People with back or other joint problems should schedule a session with a physical therapist to learn how to use hand weights properly. It is recommended that you use lighter weights than people without back problems to decrease the risk of hurting your joints further. Your physical therapist may recommend that you do more sets with light weights, rather than carry weights over 5 or 10 lbs (3. 6 or 4. 5kg).

Find a neutral pelvis. Practice by overarching your back to increase the curve. Then, do the opposite and tuck your pelvis until you do not have a curve in your back. Now, try to find a place between these 2 motions, where your back feels comfortable. [2] X Research source Flex your stomach muscles in. Performing a few abdominal crunches before you lift weights can help you tap into the feeling of a flexed stomach. When you flex, imagine lifting the muscles in your stomach inward and upward. You may feel as if you are a few inches taller. You want to avoid popping your stomach muscles outward when you flex them, because this will only affect the surface muscles, not the muscles that are needed to stabilize your spine during weightlifting. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly. Locking your knees will hurt your joints and increase the likelihood that you will increase your blood pressure too much or become faint. Always maintain a bend in the knees. Keep your feet straight in front of you and lift your toes to put more weight in your heels. Make sure your knees are behind your toes during all exercises. Place your shoulder blades down and inward on your back. People who work in an office setting suffer from forward posture, where the shoulders creep toward the ears and forward toward the desk. Pinch your shoulder blades together a few times, so that you get the feeling of what it should feel like to keep the blades retracted slightly. Keep your neck straight and eyes gazing forward. People who lift hand weights have to be careful not to put too much strain on the neck. Relax your neck and put your chin down slightly so that the neck lengthens. Look straight forward, instead of looking down or up. Place your elbows alongside your body when you do bicep or triceps exercises. Allowing the arms to rest very slightly against the body will steady your arms and isolate the muscles. Your upper arms should usually stay completely still as you move your forearms, during many free weight exercises. Keep strong wrists. Never allow your wrists to curl forward or back. The weight will move into your wrist joint if you do not keep straight wrists. People with wrist problems may choose to use resistance bands instead of free weights so that they can wrap the strap around the wrist to steady it. [3] X Research source

Spend as much time, or more time, returning the weight back to your starting position, as you did lifting it. This is often called “resisting” because you are asking your muscles to resist the feeling of dropping the weights. Taking your time with the return motion will work different muscles and increase the effectiveness of your hand weight workout. Wait 20 to 30 seconds between sets.

Do bicep curls. Grab a light weight in each hand and allow your arms to hand down at your sides. Stand with proper form in front of a mirror. Lift your right forearm, curling it in as far as you can to try to touch your right upper arm. Pause, then return your forearm to hand at your side by resisting the weight of gravity on your way down. Repeat on the left side. Turn sideways in the mirror to ensure you aren’t rocking. Repeat 1 arm at a time or both arms at once in 3 sets of 10 to 15 curls. {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/c/cd/Use-Hand-Weights-Step-8Bullet1. jpg/v4-460px-Use-Hand-Weights-Step-8Bullet1. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/c/cd/Use-Hand-Weights-Step-8Bullet1. jpg/aid2669739-v4-728px-Use-Hand-Weights-Step-8Bullet1. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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<br />\n</p></div>"} Do a shoulder press. Hold your weights. Bend your elbows and place your upper arms on the sides of your chest. Press your arms upward to the sky. Keep them parallel with your shoulders at shoulder distance apart. Pause and return slowly to the original position. Do 3 sets of 10 to 15 presses. Do triceps exercises. Hold your weights. Bring them up above your head until they touch. Bend forward very slightly at the waist. Keep your shoulders down and your neck straight. Move the weights behind your neck as far as you can. Pause and slowly return your arms to an almost straight position. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10. Do chest presses. Lay down on the ground or on a weight bench. Bend your knees. Hold the weights in your hands with your elbows bent and move your upper arms outward so they are at shoulder level. Press the weights upward and together until they touch. Pause and return your upper arms slowly to the ground. Do 3 sets of 10 presses. Do squats and lunges while holding hand weights to train your legs. Hold your weights at your sides. Step forward and bend both knees, making sure your leading knee does not go over your toes. Bend your back knee slightly, or until you almost touch the floor, depending upon your strength. Step back into the original position. Do 1 to 2 sets of 10 on each side.

Although you should aim to fatigue your muscles during your hand weight exercises, you should never feel a loss of control. If you are unable to lift the weights for at least 2 sets while retaining proper form, move to a lighter weight.