Most often, in abdominal exercises, dumbbells help to increase the load on the muscles. “Therefore, if your technique is still suffering, you shouldn’t take them on yet: first, master the exercises without weights at a slow pace,” comments Aliya Ibragimova , personal trainer at the gym, coordinator of group programs at the ALEX FITNESS Kolomenskoye fitness club, CMS in sports aerobics, Reebok Athlete Ambassador . But if you have already learned how to pump your abs correctly and have a good feel for how your muscles work, exercises with dumbbells will increase the load on your muscles.
Don’t chase heavy weights: you can start with one and a half kilogram dumbbells, and then gradually move on to heavier equipment. If you don’t have dumbbells, try replacing them with weights like these.
We asked Aliya Ibragimova to show us a set of exercises for the press with dumbbells.
How to build a lesson
* Start your workout with a warm-up and end with a short stretch.
* Build your workout according to the circuit principle: perform the exercises sequentially without rest. “After completing one circle, rest for 30 seconds and start all over again,” recommends Aliya Ibragimova.
* Do this program 3-4 times a week.
* Watch your breathing: perform the main effort while exhaling.
To perform the complex you will need dumbbells and a mat.
Abdominal stretching exercise
To work your muscles faster, it is useful to perform stretching exercises. This exercise primarily works the rectus abdominis muscle. Side bends with stretches also work the obliques and help define the waist.
Feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the back of your hips. Slowly lean back, tightening your buttocks and pushing your pelvis forward.
Feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides along the body. Inhale and raise your right arm above your head, leaning to the left and stretching your right side. Exhaling, return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
Side plank
Take the dumbbell in your right hand. Sit sideways on the mat, resting on your left thigh and left forearm. Cross your ankles, resting the sides of your feet on the floor. Lift your pelvis off the floor and extend your right arm (with dumbbell) up. Fix at the top point for 15-30 seconds . Then slowly lower yourself down and repeat the same on the other side.
A set of abdominal exercises with and without dumbbells
Crunches to the feet
Lie on a gymnastics mat with your back to the floor and lift your legs straight up so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Then take the dumbbells in your hands and wrap your hands around the sides of the weights. Now extend your arms in front of you so that they are parallel to your legs. As you exhale, lift your body and touch the bar with your feet.
When lifting, rely solely on your abs, avoiding jerking movements. As you inhale, take the starting position and repeat the exercise. Make sure that your legs remain in a fixed position while performing the exercise.
You can bend your knees slightly to make it easier. This dumbbell ab exercise for men and women provides a quality workout for the rectus abdominis muscle and helps you achieve the abs you want.
How many to perform: 10-12 repetitions.
Cross touching palm and foot
Again, work in a prone position on an exercise mat. Legs in a straight position, shoulder width apart. The right hand is directed to the side. The dumbbell is in your left hand, extend it diagonally next to you.
As you exhale, lift your right leg to a position perpendicular to the floor while simultaneously pulling the dumbbell with your left hand.
At the climax, the dumbbell and toes should touch, then inhale and return to the starting position. After completing the planned number of repetitions, switch sides (now the left leg and right arm will work).
This abdominal exercise with dumbbells especially works the oblique abdominal muscles, which contributes to the formation of a slender and attractive waist area. The rectus abdominis muscle also works.
How much to do: first 10-12 repetitions on one side, then 10-12 on the other side.
Low amplitude crunches
In a lying position, bend your legs, spread them shoulder-width apart and rest your entire foot on them. Hold the dumbbells in your hands on either side of the weights, and then extend your upper limbs in front of you. The specificity of the presented exercise is to perform classic twists in low amplitude.
Lifting your hands off the floor, exhale and raise your body until the instrument is near your knees. During the movement in the reverse position, do not relax your abdominal muscles, as this element is designed to constantly tense the abdominal muscles.
Thanks to this, abdominal exercises with dumbbells provide a fat-burning effect, causing the abdominal muscles to literally burn.
How many to perform: 10-12 repetitions.
Half-sitting body turns
Sit on a gymnastic mat, turn your legs up, press them together and fix them in this position across your feet. Lean your body back slightly, then grab a dumbbell and wrap your hands around the sides of the weights.
In the starting position, hold the barbell close to your chest, then turn onto your left side and touch the dumbbell to the floor. Then turn to the right side using the same amplitude.
Maintain a moderate pace throughout the session, take your time and avoid sudden movements. Exhale with each turn.
Make sure your back is in a natural curve and your arms are straight. The exercise presented here is designed to work the lateral abdominal muscles and get rid of sagging and flabbiness in the waist area.
How many times to perform: Only 18-20 revolutions.
Dumbbell plank row
For this exercise, you will need two dumbbells at once, which will act as supports. Hold the dumbbells in your hands and then perform a standing push-up while holding the barbells. Make sure that the line of the neck, back and legs is as straight as possible. Avoid bending your torso towards the floor, as well as arching your back in a circle.
Hold the starting position and, as you exhale, draw the left bullet towards your waist. Pause for a moment and then extend your arm back. Then work with your right hand in the same amplitude. When performing pulling movements, keep your forearm perpendicular to the floor.
As a result, the presented abdominal exercise with dumbbells for men and women intensively works the entire muscle girdle, and also strengthens the latissimus dorsi muscle and increases overall physical endurance.
How many should be performed: 18-20 general pull-ups.
If you have one dumbbell, perform the exercise with one dumbbell while supporting your hand on the floor:
Twisting to the knee
Lie on your back and stretch out long. Then take your left leg and place it across your foot: the right leg remains in an extended position and is kept a few centimeters from the floor.
Hold the dumbbells with both hands at the sides of the weights. Now, as you exhale, lift the knee of your right leg towards your lower chest while lifting your torso.
At the climax, extend your arms forward and then touch your toes to the bar on your pulled leg. Inhaling, return to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
After completing the required number of repetitions, switch sides and work with the same amplitude. This effective abdominal exercise with dumbbells allows you to work your lower part and get rid of fat deposits in the waist area.
How many to perform: 10-12 repetitions, first on one side, then 10-12 on the other.
Body lifts
Lying on your back, bend your legs and place them across your feet. Grasp the dumbbells with both hands by the weight plates, then secure the weights to your chest. Now, as you exhale, lift your body, trying to achieve a sitting position.
At the peak, take a short break and then return to the starting position. While working, try to maintain an average pace, avoid jerking movements and do not “throw” your body during the amplitude of the backward movement.
Pay attention to your posture, keep your back straight. This is a must-have exercise for dumbbell abdominal training because it provides a powerful workout to the abdominal muscles while being a technically safe exercise for people of all fitness levels.
How many reps to perform: 10-12 reps.
Reverse crunches
Work in a lying position. The legs are extended in length and pressed against each other. Grasp the dumbbell with both hands, then extend your arms in front of you so that they are perpendicular to the floor.
Then, as you exhale, lift your legs, and at the top point add a pelvic lift movement (for convenience, imagine that you are going to do a “birch tree”). Now smoothly return to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
Your arms continue to support the weight at the same time. Reverse crunches are a universal abdominal exercise with dumbbells for men and women, aimed at working the lower abdominal muscles and strengthening the lumbar region.
How many to perform: 10-12 repetitions.
Dumbbell fold
Do not change the position from the previous exercise, but in this case the instrument must be held at chest level and the legs must be immobilized in an elevated position. The lower limbs are pressed close to each other, extending the fingers.
As you exhale, lift your body, trying to achieve a position perpendicular to the floor. At the same time, lift your knees into a flexed position, drawing your chest toward your thighs. After a short pause, slowly return to the starting position and complete the exercise cycle.
Throughout the entire range of movement, try to work smoothly and without jerking, observing the correct breathing technique. The presented exercise for the press with dumbbells provides a powerful load on the abdominal muscles, additionally involving the entire muscle belt in the work.
How many to do: 10-12 repetitions.
Side plank pelvic lift
Get into a side plank position, leaning on your right hand. The left hand holds the projectile in the thigh area. The lower leg is attached to the side of the foot, and the upper leg is pressed tightly against the lower leg. Slowly lower your pelvis until it is completely pressed to the floor.
Now, as you exhale, lift your pelvis until your neck, back and legs form a continuous straight line. Stop for a moment and inhale as you return to the starting position.
After completing the planned number of repetitions, switch sides and do the same work. The presented sports element completely isolates the lateral parts of the body, therefore strengthens them, forms a slender and lightweight waist, burning fat deposits around the waist.
How many to perform: 10-12 repetitions, first on one side, then 10-12 on the other.
Single leg deadlift
This exercise will help you pump up not only your stomach, but also your gluteal muscles, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
Stand straight, feet together, a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body. Now shift your weight to your left leg and, with your left knee slightly bent, move your right leg back so that it is almost parallel to the floor. If the stretch does not work, you can move your leg back so that there is a slight angle between it and the floor.
During this movement, your body bends parallel to the floor, and the dumbbells are lowered almost to your feet. The back is straight, the abdominal muscles are tense. At the lowest point, the body and right leg form an almost straight line. Return to the starting position and lower your right leg to the floor. Perform 20 repetitions on one leg, and then the same on the other.
Traction
Starting position: knees bent, body bent at an angle of 45 degrees, dumbbells in hands. Exercise: Bend your arms, bringing the dumbbell to your shoulder, slightly twisting your body.
Repeat 15 times on each side.
Wood-Chop
If you want to tone your obliques but don't like crunches, this is the exercise for you.
Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, tighten your abdominal muscles and grab a dumbbell with both hands. Now raise your arms diagonally in front of your body to the maximum upper right angle, while curling your torso and toes to the right. Now move the dumbbell diagonally down towards your left ankle. The body and toes follow the projectile as if you were in an elevator.
Focus on keeping your lower body static and rotating your abdominals. Perform 20 repetitions and then do the same on the other side.
Reverse Fly on one leg
This exercise pumps up the abdominal muscles, deltoids, rhomboids and trapezius muscles.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lean forward, moving your right leg back until your body is parallel to the floor.
If your muscles and tendons are not particularly flexible, you may not bend as much. The head is straight, the neck is not tense, the shoulders hang to the floor, and the stomach is compressed. Now bend your elbows, slowly raising them up and out to the sides until they are at shoulder level. Without pausing, lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Renegade Row with push-ups
This exercise is similar to simple push-ups, but is more challenging with added weight and movement.
To perform it, take a dumbbell in each hand and stand in the starting position for push-ups, leaning on the parallel bars with dumbbells. Legs wider than hips, arms extended, forming a high plank; the stomach and buttocks are tense.
Now, leaning on your left hand, move your right elbow back so as to pull the dumbbell towards your chest, then release the projectile back. Then perform one push-up and return to the starting position. Extend your left elbow, lower it and repeat the push-up. This is one repetition.
This exercise is good for the abdominal muscles, deltoids, chest, lats, biceps and triceps.
Reverse lunge with rotation
This exercise pumps up the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques, as well as the gluteal muscles, quadriceps and calves.
To perform it, stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a dumbbell, which you should hold with both hands. Now step back with your right foot and bend both knees so that they form a 90-degree angle. At the same time, the right leg should rest on the toes. The back is straight, the body is slightly tilted forward. The right quadriceps are parallel to the floor, the right knee is higher than the right foot. The buttocks and stomach are toned.
Slowly rotate your body to the right; you should feel a stretch in your mid-back. Roll your body toward the center and return to the starting position. Do the same, but on the other leg and the other side of the body.
Lumberjack exercise
An explosive abdominal exercise with dumbbells for women, which effectively works the entire abdominal mass (with an emphasis on the oblique muscles).
Technique:
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands and stand on a flat surface. Lift and hold it so that it is above your right shoulder.
- At a moderate pace, move the apparatus diagonally to your left calf (knee, with poor mobility) while performing a partial squat.
- Without stopping, return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
It is important to perform the same number of repetitions on each side and keep your back straight throughout the entire set.
Side bends with raised arms
A very strong exercise that also works the shoulders and back (static). It loads the entire cortex, but the movement should be performed with caution for people with spinal problems (hernias, protuberances, and others).
Technique:
- Standing straight, we lift the projectile above ourselves with outstretched arms in a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
- Bend to the side so as not to change the position of your arms (movement only at the waist).
- Lean right, left, then compensate and repeat the movement.
For stronger body pumping, it is recommended to combine bending with lunges (body bending is performed in a sitting position).
Physiology
The core muscles play an important role - they support the internal organs, providing them with complete protection from external mechanical and temperature influences, and maintain the stability of the body. They are responsible for bending the body and maintaining posture, and participate in the formation of a beautiful figure. They include three components that differ in size, structure and functional purpose:
- The rectus muscle is a long and flat muscle located from the chest to the pubis. Its regular and high-quality development allows you to form the notorious cubes - the dream and pride of athletes.
- The oblique external (paired) ones are the widest and run parallel to each other along the sides of the chest and abdominal cavity. They are responsible for rotating the body and maintaining it in an upright position.
- The internal oblique ones are located under the external ones and have the shape of a fan.
- The transverse belt is a kind of “athletic belt” that is responsible for the volume and shape of the waist and takes part in turning and bending the body.
Warm-up for the shoulder girdle before training
A prerequisite for quality training and the absence of sprains and injuries is a warm-up before exercising with weights.
You need to spend from 10 to 20 minutes on it. A sign of a successful warm-up is an increase in heart rate to 100-110 beats and completely warm muscles. You need to perform 2-3 approaches.
The warm-up complex should include:
- Shoulder rotation up-back-down 5 times, then changing direction.
- Shrug (exercise “shrugs”). It is necessary to sharply raise your shoulders as high as possible while inhaling and lower them down as you exhale.
- Push ups.
- Basic exercises with an empty bar.
- Rotations in the elbow joints alternately forward and backward.
- Wave your arms. Circular movements with straight arms forward and backward.
- Rotations in the wrist joints. You need to gather your fingers into a lock and make rotational movements.
Also an important part is stretching the muscles of the arms and shoulders. There are dynamic and static stretches. The meaning of the first is to stretch the muscles to their limit and then return to the starting position. This increases the power potential.
To perform dynamic stretching before exercises with dumbbells, it is recommended to use a special elastic band for women
The second type of stretching involves holding the muscle in a tense position for 5-10 seconds. This method is safer.
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Bulgarian split squat for legs
Another exercise on a bench with dumbbells (photo below), which targets the calves. To perform it, you will need to lower the bench to a horizontal position and take a really large load. The whole peculiarity of training is that the more effort an athlete makes to stand up, the sooner he will be able to build muscle mass. So 4-5 squats will be very effective.
- We take two dumbbells with a maximum load in our hands.
- We put one foot on the bench and put the other one slightly forward.
- We perform squats on the leg so that the knee touches the floor
- We get up with a sharp movement and repeat the actions until tired.
The main difficulty is keeping your back straight. Most novice athletes begin to lean their entire body forward, as a result of which the main load falls on the back, and not on the leg. To prevent this, try asking one of your friends for backup. Over time, you will learn to maintain an even position. Well, or you can practice a little with a small load, but muscle growth in this case will be very slow.
