Free weight moves for the back and arms
MelanieCN77
Posts: 4,047 Member
I am looking for ways to work on my back and upper arm muscles using just free weights. I don't have a bench, just a mat and my weights. I do superman rows and back flies bent over for back, and my other free weight moves seem to be working my shoulders more than anything. I'm not averse to finding a bench but if I can work around it I'd rather not put more stuff in my house. I do have resistance bands and found how to do a chest press variation using a door/handles. I guess I feel like my shoulders are like yeah man and my actual arms and back are like what about us. My routine I usually go through:
bicep curls narrow and wide
swimmer/overhead press
shoulder raise/fly
front raises
overhead tricep dip?
tricep kick back
lawnmower
heavy pants
back fly
superman row
shrugs
chest press
bicep curls narrow and wide
swimmer/overhead press
shoulder raise/fly
front raises
overhead tricep dip?
tricep kick back
lawnmower
heavy pants
back fly
superman row
shrugs
chest press
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Replies
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How heavy are your weights?0
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I have no idea what half of the movements listed are. A few ideas;
Back
Rows
Rear delt fly
Shrugs
Arms
Curls (any variation
Overhead extension
Kickback0 -
If you don't want to get a bench, consider getting a reinforced stability ball. Much more compacts. Also, if you want to maximize your results, because throwing together a bunch of moves will generally cause imbalance, you may want to consider some of the dumbbell routines in the below link. The M&S one is good and the GBC is tough.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p13 -
trigden1991 wrote: »I have no idea what half of the movements listed are. A few ideas;
Back
Rows
Rear delt fly
Shrugs
Arms
Curls (any variation
Overhead extension
Kickback
I haven't heard of a lot of those either so I assume they are part of some program you buy on video tapes. Overhead dips? No clue how that's even possible. I agree with your list but kickbacks aren't the greatest IMO unless you are doing them on an incline to increase resistance through the movement (i.e. sitting on an incline bench facing the seat), but lacking a cable machine or bench there isn't a lot. I would add skull crushers to that list and pull ups and chin ups for the back as well and good old fashioned pushups as well.
OP Chest press IS a bench press so I can only assume that you are doing a floor press. Here are a couple links so you can see what might be done at home http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/10/muscle/triceps and http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/4/muscle/middle-back
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I'm guessing overhead dips are tricep extensions. Because you dip the dumbbell behind your head? Lawnmower would be one arm dumbbell rows? That still leaves heavy pants. I sometimes pant heavily between sets but I do not think that could be it.2
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I'm guessing overhead dips are tricep extensions. Because you dip the dumbbell behind your head? Lawnmower would be one arm dumbbell rows? That still leaves heavy pants. I sometimes pant heavily between sets but I do not think that could be it.
I was thinking that as well for the first two but they are odd descriptions for exercises with common names, which is way I think it was some type of commercial program either that or she got them from someone who was just making up new names because they didn't know the common terms. Superman rows? Heavy Pants? No clue. Unless Superman rows are bent over rows but I still can't even guess at heavy pants.
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Many of these seem like the moves from P90X.1
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Wheelhouse15 wrote: »trigden1991 wrote: »I have no idea what half of the movements listed are. A few ideas;
Back
Rows
Rear delt fly
Shrugs
Arms
Curls (any variation
Overhead extension
Kickback
I haven't heard of a lot of those either so I assume they are part of some program you buy on video tapes. Overhead dips? No clue how that's even possible. I agree with your list but kickbacks aren't the greatest IMO unless you are doing them on an incline to increase resistance through the movement (i.e. sitting on an incline bench facing the seat), but lacking a cable machine or bench there isn't a lot. I would add skull crushers to that list and pull ups and chin ups for the back as well and good old fashioned pushups as well.
OP Chest press IS a bench press so I can only assume that you are doing a floor press. Here are a couple links so you can see what might be done at home http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/10/muscle/triceps and http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/4/muscle/middle-back
I thought my list was rather short. Skull crushers and "rollbacks" from an Ed Coan video, are staples in my arm routine. Agree on kickbacks although for a beginner they should provide enough muscular engagement.1 -
Instead of looking for particular exercises, I would suggest finding a well-structured program that includes all body parts. Much better than doing your own thing with this exercise and that exercise, unless you are a trainer or have years of experience.3
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Instead of looking for particular exercises, I would suggest finding a well-structured program that includes all body parts. Much better than doing your own thing with this exercise and that exercise, unless you are a trainer or have years of experience.
There are all kinds of home programs online that also shows you how to do the exercises. It sounds like you don't have a lot of experience lifting. So I would encourage you to go online and do the search see what comes the closest to match what you have.0 -
MelanieCN77 wrote: »heavy pants
how does wearing heavy pants help your back?
i do pendlay rows as part of my routine. and chinups, although i'm still just working on my 'eccentric' ones. they do more to my lats than most other things.
front squats though. i started adding them about two weeks ago, and i think they're another one. i use a barbell though, so idk how they would be if you don't have one.
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I haven't done P90X, I did do P90 way back.
Yes tricep dip is overhead tricep extension, I couldn't think of the name. Heavy pants is like a bent over row with both arms. Superman row is lying face down and rowing, like an overhead press but horizontal. Obviously there is a "lifting" lingo but I also find it varies depending on where you look and who you listen to. Chest press I can do on the floor like a bench press yes, but I also found a way to do it with a band, wrapped around door handles,standing up. So vocabulary aside, I'm looking for arm specific things.
My weights are 5-15, depending on the move.0 -
If you don't want to get a bench, consider getting a reinforced stability ball. Much more compacts. Also, if you want to maximize your results, because throwing together a bunch of moves will generally cause imbalance, you may want to consider some of the dumbbell routines in the below link. The M&S one is good and the GBC is tough.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Thank you, I'll check this out!0 -
Instead of looking for particular exercises, I would suggest finding a well-structured program that includes all body parts. Much better than doing your own thing with this exercise and that exercise, unless you are a trainer or have years of experience.
I'm not only doing those things every day. I play a team sport and use my treadmill and do abs and vary my workouts, I just literally wanted advice on what gets to arms more than shoulders with free weights.0 -
I realize this isn't what you're asking but I can't think of a better exercise to hit the back and arms than the pullup.
While I prefer the ones that get put into studs, the door frame pullup bars can be had cheap, and are easy to install and use.0 -
MelanieCN77 wrote: »I haven't done P90X, I did do P90 way back.
Yes tricep dip is overhead tricep extension, I couldn't think of the name. Heavy pants is like a bent over row with both arms. Superman row is lying face down and rowing, like an overhead press but horizontal. Obviously there is a "lifting" lingo but I also find it varies depending on where you look and who you listen to. Chest press I can do on the floor like a bench press yes, but I also found a way to do it with a band, wrapped around door handles,standing up. So vocabulary aside, I'm looking for arm specific things.
My weights are 5-15, depending on the move.
There is actually a very established terminology for exercises, which is why you are confusing the experienced lifters. Take a look at the links I posted and you can search for specific body parts as well as overall programs for all experience levels of lifters on Bodybuilding.com. Once you have an idea of what looks good to you there you can ask a few more questions and get some better responses since you'll have a better idea of what you are looking for.0 -
For your back, brace yourself on a chair with one hand while you do rows with the other, so you can do more weight. You can also put a broomstick between two highchairs, grab the stick at the ends where it meets each surface to make it more durable, and do bodyweight rowes by pulling your body up off the ground. You may want to also get one of those doorway chin-up bars. You can do weighten hip thrusts, just rest your upper body on furniture, like a couch. And, bench press like this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJPGub6u2pg 0
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