Dumbbells provide many benefits for improving health and fitness, from muscle building to calorie burning to improved muscular endurance. Inexpensive and easy to use, you can perform many different exercises targeting specific areas of the body. Understanding the many uses of dumbbells will help you decide if they are a good equipment purchase for your exercise needs.
Easy to Use
You don't need to assemble machinery, read directions or exercise with a friend to use dumbbells. With standard dumbbells starting as light as 2.5 lbs., almost anyone can use them. The movements used to create exercises such as biceps curls, triceps extensions, arm raises, chest presses, squats and lunges are easy to perform. You can learn how to perform many exercises simply by using online or printed diagrams or watching very short video clips.
More Natural Movement
With dumbbells, you are not constrained by working around a bar, cables, handles, bench or other items and attachments associated with barbells and exercise machines. Dumbbells let you use more natural movements to create your muscle contractions.
Inexpensive
Depending on your needs, you can begin with one dumbbell, alternating hands after each set of repetitions, or use two at once. You don't need a large set of dumbbells consisting of different weights -- using two dumbbells that weigh the same, you can perform all of the exercises you need for your workout. If you buy your dumbbells from a used sporting goods store, they may let you trade them in or buy them back when you are strong enough to use a heavier weight.
Versatile
You can create workouts using nothing but dumbbells, or add the weights to treadmill or exercise bike workouts or power walks. If you do aerobic workouts, you can add dumbbells to provide an upper-body routine while you perform your step, boxing, gliding or dance moves.
Multi-Purpose
You can use dumbbells to create muscular endurance, circuit training, bodybuilding or metabolic resistance training workouts. This lets multiple people with different fitness goals share the same equipment.
For endurance workouts, use about half the maximum weight you can lift and perform 10 repetitions on an exercise, changing exercises after each set. To bodybuild, use heavier dumbbells and perform three to five reps each set, performing three sets of the same exercise in a row. For metabolic resistance exercises, burn more calories by using dumbbells that let you work at a high intensity for 30 seconds and move from exercise to exercise. Take a short break every two minutes, then start another set of four exercises.
Convenient
Dumbbells don't take up much room and are easy to store. You can slide them under a bed or put them in a drawer. Some portable dumbbells are made from plastic, letting you fill them with water each time to add weight. These are especially convenient if you wish to take them on trips and put them in luggage. You can carry them empty and fill them when you get to your destination.
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