Hey, remember when I used to write Move of the Week posts?

Boy, I’ve been slacking on those.  I haven’t posted one since May!  If you are new to Fitness & Feta, or forget what my Move of the Week posts are like, click here and scroll through my library of exercises.  These posts are more of a step by step guide that focus on how to properly execute various fitness moves.  A “how to,” if you will.

This week I want to focus on a combo move I’ve been loving lately.

Plie Squat and Bicep Curl, plus Upright Row

Step 1

Start standing with your feet a little wider than hip width apart.  Your toes and knees should point out to the side.  Hold your dumbbells in front of you, palms front.

Step 2

Bend your knees so you are in a wide plie squat.  Pay extra attention to your knees here, they should be directly over your ankles — not over your toes.  As you bend into the squat, curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders in a bicep curl.  Pause here, squeezing all muscles.

Step 3

Return to the starting position by straightening your legs and lowering the weights back down.  Here you’ve completed one rep of the plie squat + bicep curl.

Step 4

Add an extra element to this move and work your shoulders by adding an upright row.  After doing Steps 1 – 3, flip your palms so they are facing your body in front of your legs instead of facing out as shown above.  Squeezing your shoulders, lift your arms so your elbows point up to the sides.  Note when the dumbbells are raised, your wrists should be in front or just below of shoulders; elbows should be to sides, not too far forward.  To finish, lower the weights back down, flip your palms back so they are facing front again, and repeat the sequence.

I’m a huge fan of what I like to call “combo moves,” or compound exercises that work more than one muscle at the same time.  Especially upper body and lower body muscle groups together.  This combo is fun because the plie squat works your glutes, quads, and inner thighs at the same time you are doing a bicep curl to sculpt your arms.  That upright row at the end adds an extra bonus for your shoulders, specifically your lateral delts.

For a sample workout that incorporates this move, try the following workout (originally posted here):

Go ahead, give it a shot!  If you haven’t made your two health and fitness goals for the week (I mentioned this at the end of this morning’s post), perhaps trying this combo move (or the full workout) could be one of them?

What’s your favorite compound exercise?

Off to Two A Day!  🙂