Q&A for How to Work Out at Home Using Hand Weights

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How do I use hand weights to work on my abs?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

One way is to hold one or two dumbbells at chest height while doing crunches. The "Straight Arm pullover" described above, can work the abs, especially if you raise your legs up to meet the dumbbells as the arms pull the dumbbells from overhead to above the chest.

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What exercise gets rid of arm flab?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Cardio will burn fat overall, and arm exercises will build muscle and tone which will improve the shape of your arms.

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What exercises can I do with free weights?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Aim to do exercises for all the major muscle groups: bent over rows for the back, held dumbbell lunges for the legs and gluteals, overhead press for the shoulders, and pec flyes for the chest. Build on those to add variety and work the smaller muscles.

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Can you build muscle without lifting weights?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Yes, you can build muscle using the resistance of your own body weight, as with pushups, lunges, squats and calf raises, to name a few exercises.

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Do planks work out your chest?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Yes, the pectorals help support your body weight in the plank exercise, which means you're working them as you perform planks.

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What is the best exercise for pectoral muscles?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

The bench press or dumbbell presses and pec flyes are the most effective exercises for working the pectoral muscles.

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Question

How do you develop your pecs?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

You can develop your pecs by following a specific exercise plan of weight lifting, bench presses, pec flyes, and push ups, in combination with a healthy diet containing sufficient protein to build muscle.

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Question

What can I use as weights at home?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Milk jugs, laundry detergent containers filled with sand or water, or even cans can be useful weights.

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Question

How often should I exercise in a week?

Community Answer

At least 150 minutes of exercise per week is recommended. You should distribute this time evenly by exercising regularly. Exercising 5-6 days a week is ideal.

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Question

Do these exercises affect the height of teens?

Community Answer

No, they should have no impact on height whatsoever.

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What are the best ways to work out as a teen?

Community Answer

Squeeze in small exercises when you can. If you're stuck on a homework problem or don't know what to write next, just do some short but intense sets.

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What is the best weight to use for hand weights?

Community Answer

It depends on you. Pick something light enough to lift, but heavy enough to make you work.

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How do I do a workout for my forearms?

Community Answer

Exercising your hands can help with your forearms. The tendons in your hands are connected to muscles in your forearms, the grips that you squeeze in your hands or simply squeezing a hi-bounce ball (most commonly used for handball) can help you with this.

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Question

Can I use weights for belly fat?

Community Answer

Weight lifting and exercise won't target fat in a particular area. Spot reduction in weight loss is a myth. Weight lifting regimens that are core-strengthening will help with your abdominal area and leave you with nice looking abs, but you might need to lose some weight first. I'd recommend you start with doing some cardio.

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Question

Should I do all of these exercises at once, or focus on upper body one day and lower body the next day?

Community Answer

Normally, exercise is split between different body areas, then alternated every other day. This allows the muscles to rest and grow larger.

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Question

What's an exercise I can do to work out my stomach?

Randy Munro

Community Answer

Lie flat on your back, holding a 10 lb dumbell in each hand straight behind you on the floor (like you would to start floor pullovers, only just keep them on the floor to stabilize your torso). Now, lift both feet about one foot off the floor and, holding them together, do figure 8's with your feet. Since this is not a 'weight lifting' exercise, you can pretty much do them every day.

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What is an exercise to work out my upper legs?

Community Answer

Do high knees and hold at the highest for three seconds. It will really help your leg and thigh muscles. You can also do squats, lunges, or leg lifts.

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Question

Can I use hand weights for exercising when I have neck pain?

Ally Jo

Community Answer

No, you will only stress your muscles and make them more sore. Your arm tendons are connected to your neck tendons, and if you try to work out, you will only make the pain worse.

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What's the best exercise to do for my inner upper thighs?

Community Answer

I would advise squats using body weight first, then small weights. Cycling is also good.

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Can doing sit-ups with weights help me work out?

Community Answer

Yes, because this would build up your abdomen muscles. Perform this exercise by only using one dumbbell or weight plate, holding it in the center of your chest. This is even more effective on an inclined sit-up bench.

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Can I use dumbbells if I have disc 4/5 problems?

Community Answer

Lifting heavy weights or running marathons might not be a good idea if you have significant disc degeneration or many DDD symptoms. Instead, your goal should be doing regular, moderate exercise, which will help strengthen your muscles, bones, and joints.

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