"These are great for working the back muscles," Zhang said. If you want to work up to a pull-up, she added, this is one good exercise to add into your routine.
- Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and place your left knee and left hand on a bench. Your hand should be underneath your shoulder and your knee should be underneath your hip. Your spine and head should be in a neutral position.
- Engage your core, relax your shoulders, and extend your right arm toward the floor. Do not rotate your torso or let your shoulder lower toward the floor.
- On an exhale, pull the dumbbell up with control, driving your elbow toward the ceiling. Do not rotate your torso.
- On an inhale, lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep.