Dumbbell squats are intended to target the quadriceps muscles of the thigh, but also involve the gluteus maximus (buttocks), the hamstrings at the back of the legs and also the calves and lower back. Unlike squatting with a barbell the amount of weight that can be used is limited by grip strength and access to heavy dumbbells, but not only are dumbbells squats a good introduction for beginners, even experienced lifters can benefit.

The most obvious benefit of dumbbell squats over traditional barbell squats is that, due to the weight being held on either side of the body instead of up on the shoulders, it is a lot easier to maintain a good posture. This helps prevent injury but also puts the effort on the legs where it’s meant to be instead of the back. Also, because dumbbells can be dropped, deep squatting doesn’t mean taking the risk of getting stuck if you don’t have a training partner to spot you.

But the complaint I hear about dumbbell squats is that the amount of weight that can be lifted is limited by grip strength and available dumbbells, which is true, but also somewhat irrelevant if you use the following techniques.

Maintain tension on the muscles throughout each set by moving with control on the down phase of the exercise, taking 3 – 7 seconds to really make the most of the eccentric part of the contraction. Then when at the lowest point, hold this position for 1 second to get an isometric contraction and to prevent stored energy assisting the upward movement. Finally, when you straighten your legs keep your knees soft and do not pause at all before starting the next rep.

Squatting of any kind is ultimately about bending the knees to 90 degrees or less, so as the dumbbell squat can safely be done without a spotter, the deeper you go the more effective, and more difficult, the exercise becomes.

If that isn’t enough, put the dumbbell squat as the second part of a superset, after front squats, leg press or walking lunges. Or for a host of additional benefits, try all of that with a single-leg dumbbell squat and tell me the exercise is too easy.

How To Do A Dumbbell Squat

1. A good way to start is to get into position with feet hip-width apart, squat down, pick up the dumbbells as if holding 2 suitcases and begin the set from there. Keep a straight back and your core engaged throughout.

2. Keep a slight bend in your knees at the top of the lift and do not pause before you start the next phase.

3. Bend your knees to at least 90 degrees making sure to keep them over or behind your toes, taking 3 – 7 seconds for the down phase.

4. Hold the lowest point for a second before lifting again and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Notes For Dumbbell Squat

1. The best thing about dumbbell squats over barbell squats is that, because the weight is down low on either side instead of on your shoulders, it is easier to maintain a straight back and good posture. Be sure that you do.

2. Bend your knees to at least 90 degrees, less if your flexibility allows.

3. At the end of a set, let go of the weights and continue to squat to further fatigue the muscles.

4. Even if you find the dumbbell squat challenging, try the single leg version as well.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The leg press machine can vary a little in design but the general function is always the same, as is the target area which is the quadriceps (thigh) and the gluteus maximus (butt), along with the hamstrings at the back of the leg. It’s a very simple exercise to do, but there are a number of ways to make it more effective, give better results and avoid causing injuries, especially to the knees.

The main cause of problems is adding too much weight resulting in a poor technique, which includes locking knees between reps, poor range of movement and allowing the weights to hit the stack to help bounce into the next rep. Good technique should always come first and resistance is only added as long as it can be maintained.

Setting the seat position is the first thing to do with the leg press, which for beginners should be at no less than 90 degrees at the knees. If you are more experienced and confident in your technique it can be less. When the legs are straight the knees should never be locked, there should always be a slight bend, which means no taking a breather between reps. You’re not just losing tension from the muscle, you’re putting it all onto your knees.

Next is the placing of the feet. This can vary depending on where you want to concentrate the effort as long as the knees, hips and feet are in line. Having the feet high puts more strain on the glutes while lower down puts it onto the quads. Having the feet wide focuses more onto the adductors of the inner thigh while a narrow position is more for the outer thigh and hip area. If you just want a general position have your feet hip-width apart and halfway up the footplate.

Now what to do with the hands. Generally a poor technique means that the hands are pushing against the thighs to help lift the weight, but as this a leg press I’m going to suggest you let your legs take care of that. Keep your hands on the handles and use them to hold you in the seat, with your back against the backrest at all times.

Despite all of this, if you still find that there isn’t resistance for you put the leg press at the end of your workout, increase the reps to 20 if necessary, and slow things down so each one takes at least 5 seconds.

How To Do A Leg Press

1. Put your feet on the footplate in the desired position and set the seat so that your knees are at 90 degrees.

2. Hold the handles to keep you in place and your back against the backrest and straighten your legs without locking them.

3. Return to the start position with control, using a full range of motion, without letting the weights return to or even touch the stack.

4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Notes For Leg Press

1. If you are sure of your technique you can allow the angle at your knees to be less than 90 degrees at the start position to increase the range of movement.

2. Keep your hands off your knees, there’s no point assisting your legs if you can’t lift the weight. Instead hold the handles to keep you in the seat.

3. Adjust the foot position before you start to focus the effort on different areas of the legs and glutes.

5. Instead of just adding more weight when things get too easy try putting the leg press at the end of your workout, increasing the reps to 20 if necessary, and slowing things down so each one takes at least 5 seconds.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The leg extension is an isolation exercise for the quadriceps muscles of the thigh (rectus femoris and vastus). It is best done at the start or end of leg workout for pre- or post- exhaustion. The leg extension machine looks pretty straightforward. Adjust the backrest and the pad for the legs and that’s all there is to it. At least that’s what many people think. In reality there a few key points to be aware of to get the most from it without injuring your knees.

The first thing to do with the leg extension machine is to adjust the backrest so that your knees are not too far forward, as this is what can cause injury to the knees. It doesn’t want to be too far back either, as this will prevent you from bending your leg properly. The easiest thing to do is have your knees in line with the axis of the part of the machine that moves during the exercise, which is often highlighted so you know where it is.

Next adjust the pad so that it is comfortably in front of your ankles, locate the handles and hold on, otherwise you might find yourself lifted out of the seat as your work. Some people don’t do this because momentum and bodyweight allows them to add more resistance, in other words cheat, which is also the reason for a small range of movement. While this does depend on the design of the machine you should be able to bend your legs to 90 degrees, then straighten them fully.

How To Do The Leg Extension

1. After setting up the machine correctly, hold on to the handles and extended your legs. Because of the way the resistance is applied it is safe, and most effective, to fully straighten your legs.

2. The easiest, and therefore the most common, thing to do is immediately return to the start position. Instead hold the extended position for a second.

3. Return to the start position with control without allowing the weight stack to crash down because, not only is this losing the tension on your muscles it’s a clear signal to everyone else in the gym that you don’t know what you’re doing. And we don’t want that! Instead do not allow the weights to return to the stack until you’re finished.

Notes For Leg Extension

1. Set the leg extension machine up correctly – knees in line with the axis and pad in front of the ankles.

2. Use the handles to keep yourself fully in the seat. Letting yourself be lifted up is cheating and a great way to damage your knees.

3. Straighten your legs so that you contract your muscles fully and hold this for a second.

4. Return to the start position with control so you get an eccentric contraction that takes 3 – 7 seconds depending on your training goals.

5. The usual foot position is to have them vertical, but by pointing them inwards or outwards slightly you can focus the effort on different muscles of the quadriceps.

6. If you’re wanting to do the leg extension with the greatest range of movement, sit up. Instead of leaning against the backrest sit up so that the quadriceps muscles are shortened, but be sure to keep a good posture and a straight back.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The rear fly can be done just with the posterior (rear) deltoids in mind, but it can also involve the trapezius and rhomboids (the muscles that move the shoulder blades closer together) to varying degrees depending on technique. As it is an isolation exercise there are others that work the shoulders and upper back more generally, but it is excellent to develop and “shape” this area.

The main issue with the rear fly is trying to lift too much weight which results in poor technique, which in turn reduces the effectiveness of the exercise. In some cases this can also mean more chances of shoulder or upper back problems. The first way to prevent this is to make sure the arms are kept almost straight, with just a slight bend at the elbow, otherwise the emphasis shifts away from the rear deltoids and more onto the trapezius which is not the intention of the exercise. The movement should be at the shoulder joint where the arm meets the torso and not further around the upper back, trapezius area.

The trapezius can become more involved at the end of the movement by squeezing the shoulder blades together, releasing, and then completing the exercise by returning to the start position if desired.

Another issue is the rear fly body position. You should be bent at the waist, whether this is sitting on a bench, a Swiss ball, or standing, but by how much can vary. Bending forward 90 degrees so horizontal with the floor is best to concentrate on the rear deltoids, but it is correct to only be at 45 degrees which puts more strain on the trapezius. Also a standing position is best as it is easier to breath and also works your core muscles. However you choose to do it, keep your head in line with your spine which means looking at the floor, rather than looking up, as this is bad for the muscles and nerves around the neck.

Finally, although range of movement is important, so is maintaining tension on the muscle. That means that when you return to the start position with your hands down towards the ground, only go as far as gravity is still having an effect before starting the next rep.

How To Do Rear Flys

1. Stand with your feet at shoulder width, your knees slightly bent, and a dumbbell in each hand.

2. Engage your core and bend forward at the waist to 90 degrees, keeping your head in line with your spine which means you will be looking at the floor.

3. Start with your arms hanging towards the ground with your palms facing in and then raise them outwards until they are horizontal.

4. Keeping your arms straight, lower back towards the start position but only as far as you can maintain tension on the muscsles.

5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Notes For Rear Flys

1. Keeps your arms straight at all times, with only a slight bend at the elbows.

2. Make sure that the only movement comes from the shoulder joint. If you want involve the trapezius and rhomboids more, do this after the shoulder joint phase.

3. Maintain a good posture by keeping the core engaged and head in line with the spine.

4. To work the trapezius more, do not bend over as far.

5. If you have back problems, sit on a bench or Swiss ball to do the rear fly exercise.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The front raise is an isolation exercise which targets the anterior deltoid of the shoulder. Its purpose when flexed is to abduct the arm, in other words lift it away from the body. It is different to the lateral raise in that it moves to the front instead of the side.

The main issues with the front raise is poor technique that leads to attempting to lift weights that are too heavy, which can result in serious damage to the rotator cuff muscles that potentially take months to properly heal. Good technique not only avoids this but gives better results.

The start position of the front raise is to have the hands spaced shoulder-width apart, which if holding dumbbells this means just in front of the thighs. However, when returning to the start position after each rep instead begin to lift the weight again before this point, which will keep the muscle under tension and help to prevent injury.

To safely increase the range of motion beyond this point, sit on a bench that is an incline position. This will allow the arm to move back a further 15 degrees or so while maintaining tension. Sitting on a bench also prevents using the back to cheat, which does nothing to benefit the shoulder.

When lifting the weight during a front raise, only go to shoulder height. Going further adds little benefit to the muscle but can cause injury. Also avoid locking your elbows and instead keep your arms straight but with a slight bend.

How To Do A Front Raise

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your knees soft and your core engaged to keep your back aligned.

2. Hold the dumbbells comfortably shoulder-width apart, palms facing down, with your arms straight other than a slight bend at the elbows which should be maintained throughout the exercise.

3. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height concentrating on using the anterior (front) deltoid to do the work, all the while maintaining a strong, upright posture.

4. Lower your arms back down to the start position only as far as you can keep the tension on the muscles and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Notes For Front Raise

1. Keep your core engaged and your posture upright throughout the exercise to avoid cheating and prevent injury. To eliminate any back-and-forth movement stand with your back against a wall. This is when you know how much your shoulders were doing the work and how much you were cheating with your back.

2. For the front raise exercise, only raise the dumbbell up to shoulder height and lower only as far as you can still maintain tension. To increase the range of movement sit on an incline bench, but still be sure to keep tension on the muscle at all times.

3. Lift the dumbbells explosively, which with proper technique and correct weight you can do safely, but lower them slowly and under control so that you get an eccentric contraction that takes 3 – 7 seconds, depending on your training goals.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

Dumbbell shrugs really only work the upper part of the trapezius, which is the muscle that when developed gives the shoulders a more rounded appearance up to the neck. Its purpose is to shrug the shoulders, or to keep the shoulder joint in position when a weight is acting upon them. A good example of this is carrying suitcases. As a secondary muscle the forearms are also involved keeping hold of the dumbbells, plus the muscles of the upper back are required to keep the posture upright, which you might feel if you have tight shoulders.

There a few common errors I see in the gym with the dumbbell shrugs, a lot of which are to do with poor technique caused by using weights that too heavy for the lifter. The first is bending the arms while shrugging which allows the biceps to help out, but the arms should actually be kept straight at all times. Lock your elbows if that helps avoid it.

Another technique issue seen a lot is lowering the head and even the upper back while shrugging, the effect of which is to involve other muscles to assist. Instead keep a good upright posture, which keeping a tight core will ensure, and knees slightly bent.

Next is limited range of movement. The shoulders should be allowed to lower beyond their natural resting position and then raised as high as possible. This varies with the flexibility of the lifter but however high you can go with no weight should be where you aim to go with weight. If the difference is noticeable it’s too heavy.

The worst thing I see regarding this exercise however, is something I was told not to do by a top-ranking pro bodybuilder when I first started training. Rotating the shoulders forwards or backwards at the top of a dumbbell shrug might seem like a good idea, but it does nothing to increase the range of movement. What it does do is increase the potential for injury and over time, damage to the shoulder joint. Shrug straight up, lower the weight straight down. That’s it.

How To Do Dumbbell Shrugs

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft and a good upright position with a dumbbell in each hand.

2. Engage your core to stabilise your back and prevent you leaning forward when lifting.

3. Keep your arms by your sides and your arms straight as you shrug your shoulders as high as you can. You might find that with this exercise it is better to breath in with the effort.

4. With your shoulders high, hold this position for a second before lower the weights back down with control, allowing your shoulders to drop down below their normal resting position.

5. Repeat for desired number of reps

Notes For Dumbbell Shrugs

1. Do not bend your arms as you lift, instead keep them straight. Lock your elbows if this helps.

2. Keep your core engaged throughout each set to maintain a good posture and help prevent cheating.

3. Allow your shoulders to drop below their normal resting position and aim to shrug as high with the weights as you can without.

4. Do not rotate your shoulders backwards or forwards. The lift is a simple straight up, straight down movement.

5. Lift the dumbbells explosively, then lower them with control so you get an eccentric contraction that takes 3 – 7 seconds depending on your training goals.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The lateral raise works the deltoid muscle of the shoulder but the effort is focussed on the lateral area, which is in-between the anterior (front) and posterior (rear) deltoid. Its purpose is to raise the arm away from the body to the side (abduction). Also involved, even with correct technique, are the trapezius and anterior deltoid muscles.

The lateral raise sounds like a pretty straightforward technique – simply raise your arms to shoulder height and then lower back to the sides, but while there are a couple of slightly different ways to do it correctly there are many ways to do it wrong. The main differences you will see in the gym are the start position can be at the hips or in front of the waist, and the arms can be bent up to 90 degrees or virtually straight. Either is technically correct but one is more effective than the other.

Starting with your hands at your hips is slightly safer in terms of injury prevention during a lateral raise, but there is a greater range of movement with hands in front of the waist and with good technique elsewhere, the risk is very small. Safety is also the issue with bent or virtually straight arms because with bent arms you can lift heavier weights, but as straighter arms means a longer lever the effort and therefore the muscle tension can be the same even if using a lighter weight. This means that there is less pressure on the joints, which is an important issue at the shoulders due to the complex system of muscles and tendons that make up the shoulder joint.

Another factor with the lateral raise is that, like all other exercises that are usually done standing up, swaying back and forth during each rep makes it easy to cheat and therefore lose exercise effectiveness and increase the risk of injury. One way to avoid this is to be sat on bench but even better is to stand with your back against a wall, which is a great way to find out how strong your deltoids really are when they’re not getting help from any cheating!

How To Do A Lateral Raise

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your knees soft and your core engaged to keep your back aligned.

2. Start with dumbbells in front of your waist and your hands facing together (palms in). Your arms should be kept straight with only a slight bend at the elbows throughout the exercise.

3. Keeping your elbows higher than your hands, raise your arms to shoulder height. This is the finish position.

4. Lower your arms back to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Notes For Lateral Raise

1. While you can start with your hands close together, when lowering the weights back to this position stop just inside your hips and begin the next rep. If you allow your hands to get any closer there is no longer any tension on the shoulders and they are effectively getting a rest. Maintain tension at all times.

2. Keep your arms straight throughout with only a slight bend at the elbows.

3. Lift your arms no higher than shoulder height, where your upper arms are horizontal, as not only is this no longer working the deltoids it can lead to injury.

4. If you find it hard not to rock back and forth as you do the lateral raise, sit on a bench with your back against the pad or stand with your back against a wall.

5. Lower the bar back to the start position so that you get an eccentric contraction that takes 3 – 7 seconds depending on your training goals, until you feel a slight pull on your shoulders.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The upright row exercise primarily works the trapezius muscle of the upper back and the deltoids of the shoulder, as well as the biceps as a secondary muscle. It can be adjusted in several ways, varying the grip width to concentrate more on the trapezius or the deltoids, or done with a cable machine, barbell or dumbbells.

Whichever piece of equipment is used to do an upright row, having a narrow grip shifts the effort from the deltoids to the trapezius, which done with correct technique and providing there are no existing rotator cuff issues is an excellent exercise. If there are then this can be solved by simply having a wider grip which concentrates the effort more on the deltoids.

How To Do An Upright Row (cable)

1. Attach a straight bar to the cable machine and set it to its lowest position.

2. Holding the bar with hands about six inches apart, stand close to the machine and engage your core to protect your back and maintain good posture.

3. Pull the bar straight up to finish just under your chin, keeping your elbows higher than your hands so that your trapezius and deltoids do the work and not your biceps.

4. Lower the bar with control back to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Notes For Upright Row

1. Hand position can vary depending on which muscle is to be targeted or for shoulder issues. A wide grip position for the upright row is typically shoulder width apart, but the finish position will instead be around chest height.

2. Stand close to the machine so that you are pulling the bar vertically upwards and not out towards you.

3. Keeping your elbows higher than your hands will prevent assistance from the biceps. Also do not lean back as you pull.

4. Lower the bar back to the start position so that you get an eccentric contraction that takes 3 – 7 seconds depending on your training goals, until you feel a slight pull on your shoulders.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The triceps muscle (otherwise known as the triceps brachii) is mainly responsible for extending the arm. It originates at the shoulder blade (scapula) and inserts at the tip of the ulna, which is one of the bones in the forearm.

The triceps extension is done using a cable machine and because of the position your arms for this exercise, it works the muscle in the mid-range. For this reason it is best done later on in your triceps workout after shortest and longest position exercises.

One of the two most common mistakes with the triceps extension is not having a full range of movement. When the arm is straight the elbows should be almost locked, which is a good thing only when doing triceps exercises, and when the arms are bent make sure they are fully bent. A good way to do this is to briefly contract the bicep. Until you can do this your arm isn’t bent sufficiently.

The second common mistake is allowing movement other than at the elbows, whether this is at the shoulders or even the back. Both are due to starting with a weight that is too heavy, or fatigue as the set progresses and both are a way to cheat, reducing the effectiveness of the reverse triceps extension.

How To Do A Triceps Extension

1. Attach a straight bar to the cable machine and set it to its highest position.

2. Stand close and hold the bar with your palms facing down, shoulder width apart.

3. Engage your core muscles, keep your head up and have your upper arms tight against the side of your body as you fully straighten them.

4. Now with control, fully bend your arms making sure that the only movement is coming from your elbows and repeat this for the required number of reps.

Notes For Triceps Extension

1. Stand close to the machine but far enough that the bar or your hands can move freely without touching it.

2. Keep your upper arms tight against the sides of your body at all times to help prevent the shoulders becoming involved.

3. Bend your arm with control so that you get an eccentric contraction, which should take 3-7 seconds depending on your training goals, until you feel your bicep start to contract. When you do, immediately straighten your arm explosively to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibres.

4. When doing a triceps extension, make sure that you fully straighten your arm to get a full contraction.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.

The triceps muscle (otherwise known as the triceps brachii) is mainly responsible for extending the arm. It originates at the shoulder blade (scapula) and inserts at the tip of the ulna, which is one of the bones in the forearm.

The close hands push up is very similar to a standard push up except the hands are a lot closer together, taking the effort off the pectorals because of the lack of adduction (inward movement) at the shoulder. In a standard push up the hands are about shoulder-width apart, similar to a bench press, which allows the chest and triceps to get involved and share the work. With a wider position move effort is on the chest but there is smaller range of movement, while in a close hands press up there is very little movement on the chest which forces the triceps to take the strain.

The usual position for the hands in a close hands push up is generally to have them a few inches apart rather than very close as this can put pressure on the wrists, but for some people this isn’t a problem.

How To Do A Close Hands Push Up

1. Get into a standard push up position, on your toes with your arms straight, but with your hands as close together as is comfortable. This is the start position.

2. With your back straight, bend your arms with control aiming to get a close to the floor as possible. This is the finish position.

3. Push the floor away keeping your arms tucked in and return to the start and repeat for the required number of reps.

Notes For Close Hands Push Up

1. Engage your core throughout the exercise which will help you keep and straight back and good body position.

2. Do not lock your elbows at any point. Keep them soft even in the start position.

3. Bend your arms with control so that you get an eccentric contraction, which should take 3-7 seconds depending on your training goals, and straighten your arms explosively to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibres.

4. Holding the finish position for a second will add an isometric contraction to the exercise.

As always, any questions or feedback leave a comment below.