Jimi Varner

Bodyweight Pushups

This first Home Gym exercise can be done ANYWHERE. First, kneel down to the floor and place your hands flat on the floor and slightly wider than shoulder width apart. With your shoulders directly over your hands, straighten your arms. Move your feet back, with your toes on the floor, so that your knees are off the floor and your legs are straight. Try to form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Your body should remain straight throughout this exercise. Keep your head and neck in line with your body so that you are looking down toward the floor. This is the starting position. Begin to lower your body down toward the floor, bending your elbows, until your body is within 2 – 3 inches of touching the floor. Now, push your body up & away from the floor, straightening your arms, until you have returned to the starting position. If this position is too hard, you can perform the pushup from your knees, or better yet, try using a sturdy bench or use the wall for further modification.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Now, you will be using your Home Gym. Sit on the front of a flat bench with dumbbells on your knees. Slowly and with control, roll onto your back while bringing the dumbbells up to a position slightly outside and above your shoulders. Your palm should face forwards. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle so that your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Press the weights up over your chest in an arced motion until they meet above the centerline of your body. As you lift, focus on keeping the weights balanced and under control. Then, follow the same path downward until your arms are slightly below parallel to the floor.

Dumbbell Flyes

Similar set up to the Dumbbell Press (see above) Lift the dumbbells over your chest by extending your arms. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows. Keep your hips and shoulders flat on the bench and your feet on the floor. Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your body in an arc-like motion. At the lowest point, your bent elbows should be on a horizontal plane even with the bench. Slowly bring the weights back up over your chest in an arc. The bend in your elbows should be consistently the same throughout the exercise.