Work Out Routines With Dumbbells

Dumbbell training is a simple, efficient fitness tool. Dumbbells are useful for both beginners and advanced trainees. An essential element of dumbbell lifting is the freedom of movement. Russian-born fitness trainer and author Pavel Tsatsouline writes, "When you use dumbbells you control the weight in 3-D." Dumbbells move in all three planes, forcing the assisting and stabilizing muscles to work harder than when you use a barbell or exercise machine. Dumbbells are effective for performing combination and isolation exercises to build power, strength, mass, balance, stability and tone.

Combination Exercises

Combination exercises work multiple body parts simultaneously. The musclo-skeletal system functions as a synergistic unit. Dumbbell combination exercises such as cleans, presses, jerks and snatches executed with proper form, low reps and heavy weights develop strength, explosiveness and balance needed for sports. Assistant Strength/Conditioning Coach at the United States Air Force Academy, Peter Melanson, writes, "Performing these exercises with dumbbells adds another dimension to our training program with some specific advantages, including increased recruitment of stabilizing muscles and enhancing joint stability."

Dumbbells vs Barbells

Many barbell exercises can be performed with dumbbells as a substitute. Using dumbbells works the muscles along a greater natural plane of movement instead of forcing a strict linear motion as barbells do. Dumbbells also engage the assisting muscles and neighboring stabilizer muscles to a greater extent than barbells. Classic barbell exercises like the bench press, military press, barbell curl, bent-over row, pullover, tricep extension, squat, and lunge may be performed with dumbbells to work the muscles differently and incorporate greater involvement of smaller muscles.

Isolation Exercises

Exercise machines attempt to isolate an individual muscle. Most machines lock the joints into a specific position, allowing only one plane of motion and prohibiting freedom of joint movement. Dumbbells provide a safe, efficient alternative to workout machines. Dumbbell exercise like chest flyes, shoulder lateral raises, incline bicep curls, and tricep kickbacks work the individual muscles while allowing greater freedom of joint motion than exercise machines.

Fitball

Replacing the weight bench with a fitball provides an unstable workout platform for dumbbell exercises. The unbalanced surface of the exercise ball incorporates proprioceptive training, which is the body's awareness of its location in nature. The sphere-shaped, free-moving Swiss ball forces contraction of the core and stabilizer muscles to keep you balanced while lifting. Use light weights, high reps and short rests between sets while executing dumbbell work on the Swiss ball. Supine exercises such as bench presses, flyes, pullovers and tricep presses are easily performed on the exercise ball. Seated dumbbell lifts such as lateral raises and curls can be done on a fitball with slight modification

Versatility

Dumbbells are extremely versatile pieces of exercise equipment. Almost all barbell exercises can be modified into dumbbell movements. The majority of machine-based motions may be morphed into dumbbell lifts. Dumbbells can be used at the gym, home or office. According to Linda Lee, the wife of martial arts icon Bruce Lee, "Bruce used to perform dumbbell exercise while watching television." No matter how simple or complex a dumbbell routine you employ, be consistent, use correct form and "listen" to your body for best results.