Chair Exercises: Chest, Ab, Bicep and Tricep Exercises

Are long hours at the office spoiling your New Year's resolution to get fit? Or are standing exercises too painful due to obesity or some other health problem? Chair exercises may be the perfect solution. As with any exercise program, get your doctor's okay prior to starting if you have a medical condition or other health concerns.

Take the time to warm up your muscles before exercising. Just because you're exercising in a chair doesn't mean you can forgo this important step. Warming up can be as simple as doing your first exercise set without weights. Throughout your workout, maintain good posture. This means no slouching, chest lifted, and head in a neutral position. Some people find that tightening their abdominal muscles helps to achieve good posture.

As a beginner, aim to complete one set of each exercise. Each set should contain between 8 to 12 repetitions, depending upon the amount of weight used and your current training level. As you advance in your training, work up to three or more sets per exercise.

All six of these easy chair exercises can be done in one workout or spread out over a period of two or three days. Whatever your training routine, make sure that rest and nutritious meals are also part of your new lifestyle. Without proper rest and nutrition, your muscular gains will suffer. Do you have a chair without side armrests nearby? Then let's get started! Here are some exercises to do while sitting in a chair.

1. SEATED ROW This exercise targets your latissmus dorsi muscles. In the gym, they're commonly referred to as "lats." The lats are big muscles, running from the armpit down to the small of the back. Building up your lats will help towards achieving that 'V' shape by increasing upper back width (and hopefully making your stomach area look smaller). To perform this exercise:
   • Sit upright in your chair, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides.
   • Lean forward from the waist and keep your head up.
   • Dumbbells should be hanging down at your sides with palms facing in.
   • Pull the weight up to your lower abs, keeping elbows close to the body.
   • Lower the weight in a controlled manner.
   
   
2. PEC SQUEEZE This move strengthens the inner portion of the chest. Be careful not to use weights that are too heavy; this will cause soreness in your shoulders. To perform these chest exercises:
   • Sitting upright in your chair, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Shoulders should be down and relaxed.
   • Lift your upper arms out to your sides and parallel to the floor. Palms should be facing forward with elbows bent at a 90 degree angle.
   • Concentrate on bringing the elbows together (not your hands). Hold this squeeze for a second or two, and then carefully bring the arms out again to your sides.
3. OVERHEAD DUMBBELL PRESS This will strengthen your entire deltoid muscle. Strong shoulders can make your waist appear smaller and help improve your game. To perform this exercise:
   • Sitting with dumbbells in hand, lift the dumbbells to shoulder level with elbows bent. Palms should be facing forward.
   • Press the weight up. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows at the top.
   • Carefully bring the weights down to shoulder level again.
4. TRICEP KICKBACKS These narrow in on the triceps without using secondary muscles (such as the chest). To perform this exercise:
   • Sit upright in your chair, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides.
   • Lean forward from the waist, keep your head up.
   • Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and keep them close to your body. (This is your starting position.)
   • Keep the upper arms stationary while you straighten your arms back.
   • Squeeze at the top, and then return to the starting position.
5. DUMBBELL CURLS You may already be familiar with these. To perform these bicep exercises:
   • Sit upright, a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides. Palms should be facing forward.
   • Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
   • Carefully bring the weights back down.
6. SEATED CRUNCHES This works your abdominal muscles, or abs. To perform these ab exercises:
   • Sitting upright, lean forward and contract your abs while breathing out. It doesn't take much of a forward lean to feel the squeeze.
   • Hold your squeeze for two or three seconds and then return to an upright position.

Now you know how to do seated chair exercises as part of your normal exercise routine. As you become more advanced, there are several ways to make this workout harder. You can use heavier weights, do each repetition at a slower pace throughout the movement, or add more repetitions to each set. Who knew that fitness could be just a chair away?

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