Many times when someone thinks of strength training they automatically think of a huge body builder that has trouble moving themselves around. Though lifting weights can be used to reach that goal, that is not what most people use strength training for. There are thousands of different exercises and techniques that fall under the overlying category of Strength Training and Weightlifting and the vast majority of them are not intended to make you look like The Hulk. In fact most weight training styles are more focused on building strength and control rather than size and this routine definitely meets that criteria. 

In this Upper Body Dumbbell Workout you will find that not only do we challenge overall strength but we also challenge your coordination, control, and core stability.  In this routine we throw in a special twist of alternating reps to challenge your body in ways it may have never before been challenged with weightlifting. By taking a traditional exercise like the Chest Fly and making you do them in an alternating pattern from left to right rather than simultaneously you will feel a whole new set of muscles through your upper body and core start to work to keep you balanced and moving smoothly.  An exercise like the Chest Fly normally targets the chest and bicep the most with only minimal effort in the core but as soon as you switch it to an alternating pattern you also engage the abdominals, transverse abdominis, obliques, lower back and even the lats, serratus, and intercostal muscles.

The increased number of muscles being taxed increases the number of muscles being strengthened, coordination, and of course the number of calories burned. Also keep in mind that by working the left and right simultaneously at different points of the same range of motion it taxes your body completely differently than just isolating one side at a time.

This routine can be used for building size as well but you need to be sure you start light and build your strength accordingly as starting into this routine with the same amount of weight you would use doing each exercise in the traditional way (both sides simultaneously) you can easily find yourself cheating with form and full range of motion which can increase your chance of injury. This routine not only taxes more muscles but it also taxes your mental focus as well, as you are asking your body to do essentially two things at once and actively compensate for the difference in balance.

Workout Structure:
- 3 Groups of 2 Exercises Each
- 3 Sets of 10 Repetitions Per Exercise
- Superset pattern of AB,AB
- Alternate movement between left and right side simultaneously

Equipment Needed:
- Dumbbells
- Bench (optional)

Warm Up and Cool Down:
- Cool Down Included

Workout:

- Alternating Chest Fly
- Alternating Reverse Fly

- Alternating Ventral Raise
- Alternating Dumbbell Pullover

- Alternating Tricep Kick Backs
- Alternating Hammer Curl

Though this routine moves relatively slowly it still burns a significant number of calories due to its targeting so many muscle groups at once. This workout will burn between 120 on the low end and 288 on the high end, though depending on the weight you lift you can burn more than this.