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Muscular Endurance > Flyes and Cleans

This short routine for shoulders and pecs is performed with dumbbells.

Flyes: Lie on your back, either on the floor or a bench. Hold the dumbbells overhead and lower each to your side, while keeping your arms reasonable straight. When the dumbbells have reached the floor, you will be in the position of a cross.

Pullovers: As before, lie on your back, either on the floor or a bench. Hold the dumbbells overhead and lower each backwards. When the dumbbells have reached the floor, you will be in the position of the capital letter I. You may choose to alternate these with the dumbbell flyes.

Supine Hammer Raises: Lie down on a bench, facing up. Reach down to the floor to grab the dumbbells, and hold them with a hammer grip. A hammer grip means that the dumbbells are straight up and down; one set of weight plates are facing the ceiling while the other plates are facing the floor. With your arms locked straight, lift the dumbbells until they are a few inches above your thighs. This movement will work both your biceps and shoulders.

Klingon Salutes: On Star Trek, the big Klingons would salute by pounding their right first over the left side of their chest. We will perform a similar movement with dumbbells. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Do the Klingon salute with you right hand followed by your left.

Cleans: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Raise each dumbbell forward as you keep your elbows in place by your sides. The dumbbells will follow a circular path as they swing up and come to rest on your shoulders. As the dumbbells near your shoulders, your elbows will also rise.

Dumbbell Situps: This is for your pecs and not your abs. Hold a dumbbell close in front of you as you perform regular situps. A you sit up, cradle the dumbbell close to your chest and squeeze your pecs as hard as you can.

Afterwards, I might throw in a set of Dips. Place each hand on parallel objects such as gymnastic bars or high chairs. With your feet in the air, lower yourself down and raise yourself back up. A straight dip in which you remain vertical will emphasize the triceps. A dip in which you lean forward will emphasize the pectorals. Both forms of the dip will work the shoulders.