... thanks.

Pretty innovative, Lisa.

A few thoughts:

Watch out for form on the bent over row - I prefer using a bench when I do these. If you want you can add shrugs with the dumb bells for the traps.

If you sit down for the upper body moves it makes it harder to cheat and easier to maintain form (Shoulder press, curls).

Some of the moves in this are advanced - the jump squat, speed rotation and you could hurt yourself if you don't do them with proper form - I'd stick with the 'regular' squat for now and perfect that.

If you're interested there are other upper body exercises you could add in to help target those areas you want (triceps, delts, pecs etc)

HTH
Nat

First off... THANKS NAT (for whom I have close to a hero worship in this matter)!

To be honest - the lung/squats aren't really my thing. My knees always hurt after and they already are pretty toned from years of always doing something aerobic. I think my skiier routine on alternate days will be fine for my legs.

But the other stuff looked good. It looks hard to me and I find that appealing at this point.

And yes if you can explain other upper body exercises (or lead me to a link) to add I would be happy to put it in.

Tonight is abs and chest so what ever looks best with the advice of others is up Thursday in my rotation.

Hi, Lisa

That seems like a challenging set of exercises to me.

I am going to list several of them, and try adding in a couple to my own circuit. I need some variation and new challenges.

I already use dumbbells for triceps excercise behind my head, and for flyaways. I do some form of most of the others, but use the long bar method, because I have always found it easier to maintain form with a long bar.

And I use an easy curl bar for biceps curls, for the same reason. Very easy to lose form on curls with the dumbbells, at least for me.

But, I really like the dumbbell push ups shown here, and I am going to start trying that once or twice a day. Hope it works out all right with my round weights!! heh,

The source I use for my weight lifting exercises is "Getting Stronger" by Bill Pearl. I think it has pictures of virtually every weight lifting exercise known to man, and has routines specifically for individual sports, and for different groups of people. (Like the elderly!)

I focus on the skiing and wrestling routines.

Trying something new is a great way to focus your attention, and move on to new heights, uh, I mean lows!

Keep on, keepn' on!

Probably one of the best places for exercise info as it relates to which muscles do what and what exercises work which muscles:

http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/WtFemale.html - Female exercise map

Triceps: toning these will go a long way to fixing that 'bat wing' problem many of us contend with. Contrary to popular opinion it's the larger tricep muscle that makes the most dramatic change in arm shape, not the bicep.

Kickbacks

Lying Triceps Extension

One armed tricep extensions

Bench dips - if you do these start with feet on the ground, bent at 45 degrees. The further out you put your feet the harder, when you raise them its even harder, and when you put a plate in your lap? FYI, I could barely manage 4 or 5 of these with legs bent when I started, they are an exercise that is more enjoyable once you've built up upper body some strength.

Traps / delts

Shrugh

Lateral raise - these are HARD. 10 lbs might be too much right now. The key is to do them slow and not to swing the weight.

Seated rear lateral raise - again, hard and less weight - these are pretty small muscles.

Front raise - these can be done as discribed or with palms facing for a different kind of burn.

I'd pick one or two from each group (chest, back, tris, bis, shoulders) and do them as your workout.

For your legs, it does pay to work them - they are big muscle groups and they burn a lot of calories repairing themselves. If the squats hurt be sure you're doing them correctly first, and if it's still a problem try sissy squats instead (you don' tneed weights).

Lunges are another that are tough- perfect form is essential. A wider stance often helps with balance - and getting it perfect is easier w/o the weights - believe me, you'll still feel it.

HTH
Nat

Already did the lateral/Seated rear and front raises. Achy so i'm keeping them in. Like the shrug and the sissy squats so I will add them and i'm terrified of the bench dip so I will try that.

I will try to put together a routine for myself.

I print out the pics and instructions and check them off.

Tonight is my alternate night.

Reverse crunch
Vertical Lying leg thrusts
Ab crunches
1/4 crunches
cross knee crunches
cross crunch w/ dumbbell
dumbbell bench press
dumbbell flyes

Any recommendation of reps? more to add to this grouping??

Thanks again so much!

Working those abs, I see Little trick with the abs - go for intensity. These are fast twitch muscle fibers, meaning they respond best to low reps with a lot of weight/intenisty. Doing 150 sit ups isn't how they get ripped, doing 3 sets of 15 and being unable to eek out a 16th is.

You can also get the intensity by making those exercises a circuit - do 12 reps of one and head into the second, third, 4th, etc with no rest. Take 1 minute between a full circuit and do it for 10 minutes. PAIN. Also, try to do the lower ab execises first so that when they tire the upper abs have to work even harder.

Do you have a bench ? If yes, do the chest exercises in this order:

Incline DB Press
Flat DB Press
Incline flye

3 sets, 12 reps. The last exercise, the flye, is to stretch everything out - focus on a slow controlled rep and dont let your arms go past the bench when they come down.

It can often be helpful to work the back when you do the chest or the triceps/biceps (one or the other) - classic push/pull workouts or complimentary muscle groups (chest/back).

No I don't have a bench. I have a chest that is flat that I can use for some of these exercises.

I really have to do it tonight to figure how to tweek to make this my own.

Thanks for the input.

Then just omit the incline execises - they do work the upper chest but you can get by with just the flat presses and flyes.

Nat

p.s. the circuit would be for the abs only - take your time with the chest and other exercises until you've perfected your form. I would suggest doing the first set of the first exercise, resting 45 secs and then doing the second set, resting 45 etc. Do each exercise then move to the next one and rinse, repeat.

You made this statement and was wondering why do we need to do them in this order? Iam doing BRX and he has us doing them , flat, incline then flys. So which will give you the better workout?

Do you have a bench ? If yes, do the chest exercises in this order:

Incline DB Press
Flat DB Press
Incline flye

Thanks for the Help, Lynn

whichever one you haven't been doing for 4 weeks, Lynn. Lisa is new to lifting, any order would work. Lifting the smaller/ weaker muscles first pre fatigues them, making the stronger muscles work harder later. You are always weaker on an incline/decline then a flat surface.

Nat

Nat - thanks for posting those links - I will be checking into them. I just bought a weight bench but the weights are another day ($$). I do, however, have dumbbells - 5, 8 and 10# that I currently work out with.

I love weight training. Couldn't do a tricep dip (bench dip) to save my soul a year ago - now they are cake. Also up to 12 consecutive push ups (on a good day!) - and that is on my toes, not my knees. Love seeing those kind of results.

Look for me in the next Muscle Fitness. (NOT)