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Dumbbell Swings

DrDave — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:57:32 +0000

One of the exercises that I have a love/hate relationship with is dumbbell swings. I love it because it is a compound exercise that works out many muscle groups and it really gets my heart rate up. I hate it because it is hard work! It is very tiring and not many exercises are as exhausting to me as dumbbell swings are. The exercise is traditionally performed with kettle bells, but dumbbells work just as well once you have figured out the best way to get a solid grip on yours.

Here is a video showing how dumbbell swings are performed:

After a few sets of these, you will feel your legs, arms, and shoulders burning! Be careful not to start with a weight that is too heavy. If you have never done dumbbells swings before, you should start with a comfortable weight and work your way up to heavier weights.

4 Minute Fat Burning Tabata Workout

DrDave — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:11:38 +0000

I have been looking for quick and effective fat burning workouts for days when I just can’t find the time to do a full 30-60 minute workout. If you are like me and have trouble finding time to work out every day, you may be interested in learning more about the Tabata workout.

With the Tabata method you do 20 seconds of very intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. You repeat this for 4 minutes, so you do 8 cycles of intense exercise and rest.

I believe that if you don’t have time to get an hour workout in, it is always better to do even just a few minutes than nothing at all. Whether you decide to try Tabata or something completely different, it is important to keep in the habit of daily exercise and not to get into the habit of skipping workouts.

I have heard good things about the effectiveness of the Tabata method and plan to give it a try on my super busy days.

Here are a couple of videos with examples of exercises you can do:

The Farmer’s Walk

DrDave — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:58:39 +0000

I have been going to the gym for the past couple of weeks to do some exercises that I just can’t do properly at home. I have dumbbells, a bench, and a weight machine at home, but there are certain exercises I have been wanting to do. One of them is assisted pullups (I normally just do pulldowns with my home gym). After a set of wide grip assisted pull ups my lats were just burning. The next day my forearms were very sore and I was sore in other places that I didn’t even know existed. It was great, but it made me realize that my forearms and grip need to be strengthened in order for me to be able to do some of these other exercises more effectively. Namely, pullups and deadlifts.

Yesterday I tried the farmer’s walk for the first time. Basically you grab the heaviest set of dumbbells you can carry and start walking. Some people use trap bars (which are a longer bar) but that’s even more challenging so if you have never done the farmer’s walk before I’d suggest starting with dumbbells. I started with 2 70 lb dumbbells. I got half way around the track and had to stop of a rest. By the time I got back to the weight area I nearly dropped the dumbbells. I rested for a while, grabbed some 65 lb dumbbells and did it again.

It is a great way to strengthen your forearms and your grip and it will pay dividends with other exercises that you do. It also gets your heart pumping pretty good and is great for your shoulders. If you have a weak back be very careful with this one.

Here’s a video that shows the farmer’s walk in action. I can’t understand a word he’s saying for the first minute or so because the volume is so low, but at least you can see what the exercise looks like.

Farmers Walk, 3 Sets with 50 LBS Each Hand With Towels By Tuan Tran

Building a Stronger Grip (fitnesstipsforlife.com)
Book 3 8 3 Forearms (slideshare.net)

Watch My Weight Loss » Videos

Dumbbell Swings

4 Minute Fat Burning Tabata Workout

The Farmer’s Walk

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