Rothstein Breaks Down Upper Body Dumbbell Moves

Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., assistant professor of exercise science, is quoted throughout a Yahoo! article about dumbbell chest and back exercises. As the article notes, training these two areas together is time-efficient, working multiple major muscle groups in a single session by combining pushing movements, as seen in the chest press, and pulling movements, such as the lat pull-down or row. For the best results, he advises training on two non‑consecutive days per week.

“Working each major muscle group twice a week, separated by about 72 hours, is the general recommendation,” says Rothstein, a certified strength and conditioning specialist. Among other points, he also notes that dumbbells offer a greater range of natural motion than fixed machines, forcing each arm to work independently and helping to strengthen the smaller stabilizing muscles in the shoulders.