Begin with your torso upright. It tastes amazing, it fuels muscle growth, and it makes your overworked joints feel better. An anti-rotation exercise, this movement trains the same muscles you use during the Side Bend, but in a way that's more functional to sports performance and injury prevention. Add poundage gradually over time, using small increments. The needle is better than the knife. And if "butt wink" is a problem, there are easy ways to fix it. Your core muscles are designed to resist movement, not create it. Moving a dumbbell up and down over a few inches hardly qualifies as a challenging exercise—maybe that's why it's popular. | Need to jump higher? Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level, Tip: The Dumbbell Side Bend is for Dummies, Tip: Hack Your Nervous System, Set New PRs, Chill Out With This Non-Prescription Drug, Tip: A Very Weird Way to Boost Your Vertical, Tip: 3 Reasons Trap Bar Deadlifts Are King, The Best Damn Strength Plan For Natural Lifters, The Best Damn Workout Plan For Natural Lifters, Tip: You'll Never Do Crunches the Same Way Again. All Rights Reserved. So instead of using dumbbells, use a single cable that's at roughly a 45-degree angle to your body. SPINE. Building strong obliques is an important part of developing your core. Then get your partner to start working out with you. Fortunately, there are many more effective exercises to choose from that target these muscles. Side Bending Correctly. The Dumbbell Side Bend takes you through a range of motion that is limited to that specific exercise. Walk forward for a specified time or distance. Try These Drills, Pectoral Tendon Ruptures and Injury Prevention. Nick trains a select group of clients and athletes, and runs a mentorship program for fitness professionals in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. De-stress and take the edge off without feeling drugged. Here's how. Bend your arms to return to the starting position. Probably because they're making these mistakes. Here's what to skip, plus alternatives to get you jacked and fix that ugly posture. How come some people go to the gym a lot but don't look like it? It's best to avoid this movement so you don't put stress on your back—similar to why you should also avoid Sit-Ups and Crunches. Vince Gironda was a legendary bodybuilding coach, and you can still learn a lot from him today. Of course, the weight of the dumbbell offsets the weight on the other side, making this exercise ineffective at sufficiently loading the lateral flexors of the torso. Check this out. Aim to bring the left side of your ribcage toward your left hip. SPORTS The dumbbell is very close to your body, giving you a mechanical advantage over the weight. Spot reduction is a myth... except when it works. To the point where it hurts more to hold the weights then to actually do the workout. Here's something that will do just that. This is the case with the Dumbbell Side Bend, an old-school oblique exercise you should remove from your repertoire and send it to the Training Trash Bin. There's just not much resistance. An exercise may be popular, but that doesn't mean it's effective. It doesn’t matter if you’re squatting, deadlifting, straight-leg deadlifting, rowing, or even doing triceps kickbacks, you must STOP doing these exercises with a rounded lower back.That’s a one-way ticket to a herniated disc. Keeping your core tight, extend your arms in front of your chest; hold for two counts. The Side Plank is the most basic, but highly effective, exercise you can perform to work the core muscles on the side of your body. Here's how. Keeping your chest up and your abs tight. Instant access to FREE resources that have helped millions of people jump higher, run faster, get stronger, eat smarter and play better. © 2020 T Nation LLC. He is the owner of Performance University International and the author of Strength Training for Fat Loss and Building Muscle and Performance. Build maximal strength the natural way. For non-powerlifters, trap bar deads beat the pants off the barbell variation. This is much more effective than holding a single dumbbell (or two... which is just dumb). Dumbbell Side Bends will not reduce fat on the sides of your belly. Dumbbell side bends work the muscles of the trunk, particularly the deep spine muscles, explains Len Kravitz, PhD, Program Coordinator of Exercise Science and researcher at the University of New Mexico. Advanced versions of this squat are anything but sissy. So make sure that you brace your abs, and keep your back in the neutral position – and even with a slight arch in your low back – as you do dumbbell rows, deadlifts, squats, and Ro… And it delivers, every time. The side bend is an exercise that is commonly performed incorrectly, which prevents it from being effective for developing your obliques. These exercises really don't work, and some even lead to injury. Nick Tumminello is the 2016 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year. Instantly fix a common problem with cable crunches and build a six pack that pops. Here's a simple way get more glute work out of your staple strength lifts. How to: Lie on your side with your elbow positioned under your shoulder and your forearm flat on the ground. You rarely, if ever, tilt your upper body to the side in this fashion in sports or daily life. Grasp the cable handles with both of your hands at your chest. and the weight I use in each hand is getting heaver and heaver. This builds your obliques and increases overall core stability. The only way to lose belly fat is to follow a complete workout program supported by a balanced diet. I been doing the dumbbell side bends. Bodybuilding is full of programs used by "enhanced" lifters, but most people don't take drugs and can't get good results. Jim Wendler's 5/3/1/ program promises slow and steady gains that will eventually turn you into the strongest guy in the gym. Here's how to whip up a steaming cup. Even performing side bends while holding a single dumbbell on one side of the body isn't very effective at targeting the lateral core because of the angle of force involved. Here's why: The Dumbbell Side Bend looks awkward. You want love? The core's bracing effect protects your spine and helps transfer power between your lower and upper body, like when you throw a ball or swing a bat. CHEST Here's how to target stubborn body fat stores with specialized training. All you need is a bar, a bench, and 20 spare minutes to build a strong and muscular body. You'd have to hold a very heavy weight, which may exceed your grip strength, to have a reasonable training effect. Join STACK and gain instant FREE access to resources that have helped millions of people jump higher, run faster, get stronger, eat smarter and play better. Even performing side bends while holding a single dumbbell on one side of the body isn't very effective at targeting the lateral core because of the angle of force involved. This effective program is for them. | There's a better exercise to build your back. What other exercise can I do to workout those same muscles. You can also do dumbbell side bend while seated at the end of a bench, with one foot on the floor on each side. You want harmony? This is the case with the Dumbbell Side Bend, an old-school oblique exercise you should remove from … Safer too. Find out why you should eliminate Dumbbell Side Bends from your workouts, and learn better alternatives. But, it's a waste of your valuable time in the gym. Of course, the weight of the dumbbell offsets the weight on the other side, making this exercise ineffective at sufficiently loading the lateral flexors of the torso. Want to lean up too? Grip a single dumbbell and, while standing, hold it down at your side with your palm facing in toward your thighs. In your third week of side bends start to use a dumbbell. That's because it is. Early Sampling: Which is Better? Here are the latest scientific advances in healing joint, tendon, and muscle injuries. An extremely simple diet tweak will get you ripped, keep you ripped, and still allow you to build muscle. "The core muscles are anti-movers and work to stabilize the spine while the appendages move," Downey says. As a refresher, it looks like this: It's a simple move that people do to work their obliques. If your posture kinda sucks, you may be one exercise away from injury. Inhale and bend to the left. You want great sex? | EXERCISE The Vertical Jump and It's Many Variations, How Rest Intervals Play A Role In Training, 6 Things All Multi/Simultaneous Athletes Should Do, Improve Your Vertical With This One-Week Jump Training Plan, The Importance of Stretching Throughout Your Day, 12 Effective Arm Exercises Without Weights, Try This 10-Minute Basketball Conditioning Workout, Get Faster for Any Sport With This 12-Week Speed Workout. I am on my 7th week and need to change one of my workouts. Use this simple math formula to find your perfect bench press grip, prevent injuries, and lift a lot more weight. Squat or bench more weight than ever with this seriously simple trick. Here's why. How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and position your body perpendicular to a cable machine. Here's why, plus some more effective alternatives. And you do not want to go there, girl. With a wide enough foot placement to maintain balance, the seated side bend can work well.