Hey Dumbbell
DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH A VERY EFFECTIVE WEIGHT TRAINING WORKOUT WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A PAIR OF ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS ?

FlyesYes, you can get a thorough and complete workout with dumbbells. They obviously take up much less room than either a home gym, or a full blown weight bench setup. They are great for someone who has little room to spare, (College dorm rooms, or small apartments come immediately to mind), or someone who tends to move, or lead a less than stabilized existence, (physically speaking of course).

Dumbbells


SO MUCH FOR INCREASING STRENGTH,
RIGHT ?

LungesObviously, you will not be able to go for any super heavy lifts using a set of dumbbells, but don't think that means you can't successfuly stress your muscles with an all-dumbbell workout. Think excellent form, slow deliberate rep speeds, and really concentrate on the targeted muscle. The mind-body link isn't totally just a bunch of touchy feely liberal crap, it can actually work. Resistance training isn't just about total poundage of weight lifted. The range of motion and rep-speed impact the effect on your muscles every bit as much as weight, so go for quality, not just quantity when using dumbbells.


Dumbbell Presses


EVEN IT UP

DumbbellMost people have a tendency to be a little stronger in their dominant side. This is fairly normal, and should not be much of a concern, unless it is a large difference. If this is the case, then dumbbells just may be the perfect solution, for upper body especially. With dumbbells you can preform uni-lateral, (one handed, or one sided), exercises. This eliminates any help from the stronger side, and forces the lagging side to catch up.



SOME EXAMPLES
dumbbell
  • For legs, use exercises like lunges, dumbbell squats, stiff legged dead lifts, and step-ups, among others.
  • For chest, dumbbell bench presses, (flat, inclined, or declined), and flyes (flat, inclined, or declined).
  • For back, dumbbell rows, (uni-, or bi-laterally), and pullovers.
  • For shoulders, dumbbell presses, (seated or standing), lateral raises, (front, side, and back), and upright rows.
  • For biceps literally all the curling motions lend themselves very well to dumbbell applications, and some actually work only with dumbbells.
  • For triceps, overhead raises, kickbacks, and french presses.
  • For calves, one or two legged calf raises.
  • For forearms, wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, and even hammer curls.

Lady Dumbbell


HERE IS A SAMPLE OF A GOOD DUMBBELL WORKOUT

  • ABS
    • Reverse Crunches - 1 set of 30 reps
    • Crunches - 1 set of 30 reps

  • LEGS
    • Dumbbell Squats - 1 set of 10 reps
    • Lunges - 1 set of 10 reps

  • CHEST
    • Inclined Dumbbell Press - 1 set of 10 reps
    • Flat Bench Butterflies - 1 set of 10 reps

  • BACK
    • Dumbbell Rows - 1 set of 10 reps
    • Dumbbell Pullover - 1 set of 10 reps

  • SHOULDERS
    • Seated Dumbbell Press - 1 set of 10 reps
    • Lateral Raises - 1 set of 10 reps

  • BICEPS
    • Alternating Dumbbell Curl - 1 set of 10 reps
    • Dumbbell Preacher Curl - 1 set of 10 reps

  • TRICEPS
    • Overhead Dumbbell Extension - 1 set of 10 reps
    • Dumbbell Kickback - 1 set of 10 reps

  • CALVES
    • Standing Calf Raise - 1 set of 12 reps

  • FOREARMS
    • Reverse Wrist Curl - 1 set of 12 reps


SO THERE YOU GO !
spinning dumbbell
You have accomplished an entire full body workout without ever lifting a barbell !



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Workouts That Work

September 11, 2001