Dumbbell Workouts -Tips for Male and Female Beginners

                                                                                                  – Dumbbell Workouts –

Dumbbell workouts and dumbbells are easy, relatively inexpensive, highly portable, and perfect for the home. This is great if you’ve suddenly found yourself unable to hit the gym. Despite their somewhat rudimentary design, these timeless tools remain fundamental to upper body strength training.

By picking up a few dumbbells online, you can ensure you have all the tools for the best home workout or gym session. So let’s get the ball rolling with the best dumbbell workouts and exercises.

The burliest bodybuilders and celebrities – who have legions of expensive equipment at their disposal – still incorporate dumbbell workouts on a frequent basis.

What are Dumbbells?

By definition, a dumbbell is a short bar with a weight at either end. Sometimes they come wrapped in different materials or even feature adjustable dials, but the core concept has been the same for centuries.

Speaking of which, the forebearers of these nifty hand weights date as far back as ancient Greece. You can find dumbbells that weigh as little as 1 pound and as much as 375 pounds. That said, most dumbbells fall within the range of 5-25 pounds.

At the nearest gym, the heaviest dumbbell usually weighs in at around 60 pounds. If you’re looking for anything heavier, you should be going to one of those special gyms because you’re a beast. Let’s go!

Dumbbell Workouts for Men

Remember that it’s better to start with lighter weights and work your way up than it is to start with heavier weights and work your way to the hospital. With that in mind, here are some of the best dumbbell exercises for muscle building and more.

 

When it comes to the rep and set recommendations, we’re primarily sticking with intermediate-level suggestions. If you’re just starting out workouts with dumbbells, reduce accordingly and work your way up.

1. Goblet Squat

Stand with feet set wider than shoulder-width and hold a dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest. Sit back into a squat, then drive back up and repeat.

Are you a nervous newbie or a long-time hard gainer? It doesn’t matter with this move. “Goblet squats are perfect for any level,” says Frost. “They specifically target glute activation whilst improving both hip and thoracic mobility.”

2. Arnold Press

Sit on a bench with dumbbells held in front of you, palms facing your shoulders as though you’ve just finished a bicep curl. Push the dumbbells up over your head while rotating your arms until your palms face away from you. Straighten your arms, pause, then reverse the movement.

If the fact that it was invented by Schwarzenegger himself wasn’t already reason enough, this potent upper-body move is unique in that it hits all three sections of your deltoid – the round-looking muscle that caps your shoulders – adding thickness and width, and reinforcing the joint.

3. Dumbbell Clean

Flip your wrists so they face forwards and bring the weights to your shoulders, slightly jumping as you do. Slowly straighten your legs to stand. Then lower the weights down to your thigh before moving into a squat position and repeating.

If you want to look like an Olympian, you’ve got to train like one. “Incorporating these powerlifter lifts into your training will not only build lean muscle tissue but also build explosive power,” says Frost.

This move also rushes blood to your glutes, hamstrings, shoulders, and arms to maximize your muscle-growing power.

4. Renegade Row

Get into a press-up position with your hands on the handles of two dumbbells. Keeping your core tensed, row the right dumbbell up to your abs then return to the start position. Repeat with the left dumbbell to complete one rep.

Build a strong back, ignite your abs, and develop anti-rotational core strength in one fell swoop. While it’s tempting to focus on the ‘row’ aspect of the movement, the secret to getting the most out of this move is to double down on your plank positioning.

5. Farmers’ Walk

Walk forward taking short, quick steps. Go for the given distance, as fast as possible. For once, there are no sophisticated form rules to worry about (except for ‘brace your core’. Always brace your core).

And you’ll supercharge your grip strength, which is a serious plus. Additionally, this move fortifies your rotator cuffs, protecting your shoulders from injury during bigger lifts.

6. Flat Dumbbell Flye

Lie down on a flat bench holding two dumbbells at your shoulders with your palms facing inwards. Press the dumbbells up until your arms are almost fully extended. This is your starting position.

From here, with a slight bend in your arms, arc the weights down to your sides until you feel a stretch across your chest. Squeeze your pecs to return the weights to the start position by reversing the movement.

Believe it or not, this move is better than the bench press for stimulating the chest muscle fibers that spark growth – and you don’t need anywhere near as heavyweights to do it.

Just take care not to lock your arms out during the extension, or you’ll transfer the load away from your pecs and onto your elbow joints.

Other Dumbbell Workouts For Men Include:

• Bent-Over Row
• Dumbbell uppercut
• Two-Arm Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift
• Dumbbell kickbacks
• One arm swing
• Dumbbell bench press

 

Top Best Dumbbell Workouts for Women

We’ve rounded up the moves you need to know from three top trainers, including Sandy Macaskill of Barry’s Bootcamp in London, Sarah Lindsay of Roar Fitness, and Daria Kantor of fitness platform TruBe.

Stuck on what weight of dumbbell to use? Opt for the heaviest you can that still allows you to maintain good form.

1. Bent-over row

a) Stand with both feet flat on the floor and your chest bent towards your feet. Soften your knees and extend your arms, holding a dumbbell in each hand.

b) Clenching your bicep and tricep muscles, row your arms inwards, and tense when the dumbbells are near your ribs. Repeat.

2. Bicep curl

a) Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing forwards and arms straight down. Step your feet shoulder-width apart, drive your heels into the ground, bend your knees ever so slightly and brace your core.

b) Lift one dumbbell toward the shoulder, rotating the arm as it moves up so that the palm is now facing upward. Lower your dumbbell to the side and repeat the same movement with the other arm. Remember to exhale when lifting your weight and inhale while lowering.

3. Bicep curl to press

a) Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with palms facing forwards and arms straight down. Step your feet shoulder-width apart, drive your heels into the ground, bend your knees ever so slightly and brace your core.

b) Lift one dumbbell toward the shoulder, rotating the arm as it moves up so that your bicep and forearm form a right angle.

c) Press the dumbbell overhead before lowering the weight back through your shoulder and down to your side. Repeat the movement with the other arm. Remember to exhale when lifting the weight and inhale while lowering.

4. Bulgarian split squat

a) Stand with a dumbbell in each hand facing away from a bench with your right leg extended back and foot on top of the bench.

b) Bend the front knee until the knee of the rear leg is almost in contact with the floor then return to the original standing position. Try not to let your front knee (the one bending) go beyond the toes of your forward foot.

5. Bench press

a) Lie on a flat bench, holding a pair of dumbbells over your chest so they’re nearly touching. Your hands should be facing forwards (knuckles facing your head, palms facing your toes.

b) Take two seconds to lower the dumbbells, pausing for one second at the bottom before you press the weights back up. Try to keep your shoulders pushing down into the bench throughout.

6. Incline bench press

a) Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie face up on a bench set at a 45-degree incline. Position the weights at your shoulders, elbows bent with the palms facing forwards.

b) Core engaged, press the weights up until your arms are straight.

c) Lower the weights back to shoulder height to a count of three, pause at the bottom for one second and then press back up.

Other Popular Dumbbell Workouts for Women Include:

• Curtsy lunges
• Devil press
• Dumbbell swing
• Floor press
• Elevated glute bridge

FAQs on Dumbbell Workouts

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You can get quality dumbbells and other fitness equipment from valuehubservices at relatively good prices.

If you are up to it, you can briskly walk on your treadmill while doing dumbbell workout reps. Adding progressive weight to your workouts forces the muscles to constantly have to adapt and rebuild themselves stronger, and highly effective workouts are key to creating those desired next-level results.

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