How to Do dumbbell butterfly swim strokes

Learn how to do dumbbell butterfly swim strokes. Presented by Real Jock Gay Fitness Health & Life.

Benefits

The butterfly swimming stroke, as any swimmer knows, works your shoulders through a full circular motion. Here you replace the resistance of the water with dumbbells.

Muscles Worked

Shoulders (rotators)

Starting Position

Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand and your feet hip distance apart. Bend your knees slightly and press your hips back as you incline your chest forward, until you are standing with your chest parallel to the floor, bent at the hip, with your weight in your heels and your center engaged. Hold the dumbbells straight out in front of you, with your palms facing the floor.

Exercise

1. From the starting position, begin a butterfly swim stroke with both arms. Sweep both arms down and then back along your sides, then outward, up, and over, until your arms are extended back in front of you at the starting position.

2. Hold momentarily in the extended position with your arms straight out and palms facing down, and then move into the next butterfly swim stroke. Be sure to keep your core engaged to maintain your chest's position throughout.

Flat-Bench Variation

If you find this exercise to be too hard on your back, you may want to try doing it on a flat bench. Lie face down on a flat bench with your legs to either side of the bench, knees bent, and feet on the floor behind you. Your chest should be flat on the bench. From this position, perform the butterflies as above.