If you are wanting to get those upper body muscles working then this is the one for you. All you need is one or two pairs of dumbbells.
The Exercises
Bent Over Row
Stand with your feet slightly apart with a light dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the hips, lowering your chest while keeping your back straight and your core engaged. Draw the elbows backward, keeping them close to the body, moving the weights along the upper leg to just above the hips (think pockets) then control back down and repeat.
Floor press
Grab yourself 2 dumbbells of the same weight, sit on the floor, hold onto the 2 dumbbells and lean back until you are lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand above your chest with almost straight arms, then bend the elbows and bring them to the side until the upper arm is on the floor. Then drive the weights upwards and towards each other above your chest, then slowly control back down and repeat.
Prone fly
With a dumbbell in each hand, Stand with your knees soft and bend at the hips keeping your core engaged, lowering your chest. Let your arms hang down towards the floor with palms facing each other (still holding the dumbbells) and soften them at the elbows. Open the arms, raising the dumbbells out to each side and squeezing between the shoulder blades, then control them back down and repeat.
Renegade Row
With a dumbbell in each hand get yourself into a high plank position engaging your core. With one arm, raise the dumbbell up towards the body thinking about pulling the elbow back. Then slowly control the wight back down to the floor and repeat with the other arm.
Shoulder press
This exercise can be performed standing, sitting or on your knees. Start with a dumbbell in each hand and engaging your core, bring your arms up to a staple position (out to the side with the elbows bent, hands pointed to the sky and upper arm in line with the shoulders). Then drive the dumbbells up and toward the centre above your head.
Lat Raise
You will need lighter weights for this one. You can either stand with your feet in parallel or with one foot slightly further back for balance. Holding the weights in your hands with your arms by your side. Keeping the arms straight, lift the arms straight out the the side until they are in line with the shoulders. The lower with control trying not to let your hands hit the side of your legs.
This can be performed as a circuit so each exercise one after the other then start over again. Perform each of these exercises for 10-12 repetitions and go through the whole lot for 3-4 rounds (depending on current fitness levels).
