The idea of exercising with weights can be intimidating when you’ve never done it before, but it’s worth facing your fears and picking up a dumbbell. Whether you’re young or old, lifting weights can have a surprising number of benefits. Not only can it help build strength and muscle, but it can also help protect joints from injury, improve bone health, and decrease body fat.
Starting to lift weights is also simple. You don’t need fancy machines, or even a gym. A pair of dumbbells is enough to help you gain all-out strength—especially as a beginner—according to personal trainer Lorna Wilkins, co-founder of Tommy Hatto Online, who created this basic full-body dumbbell workout.
To make it ideal for beginners, Wilkins’ workout combines eight dumbbell exercises that target all of the body’s major muscle groups, keeping the movements simple as you get used to training with dumbbells.
If you’d like to follow this routine at home but need to buy some weights, our guide to the best dumbbells can help you find the right pair for you. We think it’s worth investing in a pair of adjustable dumbbells so you can choose the right weight for each exercise and increase the weight over time. It will also allow you to move on to this dumbbell workout plan as you get stronger.
How to do this dumbbell workout for beginners
This dumbbell workout for beginners is made up of eight exercises. To simplify, Wilkins stipulated a set of 12 repetitions and a 60-second rest period for each exercise. Perform the repetitions required for exercise 1, rest for a minute, then move on to the next exercise.
Another way to make this routine more challenging as you get stronger is to add an extra set to each exercise (in this workout, one set is 12 repetitions).
For weights, Wilkins suggests using dumbbells that feel manageable for each exercise’s rep range, allowing you to reach your target number for each set without compromising your form. When repeating this workout, you should add a few pounds to the weights to make the most of progressive overload, a training technique that helps build strength.
Wilkins notes that you should pay close attention to your exercise form at all times. “Don’t be afraid to ask a personal trainer to observe you and provide training tips,” says Wilkins. Before you begin, remember to warm up thoroughly to increase blood flow to your muscles and reduce the risk of injury. Follow this gym warm-up routine if you’re not sure what to do.
Once completed, finish the session with a comprehensive warm-up or stretching routine to keep your muscles in good working order.
Wilkins encourages anyone following this workout to prioritize rest as well, to allow your muscles to fully recover and help prevent injuries. “Overtraining — especially when you’re new to exercise — can lead to burnout and injury, so make sure you include rest days in your weekly routine and get plenty of quality sleep every night,” she says.
Dumbbell Workout Overview for Beginners
- Goblet squat x 12
- Reverse lunge x 12 each side
- Air pressure x 12
- Biceps curl x 12
- Triceps extension x 12
- Curved line x 12
- Floor press x 12
- Dumbbell Crunch x 12
Dumbbell Workout Form Guides for Beginners
1 goblet squat
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Hold a dumbbell vertically, holding it with both hands underneath the top of the weight. Make sure you keep it close to your chest throughout the exercise. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your toes slightly turned out, supporting your core and looking straight ahead. Bend your knees and push your hips back, as if you were sitting in a chair. Keep your heels flat on the floor and your knees above your toes, making sure they don’t collapse. Pause at the bottom of the movement and push back to the starting position.
2 Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
Representatives 12 on each side Rest 60 seconds
Hold dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your chest up, take a large step back into a split stance, with the heel of your back foot lifted. Bend both knees to slowly lower until your back knee gently touches the floor, then push back to the starting position through the heel of your front foot. Complete 12 reps with your left leg and repeat with your right before resting.
3 Air pressure
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold both dumbbells by your shoulders, with your wrists and elbows directly under the weights. Engage your core muscles to keep your ribs down and avoid arching your lower back as you extend your arms to press the weights upward. Slowly return the weights to the starting position, keeping your elbows directly below your wrists.
4 biceps curl
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Hold both dumbbells with an underhand grip and engage your core, keeping your elbows against your ribs, chest up, and shoulders down and back. Curl a weight toward your shoulder, bending your elbow, looking straight ahead, and keeping your wrists straight. Return it to the starting position slowly and under control, then wrap the other around and continue alternating.
5 Overhead triceps extension
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Hold a dumbbell vertically, holding it with both hands underneath the top of the weight. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Lift the dumbbell directly overhead, engaging your core and relaxing your shoulders. Bend your elbows to slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head so you feel the stretch in the backs of your arms. Press the weight back to the starting position and repeat.
6 Bent over row
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Hold the dumbbells at your sides and, with a slight bend in your knees and your back straight, push your hips back and lean forward until your chest is almost parallel to the floor, leaving your arms hanging. Retract your shoulder blades and engage your core, then lift the dumbbells to the sides of your torso, squeezing your upper back muscles. Lower the dumbbells under control.
7 Floor press
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding dumbbells. Press your lower back into the floor to engage your core and position the weights on either side of your chest, with your arms and elbows in contact with the floor. Extend your arms to press the dumbbells upward, keeping your wrists straight. Lower under control and touch your elbows to the floor, keeping your shoulder blades retracted and your chest muscles engaged, then come up for the next rep.
8 Dumbbell Crunch
Representatives 12 Rest 60 seconds
Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell across your chest with both hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, contract your core to lift your upper back off the floor, being careful not to sit all the way down. Pause, slowly lower your torso back to the starting position while inhaling, and repeat.
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