Isolation exercises involve one focus muscle and a single joint range of motion. Compound exercises on the other hand, involve more than one muscle group and multiple joint ranges of motion. The end result of this is a high amount of muscle recruitment. Although these exercises are commonly done with barbells, dumbbells can be used as well.
Step 1
Use dumbbells to work your chest, shoulders and triceps. Lie on a bench with dumbbells held above your body and your palms facing your feet. Slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides by bending your elbows. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the ground and push them back up. Stop when they are an inch apart and repeat the movement.
Step 2
Clean and press the dumbbells. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and have dumbbells placed right next to them on the ground. Reach down and grasp the dumbbells. Stand up and lift the weights up to shoulder height with your palms facing forward. Pause for a second at this location and press the weight over your head. Lower them back to shoulder height, then back to the ground and repeat the movement.
Step 3
Use one dumbbell to do a bent-over row. Place the dumbbell on the right side of a flat bench on the ground. Kneel on the bench with your left knee and place your right foot on the ground behind you. Brace your body with your left hand by placing it on the bench and bend over until your back is parallel to the ground. Grab the dumbbell with your right hand and have your palm facing in. Pull the dumbbell up by your hip, then lower it back down until your arm is fully extended. Do a series of reps and switch sides. When you raise the dumbbell, keep your arm in tight against your body.
Step 4
Work your biceps with twisting curls. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing in. Lift the dumbbells up and twist your wrists so your pinkies are facing each other. Squeeze forcefully and lower the weights back down.
Step 5
Hold dumbbells still while doing lunges to work your legs. Start with your feet together. Take a step forward with your right foot and squat down when it touches the floor. Stop when your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your back knee is 2 inches above the ground. Stand back up and step forward with your left foot. Repeat the movement and continue lunging for a series of reps.
Tips and Warnings
- When you are doing lunges, make sure to keep your back straight and do not let your front knee go past your ankle.
Things You'll Need
- Bench
- Weights
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