- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart and have dumbbells by your side at arms length away. When performing this exercise your palms should be facing down.
- Keep your abs pulled into your spine, your torso stationary and raise the dumbbells to your side with a slight bend at your elbow. Lif your arms until they are parallel to the floor (shoulder level) and pause for a second at the top.
- Lower the dumbbells back down slowly and repeat.
2. Shoulder Rope Pull
- Stand with the rope in between your legs.
- Keeping your arms straight (elbows slightly bent), pull the rope up from the floor to your shoulder height, hold for a count of two seconds, and slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat until the set is complete.
3. Plank to Row
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, get into a push-up position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Keep your abs pulled into your spine.
- Step under the bar and place the back of your shoulders (just under your neck) across the bar.
- Drive your elbow up towards the ceiling while keeping your arm as close to your ribcage as possible.
- Lower the weight back to the ground and complete the same movement on the other side.
- Keep alternating until the set is complete
4. Deadlift
*Note: You can do this while holding dumbbells, or with a barbell
- Holding dumbbells in each hand, keep your knees slightly bent and your back straight with your chest puffed outwards.
- Hinging from your waist, bend down towards the floor as far as possible while keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- At the climax of the movement (when you get as low as possible, hold for .5 - 1 seconds).
- Using your legs and butt, straighten your knees until your body comes to a standing position.
- Repeat the movement to complete the set.
*Because this exercise is more likely than others to lead to injury, please be very careful and make sure you understand proper form for Deadlifts before attempting to do the exercise.
