There is nothing that signals being in shape quite like a six pack stomach. It is a badge of honor in the fitness industry that signifies dedication and hard work to your fitness goals. It’s also one of the most asked about and misunderstood subjects in the health and industry for the simple fact that most people go about trying to build washboard abs the wrong way.

Part of the problem is the way most people go about building their set of killer abs. Doing hundreds of sit-ups and crunches will build those muscles, but there is more to it then that. You have to see those abs and most people have a nice layer of fat hiding theirs. You see having a set of stellar abs is a function of not only muscle development but also body fat, and to take it one step further it is a function of overall fitness levels.

You see there is more to six pack abs then just being lean and having strong abdominal muscles. A truly fit person has overall bodily strength, endurance, and stability that comes from a combination of healthy diet and core strength exercises. Make no mistake, there is no secret shortcut to building a six pack stomach. It will take a lifestyle centered around nutrition and training if you want to succeed.

The key to a building strong abdominals is improving your core strength. Your core is your entire midsection that includes the muscles around your hips, waist, and back. If all you do is focus on your abdominal muscles you will create an imbalance that can set you up for lower back problems and pain. By focusing on your core you can develop your abs, your core, and your back which creates balance and prevents back issues.

You don’t want to be one dimensional with your training. If you see the body as a whole system and work it as such you will see not only improvement in your abs but also your entire body. This is known as multidimensional training and it will allow you to develop a strong core and functional body.

Look at it this way, your stomach muscles are part of a system. You need to build the entire system for the best results. If you isolate and only work your abdominals without doing core strength exercises you will defeat the purpose of your training. By working your entire core you will become stronger and prevent injuries that will slow down any progress you may be making.

Dumbbell workouts have been around for many years, especially as part of weight training equipment and programs. Fad workouts and equipment have come and gone, but dumbbell workouts have remained an easy, inexpensive way to get in shape and strengthen muscles. Their reliability and effectiveness are just some of the reasons for the longevity of their popularity. Add in the fact that they take up little space and cost far less than many other types of equipment, and it becomes clear that they are a perfect choice for many fitness fans,especially as part of a home gym. There are many different dumbbell workouts that can be done at home.

Advantages of Dumbbell Workouts
Working with dumbbells has several advantages over other types of equipment that use resistance. For instance, by their very nature, dumbbell workouts require you to use stabilizing muscles that are important to strength, balance, and posture. Unlike some exercise equipment that utilizes movements that may take some getting used to, dumbbell exercises use many of the body’s natural movement patterns and also incorporate a greater range of movement than many other types of fitness equipment. And the flexibility of dumbbell workouts means that you can target specific areas of the body very effectively.

Dumbbell Safety
In addition, experts recommend that with any type of weightlifting program, you have someone spot you at all times. Spotting entails having a person who watches every step of your workout to be sure you are not overextending yourself and to provide support and encouragement at critical points. A properly executed dumbbell workout will push your muscles to their limits and even a lightweight dumbbell can hurt like heck if you drop it on your head or toe. Lastly, it is a good idea to check with your physician or fitness professional before beginning exercises if you have health concerns or have experienced an injury, especially in the back or shoulder area.

Before getting started with dumbbell weights, there are some basic safety rules to follow. As with all forms of exercise, it is best to start with some stretches or warm ups to loosen and prepare each muscle group. Failing to stretch the muscles can result in strains, tears and other injuries. It is also important to learn how to do the exercises properly, using correct form and technique before moving to heavier dumbbell weight sets and more difficult dumbbell workouts. There is a wrong way to do the exercises, and this too can result in injury or at a minimum, a lack of conditioning or effectiveness. Using a mirror helps you to see if you are using correct form.

Dumbbell Workout Exercises

When people think of dumbbell workouts, they often think of working the biceps and triceps. And in fact, dumbbells are ideal for strengthening and growing these muscle groups. However, there are exercises that incorporate dumbbells in ways that work every major muscle group in the body. The following six exercises each tackle one area of the body. They are some of the most common and easy to understand.

1.) Build those biceps
Hammer Curls – Stand straight and slightly loose with a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms on each side of your body with your palms facing each leg. Keep your elbows tight against your body, curl the weights up in a hammer motion and slowly return to the starting position. You can work both arms simultaneously or alternate the two. Repeat as many times as possible. Remember the goal is to fatigue the muscle.

2.) Try your triceps
Press – Lie flat on a mat or weight bench. With a dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms straight above your head, palms facing each other about two inches apart. Keep your shoulders pressed flat and avoid moving them. Bend your elbows and slowly lower the weights until your hands are on either side of your head. Push your arms back to the extended position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

3.) Shoulder the load
Shoulder Press – Can be performed sitting or standing. Sitting is recommended for beginners, as is a chair or bench with back support. With a dumbbell weight in each hand, extend your arms directly over your head, keeping elbows slightly bent to avoid locking. Slowly lower your arms until they are bent in a 90-degree angle, then push back to extended position and repeat. It is important to be sure you are pressing straight overhead as the tendency is to move at a diagonal.

4.) Best Chests
Flies – This exercise can be done lying flat or at a slight incline with back supported. With a weight in each hand, extend arms above your chest with palms facing each other. Bend your elbows slightly and be sure to keep that bend throughout the exercise. Lower your arms to either side until your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Push back to the extended position and repeat.

5.) Back to basics
Bench Rows – This exercise requires a bench set at a 30-degree incline. Adjust the height of the bench so that when you lie face down on the bench, your hands just barely touch the floor. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with your palms turned toward your feet. Bend your arm at the elbow and lift the dumbbells to your sides so that your upper arm is parallel with the ground. Slowly return the weights to the starting position and repeat.

6.) Get a leg up
Lunges – This is an exercise that is often included in an aerobics workout. Adding a dumbbell helps target the leg muscles and increases the strengthening effectiveness. Stand straight with feet about 12-18 inches apart. With a dumbbell in each hand, held at your sides, step forward with one foot, bending the knee at a 90-degree angle. Allow the other leg to bend automatically and that knee to just barely touch the floor. Push back to an upright position with the original foot and repeat. Do a set leading with the opposite foot as well, or alternate after each lunge.

These are just a few of the different dumbbell workout options. Trainers and fitness professionals have developed dumbbell exercises for all levels and situations. Dumbbells are an inexpensive, versatile way to burn calories and target specific muscle groups. They work well for people with limited space and for anyone who wants to add difficulty to an existing workout.

About the Author:

C.J. Gustafson is a successful writer for Best-Home-Gyms.com, providing consumer information and reviews on the best home gyms, strength training equipment, adjustable dumbbells and the best ab machines.

If you’re trying to do right by your quality of life, you need to realize that it is all holistic. For example, you’ll need to get your health in order so that you can have more energy and overall wellness each day.

In this regard, looking into bodybuilding can be one of the best steps to take. You’ll look great and feel great, and your body will respond accordingly.

A number of men right now are also dealing with low testosterone, which doesn’t let them feel like themselves, and can even lead to chronic disease. Men and women alike also deal with chronic fatigue, brain fog, and chronic pain — all of which can be remedied with some attention to building one’s physique.

When you’d like to build a healthy, strong body from the ground up, powerlifting exercises can be just what you need.

Let’s dive into some of the key exercises below to get you started.

1. Bench Press

If you’ve ever considered getting into powerlifting you probably know just how integral the bench press is an exercise. This is often the metric that many people who lift measure themselves and each other by, and is one of the most important metrics for players entering the NFL Draft.

You will definitely want to get your bench press form down pat and do this exercise on a regular basis.

When you bench press properly you are getting your entire body involved. It starts by laying on your back beneath the bench rack with the right amount of weight set up.

You spread your arms roughly shoulder-width apart and maintain the proper grips. Be sure that you have your feet planted squarely on the ground, and push off both with your feet and your arms to get lift off with the weight.

One rep occurs when you bring the weight down to your chest and then lift it all the way up with your arms extended. This is an important exercise that will help you improve your upper body strength quickly.

Make sure that you are increasing the weights by about 5 to 10 pounds each week, and most importantly, that you are using proper form with each and every rep so that you can get the most out of them.

Take the time to breathe in and out rhythmically during each extension so that you can feed your muscles the oxygen that they need to get through each workout. This will also help you to concentrate through each rep, and allow you to build both muscle tone and total strength.

2. Squats

If you need a powerlifting exercise that is great for the whole body, you will also want to throw some squats into the mix.

This is an exercise that involves you putting the bar on your back behind your back, and then squatting your lower body while keeping your back upright. You then use your lower body to explode upward with the weight, which completes the rep.

When you squat on a regular basis, you will also want to invest in a lifting belt that can support your back.

You will start to see some serious gains when you squat on a regular basis. The reason for this is that it works your entire body, and also strengthens your core, which holds your entire muscle groups together.

Doing squats is excellent for your overall health and will allow you to build legitimate strength. Make sure that you are keeping the right form so that you don’t injure your back or neck.

As you do these sorts of exercises on a regular basis, you must also fortify your body with the right nutrition. A lot of bodybuilders ingest hemp seeds because of their protein and omega 3 fatty acid content.

3. Incline Bench Press

Next, to the bench press, the incline bench press is an incredible power lift to add to your regimen. This is a lift that works different muscle groups and supports the other work that you put into your upper body.

This is the same as the bench press, except that the bench rack is kept upright, as opposed to lying down. Because of this, you have less support beneath you, and it is a bit more difficult to do a rep.

By doing a mix of both bench press and incline bench press, you will be able to really activate your entire upper body and core in ways that you couldn’t do by sticking to just one of these exercises.

4. Power Cleans

This is an exercise that builds both your upper and lower body.

You begin with the weights and bar situated on the ground, and then use your lower body and an explosive snatching move with your arms to lift the weights to your chest. From there, you hold the weights tight to your chest before dropping the weights to the ground.

Because this builds legitimate total body strength, you’ll find that you will start to find gains in your other lifts. This form of strength will also translate into other activities, including long-distance running and martial arts.

It’s important that you keep your form so that you are able to handle these power cleans without injuring yourself in the process.

5. “Good Mornings”

Good mornings are particularly great for your core muscles. When you build a strong and healthy core, it helps to prevent total body injuries, which is important as you age.

This is particularly important because so many people deal with nagging back injuries, which may actually be the result of a weak core.

When you do Good Mornings, you start with the bar behind your neck and on your back, similar to squats. You stand with your feet shoulder width apart and make sure that your weight is balanced.

Keeping your back straight, bend forward slowly at the waist, and then extend your back into a standing position. This is an exercise that works both your back and your core muscles.

You will want to start these exercises with light weights so that you can test your strength and make sure that you don’t run the risk of hurting yourself. This is yet another exercise that will give you full body strength that will carry over into other parts of your workout regimen.

6. Overhead Military Press

When you do a power clean, the next natural evolution of it is to do an overhead military press.

People often refer to this exercise as the clean and jerk. With this exercise, you start with a power clean, ending at the position of having the weight to your chest.

From there, you bend your lower body and then explode upward, extending the bar high above your head, and powering your legs out into a sort of a running stance.

This exercise works both your upper body and lower body so that you can build these muscle groups and helps you to have longevity from a strength point of view.

7. Deadlifts

This is another core exercise that is important to any bodybuilding regimen, similar to the bench press.

When you engage in deadlifts on a regular basis, you are able to build both your lower body and your back. With this exercise, you start with the bar and weights on the ground, standing over it with your feet shoulder-width apart.

Bend at the knees and lower your butt so that your shoulders are just over your knees, and your chest is tucked. Lift with your lower body and stand up so that your back is straight, and then lower the bar and weights back to the ground.

These lifts are simple in form but go a long way toward building strength to your entire body.

8. Pull-Ups

This may not be a “lift” of sorts, but is definitely one of the most important power lifts that you can engage in.

It starts with a pull-up bar situated above your head so that you can jump and attach to it, hoisting your body above the ground. Hold onto the bar with your grips a good distance apart, with your palms either facing you or facing outward.

With this exercise, you complete one rep when you pull up to the point that your chin is above the bar. You’ll need to complete these reps with just your arms, as opposed to swinging with your legs or jumping up and maneuvering your chin above the bar.

Pull-ups are one of the absolute best total body exercises that you can engage in that will make you much stronger with every form of fitness that you engage in.

When you stay hydrated, you are giving your muscles and brain what it needs on a daily basis. You’ll find that you’ll be better able to crank out more pull-ups and improve your max by doing something as simple as drinking more water each day.

9. Bent Rows

This is one of the best powerlifting exercises because it builds your chest and back muscles.

You start by holding the bar in front of you while you are bent at the waist. One rep involves letting the bar drop so that you are holding it by your knees, and then pulling upward, working your biceps and triceps.

Make sure that you keep your back stationary so that you are only working your arms, as opposed to swinging the bar with your legs and momentum.

When you do these rows on a regular basis, you will develop a strong upper body.

10. Power Curls

With power curls, you are working your biceps and chest to the fullest.

Set the weight up evenly on both sides, stand straight up, and hold the bar outward with your arms extended. Curl the bar so that your elbows bend at 45-degree angles, until the weights hit your chest, and then bring them back down to your waist.

You will want to add more weight incrementally in order to get the biggest gains in strength from this exercise.

11. Kettlebell Exercises

Today, kettlebells are truly taking off in popularity.

They are becoming more popular because the weights are easier to grip and move in a way that moves naturally. You can use kettlebells to replicate natural movements so that you can build functional strength.

So many athletes in many different sports are beginning to incorporate kettlebell exercises because they are so versatile and can make you incredibly strong.

You will also be able to improve your grip strength, which allows you to build your forearms, biceps, and triceps in the process. Using kettlebells allows you to work both your upper and lower body, and get a great workout even when you aren’t lifting a lot of weight.

You can start small and increase to bigger and heavier kettlebells so that you can work different muscle groups and build your total body strength point by point.

Try These Powerlifting Exercises

When you’re trying to do right by your health and fitness, powerlifting is one of the best exercises that you can truly get to know. By learning the best powerlifting exercises available, you’ll get healthy and strong so you can enjoy a long and fulfilling life.

By mixing in these powerlifting exercises, you will have a strong workout regimen that is useful to you. Follow these tips so that you can start getting stronger.

For everything from tips to have proper form while you lift, to shopping for the best powerlifting apparel, don’t hesitate to get in touch.