Two In One: How To Do Dumbbell Fly and Overhead Press

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I really enjoy weight lifting, but when a routine becomes outdated, I need to ratchet things up a notch. So today I'm going to show you how to do another amazing two in one workout that will not only challenge your body to become stronger, but save you valuable time, too. The exercise I'm talking about is the standing dumbbell fly and overhead press and you're going to learn about it in the next section. But first here's a list some of the benefits of this compound exercise:

• strengthens your chest muscles
• strengthens your shoulder muscles
• strengthens your upper back
• strengthens your core

This is an exercise that you should definitely add to your workout arsenal because it combines two of the best upper body exercises you'll ever do.

How To Do Dumbbell Fly and Overhead Press

You'll need a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. You should start out with a warm up set, so grab a pair of lightweight dumbbells. Stand up straight. Bring the dumbbells up to chest level. Hold them close to each other. Now, move the weights apart performing an arc movement. For this part of the exercise you'll be relying on your chest muscles. Stop once you feel a slight pull in the chest muscles. Now bring the weights back together again. That's one repetition of the standing dumbbell fly.

Now you need to do the overhead press. Begin by turning the weights upward until your knuckles are pointing toward the ceiling. Make sure that your arms are shoulder width apart when you do this. Next, use your shoulder muscles to press the dumbbells above your head. Now lower your arms down until the dumbbells are at eye level. You've just completed one rep of the dumbbell overhead press.

Alternate between standing dumbbell flys and overhead presses until you've completed nine more reps. After this, you can select a pair of heavier weights.

If you're going for strength use heavy weights and low reps (4 - 6 reps) over three sets. If you just want to tone your muscles, use light dumbbells and go for 10 - 15 reps spread over three sets.


As you can see, this workout is more challenging. You're training multiple groups of muscles to coordinate with each other. You shouldn't pause between the flys and presses, since this is a combined exercise. If done correctly, you'll experience strength and endurance gains in a matter of weeks.
That's it for now. While you're here, check out the other amazing articles on this blog. They're listed in the sidebar.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Two In One: How To Do Dumbbell Fly and Overhead Press" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.  

How To Do Barbell Wrist Flex Exercise

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Strong wrists are essential to grip strength. Today I'm going to teach you how to do barbell wrist flexes. This simple barbell exercise can boost the strength in your wrists.

How To Do Barbell Wrist Flex Exercise

You'll need a fixed barbell and a weight bench for this exercise (Olympic bars will be too cumbersome). You should start out with a warm up set, so grab a lightweight barbell with fixed weights (e.g. 10 pounds). Hold the barbell with both hands. Sit on the bench. Place both forearms on your thighs. Make sure that your palms are facing upward and that your wrists are beyond your knees. Lower your wrists downward. Next, flex your wrists curling the barbell upward then down again. That's one rep. Repeat this exercise five more times.

Now grab a pair of heavier weights. The best range is 8 - 10 reps for a total of three sets.

The barbell wrist flex (sometimes referred to as barbell wrist curl) is a variation on the dumbbell wrist curl but has the same benefits:

• improved flexibility
• strong flexors
• strong extensors

Having a strong grip is part of overall functional strength. For example, if you fall down on weak wrists, they're more likely to break due to impact. Strong wrists minimize damage from falls and also helps when you're carrying or pressing heavy objects e.g. bench press, farmers walk, dead lifts.
Each week increase the weight amount performed during the barbell wrist curl exercise. If you keep it up, you'll notice that your wrists becoming stronger and more flexible.       
We'll see you back here for another article on Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Barbell Wrist Flex Exercise" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

How To Do Burpees

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What if I told you that there's an exercise that combines squats, push ups and jumps into one super workout? You'd want to know more about it, of course. Well, this three - in - one exercise is known as burpees, and today I'm going to show you how to do them.

How To Do Burpees

To do burpees, you'll need a horizontal space that is free of obstructions and foot traffic. To begin, stand up straight. Next, squat down and place both palms on the floor. Now, space your hands shoulder width apart. Extend your legs behind you supporting weight on the balls of your feet and your palms. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Lower your chest to within one inch of the floor (make sure that your back is straight). Push yourself upward again.

After you complete the push up, assume a squat position again. Now, use your hamstring muscles to push yourself off the floor i.e. JUMP!

That's one burpee. Do nine more then take a thirty second break and do fifteen more reps. Go for a total of thirty burpees (spread over three sets of ten reps) then stop. As you build endurance you can increase the number of reps or sets of the exercise.

The fastest way to get into amazing physical condition is by doing compound exercises and burpees ranks among the best compound exercises around.

The benefits of burpees include strong abs, glutes, chest, biceps, triceps, back and hamstrings. You can also do them just about anywhere and without the need for fancy gym equipment. The burpees exercise also improves strength and conditioning which has carryover to deadlifts, squats, and the bench press.

Check us out next week for another great chest and whole body workout.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Burpees" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

How To Do Two Arm Inclined Bench Dumbbell Row

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You need a strong back, it protects your posture and helps you perform heavy lifts (like moving furniture an appliances). Today I'm going to show you a dumbbell row exercise that will get your back into shape.


How To Inclined Bench Two Arm Dumbbell Rows

You'll need an inclined bench and a pair of dumbbells for this exercise. Grab two light weight dumbbells because you're going to start out with a warm up set. Place the dumbbells on the floor on either side of the bench. Position yourself on the bench so that you chest is on the bench pad. Reach down and pick up one dumbbell with each hand. Make sure that your palms are facing each other.

Now, pull the dumbbells upward toward your chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Now lower the dumbbells back to the floor. That's one rep. Repeat this nine more times then grab a pair of heavier weighted dumbbells. Strength trainers should go for heavy weights and low reps, muscle toners should go for high reps at low weights. 

Inclined bench dumbbell rows target the upper back, hitting the trapezius muscle; it also strengthens your arms and wrists.

These exercise will benefit your upper body, giving you added strength and muscular definition. It will also help you to develop the "v taper". So make sure to add the two arm inclined bench dumbbell row to your fitness arsenal.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: How To Do Two Arm Inclined Bench Dumbbell Row" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.

Two In One: How To Do The Side Arm and Front Arm Raise

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Are you ready for a challenge? Today I'm going to show you how to get two workouts at the same time with dumbbell front arm raise and dumbbell side raise. This combined workout has many benefits including:

• saves you time
• strengthens your shoulders
• strengthens your pecs
• strengthens your biceps
• strengthens your triceps

This is a compound exercise that you should definitely be adding to your fitness training arsenal.

How To Do The Dumbbell Front Arm Raise and Side Arm Raise

You need to start off with a warm up set, so grab a pair of light weight dumbbells. Stand up straight. Hold the dumbbells in front of you. Now, raise your arms in front of you until they're perpendicular to your upper body. Use your chest and shoulder muscles to do this. Now, lower the weights to the starting position. That's one front arm raise.


Next, raise each arm upward from the side, stopping once you've formed a "T". You'll be relying mostly on your shoulder muscles for this part of the exercise. Now lower your arms again, returning to your starting position. That's one repetition of the side arm raise.


Next, do another front arm raise, followed by a second side arm raise. Keep alternating between these exercises until you've completed ten reps of each.

Now that you've finished warming up, get a pair of heavier weights. If your goal is to build muscle, use heavy weights and low reps (4 - 6), if you want to tone up, go for high reps (15 rep) with low weights. You only need to complete three sets because this is a combined workout. Once you're done with the last set, you can do something else.


This exercise is an easy way to build powerful chest and massive shoulders, giving you incredible upper body strength.

Winter break is over and it's time to hit the books again. But don't forget to exercise. Visit Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts each week to learn strength training tips that you can use all year round.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Two In One: How To Do The Side Arm and Front Arm Raise" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Get A Grip With Door Grabs

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Say that you pick up a heavy object only for it to fall crashing to the floor because your grip is too weak. What are you gonna do? Today I'm going to show you how to do door grabs - one of the easiest gripping exercises you'll ever learn.

How To Do Door Grabs

You'll need a door with hinges that are strong enough to support your weight. Grasp the open door with your thumb and forefinger. Pretend that you're sitting in an imaginary reclining chair. Lean back in the opposite direction of the door until your arm is fully extended. Hold this position for 60 seconds then switch hands and repeat for another 60 seconds. Continue alternating between both hands until you've completed twenty reps (ten minutes per side).

You might notice that you'll have greater difficulty maintaining your grip once you get past the fifth or sixth rep. That's normal. Just do the best you can until you've completed ten reps for both hands. If you can't hold your grip for at least thirty seconds on your first rep, it means that you have a lot of work to do. But keep it up because like any other exercise, regular training yields results.

Door grabs build functional strength which means it will help you to maintain a solid grip on heavy objects with little chance of dropping them. In terms of weight lifting, door grabs are beneficial for deadlifts, cleans, dumbbell rows, farmers walk, etc.

That's it for this week. Look forward to next week's article on Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Get A Grip With Door Grabs" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.

Do Inclined Push Ups To Get Powerful Pecs

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Are you looking for an exercise that will give your upper body and amazing workout? Then you're in luck because today I'm going to show you how to do incline push ups. This is one of the most amazing strength training exercises that you'll ever learn. Why? Because incline push ups are a total compound exercise with many benefits including:

• strengthens pecs
• strengthens shoulders
• strengthens biceps
• strengthens wrists
• strengthens abdominal muscles
• convenient for people who can't get to the gym

Now that you know what this exercise can do for you, I'm going to show you how to do them.

How To Do Incline Push Ups

You'll need a chair, bench or sturdy elevated platform for this exercise. To start, place both hands on the bench. The next thing you need to do is extend both legs behind you. Much of your body weight is going to be supported on the balls of your feet. Keep your back straight, arching screws up the exercise not to mention is dangerous for your spinal cord. Keep your abdominal muscles tight, too.

Now, lower your chest to within an inch of the bench. Squeeze your shoulder blades together (imagine that you're squeezing an orange between them). Much of the incline push up work is done by the pecs, so use your chest muscles to push yourself back to the starting position. That's one rep. Do nine more reps, take a fifteen second break then do another set of ten push ups.

I recommend doing three sets of incline push ups, to build up your chest muscles.

If you aren't strong enough to do ten per set, cut the number of reps down to a number you can manage. You can also support your weight on your knees but this will lower the challenge of the exercise.

Each week increase the number of sets until you're able to complete 100 inclined push ups (i.e. ten sets of ten push ups).

This is an excellent exercise for people on the go. If you don't have time to hit the gym, just do some incline push ups. This exercise also has carryover benefits to the bench press. The stronger your chest, the more you can bench press. And if you really want to give your chest a grueling workout, mix up incline push ups and dips.

Winter break is almost over! When classes start up again, make the time to strengthen your body as well as your mind. Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts is here to help with that.

See you next week.

"Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts: Do Inclined Push Ups To Get Powerful Pecs" copyright 2012 Great Chest and Whole Body Workouts. All Rights Reserved.