Recommend me some upper body weights exercises to do at home

jayclock

I am a fit triathlete who does tons of swim bike and run training and have done for years. I am looking for a recommendation for some upper body exercises to work on those muscles. I want to do this from home using some free weights. Are these any use http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3024399.htm ?

Can someone recommend some realistic exercises to do, and if those weights are no good, something sensibly priced and weights suited to me? Aged 52, 5'9" (177cm) and weigh 88kg. Looking to reduce weight to about 79.999999kg! Weight loss through calorie deficit is going fine (4kg in last month)

concordancia

Push ups
Pull ups
Military presses
Tricep dips

ecologyguy

If those weights will be heavy enough to be challenging but light enough that you don't endanger your joint health then there's no reason not to use them. If you're not sure how challenging those weights will be you can try the following exercises with a gallon jug of water for each hand (that would be about halfway between the middle and heavier of those weights):

3 sets of 8-10 reps:
1-arm Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Front Raise
Dumbbell Overhead Press
Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell Kickbacks

You can do an internet search on any of those if you're unclear on the movement. These are some of the more basic, safer dumbbell movements that recruit major muscle groups and stabilizing muscles, so trying them out with a gallon jug of water will give you a good idea if you're going to get good use from the dumbbell set you linked.

If you aren't at all challenged by that weight you might want to consider getting some adjustable weight dumbbells. Those generally go up to around 50lbs at 5 lb intervals and will be heavy enough for just about anything you're likely to get up to, but it can be a bit annoying to constantly change the weight instead of having them available to just pick up. However you end up working it, there are other dumbbell exercises that will probably help with your swimming:

Rotator Cuff Exercises(!!!)
Dumbbell Chest Fly (and inclined)
Dumbbell Back Fly (bent over/inclined, or on a bench)
Dumbbell Side Raise
Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension

These involve some smaller muscle groups and can put joints at a more disadvantaged position and so it's important to be more careful with the amount of weight you use. Rotator cuff exercises especially involve some of the smallest and most vulnerable muscles in your shoulders and are often neglected to the long-term detriment of the shoulder. You can do them with very light weights - even the big guys in gyms can be seen doing them with 5 lb weights (gym noobs laugh, then hurt their shoulders after a few months, then start doing them too).

Of course, bodyweight exercises are great too - pushups, reverse pushups (horizontal position pulling yourself up to a bar or broom set across chairs or whatever), bench dips (dips between chairs might be a little rough on your shoulders too), squats (and squats and squats and squats - take the time to get the position right, video yourself doing them and compare to instructional videos - it is sooo worth it to do these and do them right!), stiff-leg deadlifts with dumbbells (not bodyweight - so sue me :P ), pullups if you can do them, etc. It might be worth it to divide your workouts into muscle groups rather than trying to fit everything into one whole-body session because that will give muscles more time to recover before being seriously challenged again. Weight lifting works because the muscles get slightly damaged through use, and then heal stronger, so recovery time is actually what makes you stronger!

jayclock

that all looks excellent. I was not impressed with the ones that needed screwing an unscrewing to change the weights.!

ecologyguy

Let us know how it works out!