Need a New Gym Routine? Try These Six Moves to Make You Feel Stronger
Feel stuck in a rut and not sure where to take your workout? Instead of hopping on the StairMaster or jumping from one weight machine to the next, grab some dumbbells and get strong and sweaty with this six-move workout.
Upper Body
- Push-Up Crawl
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Core
- Prone Lateral Leg Reach
- Supine Knee Raise
Lower Body
- Walking Lunge
- Dumbbell Front Squat
Perform each exercise for 60 seconds and then rest 60 seconds between each exercise. Perform the entire workout straight through two to three times.
Upper Body
- Start in a prone position with your feet hip-width apart, toes on the floor and your hands under your shoulders.
- Perform a push-up by leading your chest toward the floor. Push the ground away from you to return to the start position.
- Move your right and left foot forward simultaneously while holding the plank position. Then crawl your left hand and right foot forward to come back to full plank.
- Perform another push-up. Repeat.
- Stand tall, holding two dumbbells at your sides.
- Curl both dumbbells to the height of your shoulders at the same time. Do not internally rotate them as you curl.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly back to start. Repeat.
Tip: Keep your elbows locked under your shoulders and at your sides to get the most out of this exercise.
Core
- Start in a high plank. Keep your back straight and parallel with the ground.
- Reach your left leg out to the side as far as you can and hover your toes off the floor. Return your leg to the start position.
- Then reach your right leg out to the side as far as you can with your toes hovering off the floor. Return your leg to the start position.
- Keep alternating legs.
- Lie on your back, with your legs extended and your hands under your hips or at your sides. Press your lower back firmly into the ground.
- Keeping your legs straight and zipped together, slowly lift them toward the ceiling. When your legs are perpendicular to the floor, lower them slowly to the starting position. Repeat.
Lower Body
- Stand tall and take a long stride forward with your right leg. Bend your right knee and lower your left knee toward the ground until both knees are bent to 90 degrees. Keep your chest lifted and back straight.
- Push the ground down and away from you with your front leg and step your back leg forward so your feet meet, then step forward with your left leg and sink into a lunge.
- Continue lunging forward, alternating legs.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at shoulder height.
- Sit your hips back and down into a squat. Your knees stop at 90 degrees and your chest stays lifted.
- Hold and then press through your heels to return to stand. Repeat.
Photo credit: pablocalvog, Adobe Stock; Tom Casey, box24studio.com
Model: Nick Routson, General Manager