This article offers tips and tricks for choosing the correct dumbbell for various basic exercises.
Key factors
- If you are a man start with 5-10 kg dumbbells and 2.5-5 kg if you are a woman. For more details click here ↓
- Do 14-22 reps of bicep curls with that dumbbell and take note of your sensations. ↓
- If you are unable to complete the set, reduce the weight by 2.5kg and try again. ↓
- If you don't feel fatigue, switch to a 2.5kg heavier dumbbell and try again. ↓
- Change the weight according to the exercise you are doing. ↓
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Assessing Your Strength
Step 1. Schedule a training session with a personal trainer or sign up for a weightlifting class
Ask a qualified professional to evaluate your strength and advise you on the right dumbbells for you. In many gyms and courses there are athletic trainers who guide you during the activity and show you how to perform the exercises correctly. Don't be shy - just let the trainer know that you are a beginner and want to know his or her opinion on the best weights for you.
Step 2. Choose the correct dumbbells based on gender
Men typically (but not always) have more upper body strength than women and can start training with weights of 5-10kg; women should start with 2.5-5 kg instead. Increase the weight progressively as you get stronger.
Step 3. Do some simple bicep curls
This is an effective movement for establishing your strength level and deciding which dumbbell is best suited. Hold the weight in one hand, near the hip; lean towards a wall so that your shoulders and elbows touch the wall and bring the dumbbell towards your shoulder by bending your elbow.
- You should perform 14-22 repetitions of this simple movement before experiencing any fatigue or exertion.
- If you can't do this number of reps before feeling fatigued, choose a dumbbell that's 2.5kg lighter; for example, if you have difficulty with 7.5kg weights, switch to 5kg weights.
Step 4. Choose the weight based on your strength level
Practice with very light dumbbells until you have mastered the movement with the right technique. Start slowly using 2.5kg weights and then add another 2.5kg as you get more powerful.
- For example, you might start with 2.5kg tools and find that they don't offer enough resistance for you; add another 2.5kg to get to 5kg dumbbells.
- Keep a journal in which to note the number of repetitions of each exercise you perform, the dumbbell you have chosen and your feelings (the weight was too much, too light or correct).
- Always choose the right weight for you. Listen to your body and decide for the best; do not take the dumbbell according to what other people other than you use by gender and age. The only individual you have to try to beat in a weightlifting competition is you.
- If you can't do at least 14 reps per exercise, the dumbbell is too heavy; similarly, if you are unable to maintain correct posture during the movement, it means that you may have chosen the wrong weight.
Step 5. Know when to increase resistance
Finding the right dumbbell for a given exercise is simple enough, but your goal is to gain weight as you get stronger. If you don't experience moderate or intense fatigue after 14-22 reps, it's time to increase the resistance or buy heavier dumbbells. Monitor with great care how many sets and how many repetitions you can do consecutively and, if you find that the value exceeds the reference value, increase the weight of the dumbbells by 2.5-5 kg.
If you don't challenge yourself by lifting weights suitable for your strength level, you won't get anything out of the exercise
Step 6. Recognize when you are using excessive weights
Generally this situation is not a problem as, as an intelligent weightlifter, you started with small weights and gradually increased the resistance. Never start with heavy dumbbells and then reduce them to the correct level for your abilities.
- If you are unable to do more than 7 repetitions of a given exercise, the weight is too much for you; put aside the tool that is too heavy and choose a lighter one of at least 5 kg.
- Using oversized weight can lead to you developing poor lifting technique and causing injury.
Part 2 of 2: Taking Advantage of the New Dumbbells
Step 1. Decide what your goals are as a weightlifter
Do you want to develop a single muscle group? Do you want to become more resistant? Do curls better? Setting goals helps you choose dumbbells. The heavier ones are perfect for gaining muscle mass, while the lighter ones are for stabilizing the muscles that support tendons and joints. Generally speaking, the larger the muscle group, the more weight it can lift. Use small and medium weights for the biceps, triceps and delts, and medium and large weights for the pecs and lats.
Write down your goals before and during training; in this way, you can stay focused on the path, modifying and adapting your intentions when you reach a goal. For example, you can write that you want to improve bicep strength
Step 2. Choose a correct weight based on the exercise
Depending on the movement you want to do you have to take barbells with different resistance. For example, if you are doing simple curls, you should be able to lift 7-8 kg; if you are doing squats with weights you should use 10 or 12 kg squats. Do not limit yourself to a single pair of dumbbells, make sure you have different weights to be able to choose the most suitable for the various movements.
Step 3. Learn to do squats
During the exercise you have to hold the weights in your hand at head level; the palms of the hands must be turned towards the head and the knuckles outwards. Grab the dumbbells with both hands as you lean back on your heels and squat as if you want to sit down. Continue to descend until your knees have passed the right angle and return to the starting position.
Step 4. Do the chest exercises by lifting the hips
This movement allows you to make your chest muscles stronger. Lie on your back with your knees bent, straighten your back and align your torso with your legs; hold the dumbbells in your hands and push them up, keeping them above your shoulders. Bring one arm sideways down, so that the elbow is bent at 90 °, but keep the forearm vertical; your arm should come close to your body as if you were opening the door of a wall unit. Extend your arm again bringing your hand back to the starting position and repeat the movement with the other.
Step 5. Do the triceps presses
Sit on a bench and hold the dumbbells vertically behind your head so they are spaced a few inches apart. To assume the correct position, imagine that you have interlocked your fingers behind your head, have just untangled them and have closed your hands into fists. Using your elbows, raise the dumbbells above your head until your arms are fully extended; the head must be facing up for the duration of the movement.
