...d high blood pressure. Shedding excess weight is one of the most effective ways to improve your health and reduce your chances of developing a life-threatening medical condition. Chest exercises with dumbbells will help you ...
dumbbells are a highly versatile weight lifting tool that can be adjusted to meet the needs of your workout. If your dumbbells come with adjustable weights, you can generally increase the amount of weight by removing the safety...
A decline dumbbell press is an exercise designed to build muscle in your lower pectorals, obliques and core muscles. An adequate substitute for a decline dumbbell press must strengthen these same muscles at an equivalent angle....
Exercise band and dumbbell exercises are types of resistance workouts geared toward gains in strength and lean body mass, or the reduction of body fat. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says adults can gain subst...
Working with dumbbells, which are free weights attached to tubular handles, is an effective way to build muscle mass and strength via resistance. Doing a dumbbell curl involves lifting the weight with your hand by bending your ...
...other police work. The purpose of the Schutzhund training is to identify those few dogs that are capable of performing these highly demanding skills and have the character to persevere. The Shutzhund dumbbell is one of the t...
Kettlebells and dumbbells are tools you use as extra resistance for strength exercises. Although each type of resistance has a different design and function, you can use either for the biceps curl exercise. Using dumbbells or k...
Bulging biceps and better grip are just two of benefits you will experience from using hammer-style dumbbell curls. While it is common knowledge that your biceps are trained with curls, the hammer curl variation trains other ar...
Although the biceps curl is a basic exercise that only involves movement at the elbow joint, it has several variations that you can do to emphasize the biceps muscles differently. Twisting curls work the biceps through a forear...
Most varieties of barbell presses can also be performed with dumbbells. A barbell refers to a long metal bar to which weight plates are attached at the ends. The weight on a barbell varies based on the amount of weights placed ...
Weight training offers a variety of muscular benefits. Dumbbell front raises target your shoulders and are commonly incorporated in an upper body weight training workout. Perform front raises two or three days per week with at ...
You can increase muscle mass throughout your arms by following a strict dumbbell training regimen. Training with free weights places great stress on your muscles during the full exercise range of motion. This heavy workload pro...
dumbbells provide an easy and effective way to get a good workout. The lift exercise can be easily performed with a set of dumbbells. Instead of focusing on one lift, get the most of your workout and take part in a series of li...
...eight as the resistance weight. This works great for pushups, pullups, squats and lunges, but there are a few exercises such as biceps curls and shoulder presses that better target muscles when using dumbbells or elastic ban...
The decline dumbbell press is an upper-body strength training exercise. It works your pectoralis major, particularly the lower portion of the muscle, according to "Serious Strength Training." Because the joint motion ...
Trainers perform dumbbell fly presses by lying on a bench with arms extended above the body while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Elbows are then slightly bent before the trainer proceeds to lower arms to the sides of the benc...
Dumbbells give you an advantage that machines don’t when it comes to working out. These tools are free weights, which grant you the ability to move them around in multiple directions without any restraints. This, in turn,...
The dumbbell curl is an isolation weight-training exercise, meaning it requires movement only around one joint. Lifters use the exercise to develop strength and size in the upper-body muscles. Use an appropriately weighted dumb...
...the biceps are glamor muscles, and many who train with weights seek big ones. Building biceps that fit snugly in your T-shirt is best done by targeting both heads of the muscle -- the short and long. Dumbbells are all you ne...
Along with different weights, Dumbbells come in various shapes, sizes, colors and materials. Dumbbells help to balance your muscles by allowing each arm to do an equal amount of work rather than letting your dominant side take ...
dumbbells are an integral component of the P90X Fitness Program. Tony Horton, designer of P90X, recommends using various dumbbells weighing from 5 to 70 pounds in order to fully work out each muscle group. However, to avoid pur...
The incline dumbbell press exercise targets the clavicular head of the chest muscle. This head sits higher than the sternal head, which is the larger of the two chest muscles. To increase the incline of the dumbbell press, you ...
The large muscles of your thigh and calf -- the quadriceps and the gastrocnemius -- are involved in every standing-up exercise you complete. You don't need fancy gimmicks or specialized equipment to build up layers of lean musc...
...you maintain a healthy body weight. Your biceps are one of your major muscle groups that require attention during strength training workouts. Two effective methods of developing this muscle group are dumbbell curls and incli...
The primary muscles targeted by decline dumbbell flyes are your chest muscles, along with secondary muscles in the arms and shoulders. Specifically, this exercise strengthens the anterior deltoids, the pectoralis major and the ...
Dumbbells give you freedom of movement that you do not always get on a weight machine. Because these free weights are not bound by cables or attachments, you can move them in multiple planes of motion to target all of the major...
The trapezius is a large muscle that runs across the top of the shoulders and down into the middle of the back. When it comes to training, dumbbells make effective tools because they can be moved in multiple planes without bein...
A variety of dumbbell exercises will allow you to build the size and strength of your arms. While you cannot use as much weight with dumbbells as you can with a barbell, the use of dumbbells allows you a greater range of motion...
...use to use anything but big weight, so you'll only see them using barbells. While barbells do have the advantage of letting you move a lot of weight, there are a number of advantages to training with dumbbells. Rather than v...
...ght-training program. High volume means that it consists of a relatively high number of exercises, sets and repetitions. According to Loren Chiu of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, dumbbells are weighted i...
A rear delt fly done with dumbbells strengthens your upper back muscles and shoulders while working on stabilization strength in your spine, deep abdominals and hips. The exercise requires you to maintain a neutral spine positi...
Dumbbell pullovers are an excellent upper body exercise, working the major muscles of your chest, back and core. Doing pullovers on a fitball instead of a weight bench challenges your core even more. Before you start, select th...
Done correctly, a dumbbell press works your chest, shoulders and triceps, with some minor support from your core muscles. Done incorrectly, a dumbbell press can lead to rotator cuff problems, torn pectorals and even wrist strai...
The overhead dumbbell extension primarily works the triceps, building strength and mass as well as definition when incorporated into a regular upper-arm workout. If you prefer to use exercise machines as opposed to the free wei...
The overhead dumbbell extension exercise adds strength and mass to your triceps. Substitutes for this movement should involve free weights and place optimal stress on your upper-arm muscles. The lying barbell triceps extension ...
There are various ways to lift a dumbbell that require your entire body to work together to produce the lift, such as the deadlift, overhead press and pull. Your legs and hips should be the source of strength while using your a...
A front squat to press allows you to work your legs, shoulders and arms with one exercise. While traditionally done with a barbell, you can do this exercise with dumbbells with only minor adjustments. While the weight of your f...
The deadlift, squat press and push press are three primary lifting techniques you can perform to produce strong lifts with one or more dumbbells. These movement patterns are the foundation for other advanced lifting techniques,...
Squats have earned a bad reputation for hurting the knees, however, the problem usually isn’t the squat itself but rather the exerciser who does the squat in an improper way. Using weights that are too heavy, not paying a...
If you use dumbbells instead of a weight machine for cable crunches, you're no longer technically doing cable crunches since you're no longer using cables. However, you can serve the purpose of cable crunches -- developing the ...
Leg lifts are a great was to shape your legs and tone up your lower abdominal muscles. Over time, your body can get used to normal resistance. Using a dumbbell to add more resistance to your leg lift routine can help break thro...
The swing is a one- or two-handed dynamic exercise that can be performed with a kettlebell, dumbbell or even a medicine ball in a strong bag. Performed with a heavy weight for low repetitions, the swing can develop whole body p...
... as your hip flexors. Standard situps are performed with your arms across your chest or behind your head as a straight body weight exercise. You can also add weight to the movement by incorporating a dumbbell into the situp....
The deadlift is a full-body exercise usually performed with a heavy barbell, but it can also be done with dumbbells. Using dumbbells for a deadlift may feel a bit different, as the stronger half of your body isn’t able to...
...hair all require movements that are executed when performing squats. Side squats, or side lunges as they are also called, allow you to target your inner and outer thighs more than regular squats. Add dumbbells for extra resi...
Using dumbbells instead of barbells to train has advantages and disadvantages. You cannot use as much weight when training with dumbbells, but you can often achieve a greater range of motion and will not get pinned under dumbbe...
..., then insert in the humerus, the large bone in your arm. The farther you move your arms away from your body, the more you stimulate the pectoral muscles as you bring your arm back toward your chest. Dumbbells are effective ...
A side twist engages your abdominals and obliques, strengthening the muscles of your core. Holding a dumbbell adds weight to the exercise, forcing your muscles to work harder. There are two types of weighted side twists —...
...scles are hard at work orchestrating the movements that are necessary to complete physical tasks. The human body contains three kinds of muscle — striated, cardiac and skeletal. When you lift a dumbbell, striated skele...
If you have decided to take the P90X fitness challenge, you will need some dumbbells to get started. Created by Tony Horton and produced by Beachbody, the P90X program involves a blend of strength training, flexibility and card...
dumbbells are typically used in standard exercises such as the bench press, rows and curls. However, there are numerous other exercises that can incorporate dumbbells and provide variety, while still allowing you to develop str...
Learning how to use dumbbells to get muscular legs is relatively easy because of the balanced shape of the weights. However, performing these exercises may be challenging, because they require great balance, coordination, joint...
Dumbbell training can help you improve muscle definition and full-body strength by exercising multiple body parts together rather than just isolating one muscle group at a time, say the National Academy of Sports Medicine. The ...
Dumbbell training increases your muscle definition while helping you increase your caloric expenditure to reduce body fat so you appear more cut. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends that you perform full-body exe...
Barbells are not necessary to build an impressive chest. Every chest exercise can be adapted for dumbbells; some some exercises are more effective when performed with dumbbells. When training for mass, be sure to perform both c...
You can develop tree trunk legs by performing compound, heavy free weight movements with dumbbells. Compound free weight movements recruit multiple muscle groups, providing your legs with a comprehensive muscle-building workout...
Exercising with Dumbbells is a low-tech, versatile method for developing dozens of muscle groups in the upper and lower body and the core. Dumbbells are inexpensive and don't require a lot of room to work with. Another advantag...
Resistance or weight training will help you improve muscle tone and counteract the loss of muscle mass that accompanies aging. You don't have to invest a great deal of money in dumbbells to begin strength training. You can re-p...
A regular, or fixed, dumbbell is a set weight. You most commonly see these dumbbells in commercial gyms and fitness centers. You cannot change the weight of a regular dumbbell, but you can change the weight of an adjustable dum...
Dumbbells and barbells are both exercise weights, but different styles. Dumbbells have a handle with a spherical weight on either side, either permanently molded or plates fastened to a short bar. Barbells have a long bar with ...
If you are no longer a novice bodybuilder, step up your basic strength-training routine by using dumbbells. While strength-training machines are ideal for beginners, intermediate bodybuilders can strengthen primary and stabiliz...
...program that includes aerobic, strength and flexibility workouts. Some of the exercises in the strength workouts use your body weight for resistance, but many require external resistance. You can use dumbbells as the exercis...
A dumbbell is a pair of weights, traditionally spherical, connected by a handle. dumbbells can be fixed weights or made with removable plates so the same bar can be adjusted. A big advantage to dumbbells for exercise is that th...
If you're exercising on a budget, substitute canned food or full water bottles for light dumbbells. However, if you want to keep improving, you'll have to lift progressively heavier weights. Once you can do more than 12 repetit...
Dumbbell training allows you to perform many chest exercises without the risk of dropping a barbell on yourself. While you cannot use as much weight with Dumbbells as you can with a barbell, you can train through a greater rang...
Standing dumbbell front raises work your deltoid, or shoulder, muscles. If you do this basic, single-joint exercise with improper form, you increase your risk of shoulder impingement, which is a painful condition of the shoulde...
...pairs the small tears throughout your muscle fibers, they're reconstructed at an increased size. While working out on machines or with barbells allows your dominant bicep to take on more of the work, dumbbells require each o...
... body weight squat is the most basic, beginner squat; you only use your body weight for resistance. As you grow stronger, you will need to increase the challenge of the squat exercise and begin doing dumbbell squats.
The dumbbell shrug is a single-joint exercise with a limited range of motion that might belie its effectiveness: It targets several large muscles in your upper back, including your traps and rhomboids. Using dumbbells for the s...
Dumbbell training can help you increase muscle definition and bulk up by performing a variety of exercises. You can perform exercises that emphasize certain muscle groups or those that works multiple body parts together. The Na...
Hex and round dumbbells are fixed-weight dumbbells for use in commercial and in-home gyms. Both types of dumbbell are made of cast iron and offer a large selection of weights. However, hex and round dumbbells have different des...
The supinated dumbbell curl is an isolation, single-joint exercise for the biceps, the muscles on the front of your upper arm. The only joint involved in a supinated dumbbell curl is the elbow joint. However, unlike a standard ...
...ining you do may produce slightly different results compared with other types of weight training. If you use weights to build muscle, you have choices among different types of free weights, including dumbbells, barbells or k...
...orite muscle-building equipment. The arguments over machines versus free weights are usually the loudest, but even when it comes down to free weights, there are still arguments as to which is better: dumbbells or barbells. I...
Dumbbells can complement your barbell training or provide a complete workout without any extra equipment. Extra volume allows you to raise your training intensity and build muscle and power. Shorter rest periods allow you to bu...
Dumbbell exercises are an extremely effective means of training your prime mover muscles, as well as stabilizer muscles. However, because you must balance and control Dumbbells through a complete plane of movement, fatigue or l...
...t you attain a low body fat percentage with muscular definition by adopting a proper diet, performing strength and endurance training, and getting enough rest for your body to heal. Training with one dumbbell can be part of ...
While you hold onto dumbbells with your arms when deadlifting, other than gripping the dumbbells, your arms do not perform much work. If you feel the effort from any sort of deadlift in your arms, ensure that you are not bendin...
If your spotter is, for some reason, unable to help you lower the dumbbells you just finished lifting, you may find yourself in the position of needing to set them down in a hurry. While dropping them may become necessary, this...
...are located on the back of the upper arm. Both the bicep and tricep muscles work together to assist in bending the elbow. The triceps help extend the elbow, while the biceps help contract the elbow. Dumbbell workouts provid...
Grip strength is essential to many sports and daily activities, such as gymnastics, grappling and yardwork. Almost all dumbbell exercises will improve your grip strength to a certain degree; however, a few exercises can improve...
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 ...
Dumbbells are free to move in any plane of motion. This inherent instability is to your benefit because it forces your muscles to work together, instead of in isolation, as you lift the weights. But that freedom to move can als...
According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, if your training goal is muscle hypertrophy, or growth, there is no advantage to using barbells and dumbbells, also called free weights, compared to using weight ...
Reverse dumbbell flyes strengthen the posterior shoulder and upper back. Strength and development in the rear shoulders and thoracic spinal muscles improves upper body posture, function and movement. Correct technique is vital ...
The dumbbell kickback, or triceps kickback as it's more commonly known, is usually done one arm at a time. Your other hand supports your upper body in the bent-over position you must assume to get the proper leverage. However, ...
Barbells and dumbbells present advantages and disadvantages, so the key to finding out which one works best lies in determining which one helps you achieve your goals. Barbells allow you to use more weight, dumbbells allow you ...
Strength conditioning with dumbbells helps you develop muscular strength, definition and endurance as well as improves movement patterns and coordination. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends that you perform exer...
The high pull lift resembles another lift you can do in the weight room, the snatch, but is done with lighter weights and can therefore be done more explosively. This exercise not only improves your grip strength, but also help...
...e weighted pullup exercise helps develop muscle size, strength and definition in your back. ExRx.net notes pullups hit the latissimus dorsi, or lats, as well as the shoulder and biceps muscles. Using dumbbells gives your wor...
A set of dumbbells provides a free-weight system to use at home for strength training. You can benefit from weight training even if you aren't trying to visibly build your muscles. Knowing what to look for in a set of dumbbells...
Dumbbells are a type of free weight used in weight training. They may be used individually or in pairs, and range in size from 1 lb. to over 100 lbs. in 2.5- and 5-lb. increments. Dumbbells are designed to be lifted with one ha...
The ancient Greeks, Chinese and Egyptians trained with a versatile, useful piece of strength training equipment thousands of years ago: the dumbbell. Early dumbbells were constructed of various materials, including lead and wax...
A full-dumbbell workout is an exercise routine that involves training all of your body parts using only dumbbells for resistance. Full-dumbbell workouts can be performed in one day with a total-body workout, or by splitting up ...
Dumbbells and other weights can be injurious if picked up incorrectly. Maintain proper exercise technique from the time your pick up the weights until you set them back down. Though the technique for each exercise will vary, th...
One pair of adjustable dumbbells replaces the need for multiple traditional dumbbells, saving you money. Adjustable dumbbells do not take up much space. You can store them in your closet or in a small area on your floor. A pair...
Dumbbells are an effective and versatile option if you're deciding what equipment to use for a resistance-training program designed to increase your muscular endurance, muscle mass, power and strength. Unlike barbells and weigh...
Dumbbell training helps you develop muscle definition and full-body strength by using different lifting techniques. These exercises involve your lower body and your upper body to create fluid movement, strength and power. You c...
There are several ways to lift dumbbells to improve strength, coordination and stability. Each technique requires your spine to be in neutral position, which means that your spine maintains its natural curves without excessive ...
Many weight trainers like to spend significant time in the gym focusing on arm development. Big arms get noticed, and a variety of machines in the gym are designed to help. The dumbbell curl is a classic biceps exercise that wo...
Ask anybody who lifts weights and he or she will have a strong opinion about dumbbells. Some love them and swear that you cannot get a good workout without them. Some caution against them, saying that they are not as safe as ma...
...Prevention suggests that all Americans include at least two days of strength training targeting each of the major muscle groups each week. When looking at ways to strength train, free weights such as dumbbells are often a po...
...ure you are doing the exercise correctly, you will also reduce your risk of injuring yourself and others. Performing an exercise correctly means using proper technique and also breathing correctly. A dumbbell curl is very si...
dumbbells give you the ability to do exercises with multiple ranges of motion. Because they are not bound to any attachments, they are known as free weights. Although dumbbells come in handy for exercises like curls, they are n...
As with any fitness equipment, take proper safety precautions to avoid injury when using dumbbells. To minimize exercise-related injuries, work with a personal trainer to develop proper form and technique for whichever dumbbell...
The dumbbell curl is a classic exercise for the elbow flexors, which include the biceps brachii, brachialis and brachioradialis muscles. There are several variations of the exercise that you can include in a resistance-training...
A 13 year-old boy or girl can benefit from lifting dumbbells in a strength-training program. "Kids can safely lift adult-size weights, as long as the weight is light enough," according to the Mayo Clinic. "In most cases, one se...
Building nicely rounded biceps along the entire length and width of your upper arms is best done using Dumbbells. Dumbbells enable you to move through a more varied range of motion to work the inner and outer divisions of your ...
Weight training with dumbbells is effective for developing strength and muscle size. Completing exercises with dumbbells, instead of doing the movements on machines, requires your surrounding stabilizing muscles to be recruited...
...e that targets your lower back, glutes, hamstrings and abdominals. It improves your posture and can add a considerable amount of muscle to your legs. A progression of this exercise is to use a single dumbbell instead of the ...
Weight training has multiple healthy benefits. In addition to helping you look and feel good, it also builds stronger muscles, protects your bones, maintains joint flexibility and speeds up your metabolism. Weight training also...
The dumbbell curl exercise involves flexing and extending your elbows repeatedly to move dumbbells from near your hips to in front of your shoulders and back down. Performing any variation of the exercise on a regular basis, as...
The Apex Dumbbell Rack is a three-tiered rack used for holding and storing your free weight Dumbbells. Fully constructed, the rack weighs about 60 lbs. and costs around $85 as of 2011. The rack can help you save time searching ...
dumbbells are short, weighted bars designed for single-hand use. They come in a variety of styles, types and weights. dumbbells provide more freedom of motion compared to machines or even barbells. With dumbbells, switching wei...
dumbbells are an essential piece of equipment of strength training. Every gym has multiple racks of dumbbells and many households have at least one pair somewhere in the basement, garage or closet. dumbbells are an extremely ve...
Training with free weights involves the use of dumbbells, barbells or weight plates to form resistance during the movement. Depending on your fitness goals and level of strength, you can choose one piece of workout equipment ov...
An incline dumbbell curl can be an effective exercise to help build the strength in your upper arms. The exercise focuses primarily on your bicep muscles. You can do it at home or at the gym with an inclined or adjustable worko...
A Dumbbell is a short, 10 to 15-inch bar with weights at each end. You can purchase a Dumbbell as one unit, but you can also buy the handle separately. Dumbbell handles are available in a variety of styles, including standard, ...
...ng the exercise regularly helps the involved muscles function effectively and may prevent certain musculoskeletal injuries. There are multiple variations of the reverse fly that you can perform using dumbbells.
Doing dumbbell curls improperly, such as lifting with your shoulders and swinging your trunk, will likely land you in physical therapy or with the need to ice sore muscles. Performing this biceps exercise with correct technique...
...ur sleeve and show them your biceps. The motion of bending your arm at the elbow and lifting a weight to your chest is called curling the weight. This action can be performed with either a barbell or dumbbells and is an inte...
The pectorals are a group of three separate muscles that make up your chest. A dumbbell press is a multi-joint exercise that targets your chest, triceps and front shoulder muscles. dumbbells are versatile and allow you to do se...
A military press, the seated or standing version, is typically done with a barbell. If you have only Dumbbells, you can still do the same basic movement, which is also called a shoulder press. Dumbbells allow you to work each a...
Stiff-arm, or straight-arm, dumbbell pullovers are a compound exercise that helps you develop upper-body muscle strength and size. BodyBuilding says dumbbell pullovers are an intermediate-level, pulling exercise that can be per...
The dumbbell is a versatile and affordable piece of strength-training equipment. Almost anyone can use dumbbells to meet the Centers for Disease Control's recommendation for two days a week of strength-training activities. You ...
dumbbells are made of cast iron but many manufacturers cover the iron with other materials to improve the look and feel of the dumbbells. Neoprene and vinyl are two of the most common dumbbell cover materials. Although differen...
Kettlebells and dumbbells are hand weights that can be used either alone or in a pair for a variety of exercises. A dumbbell is a short iron bar with a wider section on each end. A kettlebell is an iron ball with a triangular h...
While many people simply focus on exercises such as squats and the bench press, you can round out your weight lifting regimen with an exercise like the seated reverse dumbbell curl. The exercise focuses on strengthening your wr...
...larger thigh muscles. However, your calves are integral in many activities and sports movements, including walking, running and jumping. Increase your calf muscle strength and endurance with standing dumbbell calf raises.
Kettlebells are shaped like a cannonball with a looped handle. Weightlifting with a kettlebell can offer advantages over a dumbbell as the center of mass is offset increasing leverage. Leverage increases the difficulty of the e...
Training with dumbbells is an effective way to get in shape. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength training can help you lose weight, strengthen muscles and bones, and aid in preventing chronic illnesses. There are four main w...
Dumbbells are a form of free weight --- you hold the weight in your hand and guide it through different strength movements. Unlike machines, free weights don't provide you with any guidance; controlling the movement is totally ...
By using dumbbells for your weight-training program, a greater range of motion is achieved which increases overall muscular strength. Another strength-boosting benefit from dumbbells is the fact that increased joint stabilizati...
Functional fitness is strengthening your body for a specific task, not just all-around muscularity. For example, if you do a lot of gardening, you want to strengthen your back to avoid pain from bending and your legs to accommo...
...ing. Many muscles attach in your forearms, which are not only necessary for the fine motor skills you must perform with your fingers, but also for the gross motor movements of your elbows and wrists. Dumbbell strengthening e...
Although many bodybuilders and fitness gurus insist that only certain equipment develops large muscles, many effective strength-training exercises are possible with only a dumbbell. dumbbells use primary and secondary muscles i...
A dumbbell curl targets your biceps, the muscles on the front of your upper arms. There are many versions of a dumbbell curl, including alternating and standing, which are not mutually exclusive, since an alternating dumbbell c...
Weight training with dumbbells enables you to strengthen your muscles through a greater range of motion and enhances the function of the muscles that stabilize your joints. However, dumbbell exercises expose you to a greater ri...
When it comes to weight training, there is no one size that fits all. The best weight for your dumbbells depends primarily on your fitness goals and your previous experience with weight training. According to the National Stren...
If you want to look good in a tank-top, big biceps are what you're after. The biceps are a relatively easy muscle to train and develop because they consist of mostly fast-twitch muscle fibers. Dumbbells are one of the most effe...
Despite its name, the dumbbell hip press actually benefits the chest. In holding the dumbbells down near your hips and close to your body, you isolate the pectoral muscles to get results much like you would from a bench press, ...
dumbbells are a type of free-weight used in strength training programs. Using dumbbells can help you improve your muscular strength and endurance during your workouts. If losing that extra jiggle in your arms is your goal, you ...
...ls somewhere between walking and running in intensity. Exercise enthusiasts look to expand their routines and increase the challenge. For a jogger, one way to do this would be adding hand weights, or dumbbells, during the se...
Dumbbell curls effectively target your biceps for stronger arms. Unfortunately, should you do them improperly, not only can they be ineffective, but they can be dangerous as well. Before adding a weightlifting staple like dumbb...
It's not a compliment when someone calls you a dumbbell, but maybe it should be. After all, the dumbbell, along with its long-bar cousin the barbell, is among the most widely-used pieces of weight training equipment. The dumbbe...
Skull crushers are triceps extensions that you perform with a barbell or a set of dumbbells. The exercise gets its name from the motion you perform to complete the exercise -- lowering the weights toward your head. Beginning ex...
When using a dumbbell, you are forced to recruit stabilizing muscles while working a primary muscle. This leads to maximal power and strength gains, according to the American Council on Exercise. Sitting down to do exercises is...
Strength-training with dumbbells provides a number of benefits, such as building stronger bones, muscles and connective tissues, as your muscles work to not just move the weights around but stabilize them, too. When purchasing ...
The decline dumbbell press primarily works your chest muscles, followed by your shoulders and triceps. This exercise has numerous advantages. Decline dumbbell presses help build definition in the lower portion of your pectoral,...
...a variety of workout sessions, including chest and back, shoulders and arms, back and legs, back and biceps, chest and shoulders, ab ripper, cardio, core, plyometrics, yoga and x-stretch. You can use dumbbells to complete mo...
...12 intense exercise DVDs and includes varieties of yoga, kickboxing or kenpo, cardio, plyometrics, muscle sculpting and stretching. In order to fully participate in the training, you'll need a set of dumbbells. Using the wei...
...s for Disease Control and Prevention. Whether you choose to use a fitness center or create a home gym, an accessible and affordable option to meet this goal and increase the strength of your body are dumbbells of varying wei...
... only just making their way into mainstream fitness throughout the rest of the world. A kettlebell is a cannon ball-shaped weight with a handle at the top, usually made of iron. While kettlebells and dumbbells have similarit...
dumbbells and barbells can be used interchangeably in most free weight exercises. In fact, you will likely make greater gains your strength and fitness if you periodically switch between using barbells and dumbbells in your lif...
A curl is moving your forearm and hand closer to your shoulder joint, reducing the angle between the forearm and upper arm. When you bend the elbow joint, your biceps and brachioradialis muscle in the upper arm contract while t...
...n the other side. Because you are performing one side at a time, the number of total reps and duration of the exercise doubles. For example, it may take you 50 seconds to perform 10 reps of a two-arm dumbbell press. If you d...
Free weights like dumbbells offer all the benefits of strength training, including stronger muscles, bones and connective tissue. But unlike weight machines, free weights force you to stabilize the weights as you lift, thus rec...
Dumbbells might seem intimidating if you've never used them before, but they're actually quite intuitive to use. That's fortunate because of their immense capacity to help you build lean muscle mass and sculpt a more shapely, s...
Many gym goers forgo dumbbells in favor of weight machines to build lean muscle mass. But dumbbells are an equally effective exercise tool. Many of the same exercises performed on weight machines can also be performed with dumb...
The P90X workout is an intense 12-week program designed by Tony Horton that's meant to be completed at home. It utilizes a variety of training equipment, including dumbbells. Because of the extensive number of exercises in the ...
Dumbbells are an effective tool to help strengthen and shape the muscles in your arms. The muscles in your upper arms include biceps brachii, triceps brachii and brachialis. The biceps brachii is a two-headed muscle that functi...
Strength training with Dumbbells can help you get lean and strong at the same time by increasing muscle size and definition, which also increases your metabolism. Dumbbell training is easy to learn for many people because of th...
Dumbbell presses primarily exercise the muscles in the arms and shoulders, but they also have a beneficial effect on your core and abdomen, such as the latissimus dorsi and rectus abdominus muscles. Ask a spotter to help you co...
Dumbbells range in weight from 1 to over 100 lbs. To get bigger triceps, you most likely will not need the triple-digit sizes. What you do need is a solid game plan that involves elbow extension. This anatomical motion takes pl...
Dumbbells and kettlebells are similar pieces of exercise equipment; they are both held in one hand and are both used in resistance training. Their differences in balance, structure and load make each more appropriate for differ...
The weight of your dumbbells is dependent on what your specific goals are and how strong you currently are. Your current repetition range or a percentage of one repetition maximum can help you determine your correct dumbbell we...
The dumbbell side bend exercise targets the external and internal oblique muscles that span the sides of your abdomen, and the quadratus lumborum muscle and erector spinae and deep spinal muscle groups that lie within your lowe...
The overhead press is an upper body weight training exercise that strengthens your shoulders. It can be done on a weighted machine, with a barbell, resistance bands, kettlebells and even dumbbells. Using dumbbells allows you to...
Drop sets sound as if they are an easy exercise, or one in which you reduce the number of exercise sets. In reality, drop sets are intense exercises that might result in your dropping your dumbbells to the floor. Bodybuilders u...
The military press is a classic test of strength, and it was an Olympic lift until 1972. This lift is generally performed with a barbell, but dumbbells are a variation to build strength and size. Both methods offer unique advan...
Dumbbell curls are among the best tools for building muscle mass in your biceps. However, in order to work your biceps properly, you have to practice the proper curling technique. This requires you to stand with your back compl...
dumbbells are highly useful for functional weight training, which means that you can use them to train almost any body motion that you want to strengthen for application in your life. The main disadvantage of cast iron dumbbell...
...your knees, hips and ankles all at the same time, multiple muscles get worked simultaneously. This places the deadlift on the list of compound exercises that boost your size and strength gains. Using dumbbells will spare the...
... as an elbow flexor and forearm supinator. The lateral, long head of the biceps brachii is the primary elbow flexor, while the medial, short head of the muscle provides the supination of the forearm. Dumbbell curls target th...
A Dumbbell rack holds Dumbbells so they aren't strewn all over the floor. The dimensions of a Dumbbell rack will vary according to the type, style and brand of rack. Dumbbell racks are typically sold in one of three styles: two...
...es, muscles and connective tissue. The muscular strength and endurance you gain from lifting weights can also make everyday movements, such as carrying groceries or moving boxes at work, feel easier. Dumbbells are among the ...
...ody strength training. Though effective, this piece of equipment can be expensive and bulky. Many of the strength training exercises that the Bowflex offers can be mimicked with free weights, such as dumbbells, which are muc...
Olympic lifting is a competition to perform two exercises: the snatch and the clean and jerk. This sport uses a barbell and requires both strength and skill. While the lifts can be completed with dumbbells to a degree, there ar...
The bicep muscle is comprised of a short muscle head and a long muscle head. Dumbbells provide an effective and easy way to strength train these muscles, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Using different han...
dumbbells are a basic piece of exercise equipment. They are available in many varieties; some are a fixed weight while others are adjustable. Adjustable dumbbells can be Olympic models that take Olympic sized plates; or standar...
Dumbbells are a smaller version of a barbell. Many Dumbbells are fixed weights -- you cannot add or subtract weight -- but they can take up significant space. Dumbbell handles allow you to slide weight plates on or off, adjusti...
The history of weightlifting equipment dates back to at least the fifth century B.C. Our modern dumbbells have predecessors from as far back as ancient Greece. Though no one knows exactly how the word "dumbbell" came to be, it ...
The most common chest exercise done with barbells or dumbbells is a bench chest press. dumbbells and barbells each have their own distinct advantages for this exercise. Use a dumbbell or a barbell to do pullovers, which target ...
Barbells and dumbbells are the two main types of free weights. Using this type of resistance does not restrict your range of motion the way a weight machine does. With free weights, your movements more closely resemble real-lif...
The dumbbell pullover is a compound exercise that targets both the chest and the back. This is one of the only exercises that works opposing muscle groups at the same time. The movement involves holding a dumbbell directly over...
Pushups are a good conditioning exercise for the upper body, but dumbbells give you a greater range of motion and make it easier to increase the resistance. Pushups have the advantage of being able to be performed nearly anywhe...
Strength training with dumbbells gives you complete freedom of motion, a wide range of exercise options and a portable method to exercise at home. Unlike during machine workouts, your body engages smaller stabilizing muscles as...
... your strength training workout. Periodization is a method of varying your workouts through a change in exercise speed, weight amount, reduced rest periods or exercise order. A speed burst with light dumbbells can challenge ...
Hoist Fitness manufactures dumbbells with the latest quick-change feature. Most notable are the large chrome stays that thread onto each end of the dumbbell bar and secure the weight plates. Each plate has a groove that fits ea...
In-home workouts using small, portable fitness equipment is a popular choice for exercisers who are watching their budget. Purchasing your own dumbbell set can save you the price of a gym membership while you also enjoy the con...
Dumbbells can be useful for many different types of exercises. Free weights are ideal for focusing your workout on certain muscle groups and body parts. They are also easy to use and do not require a lot of space. Because they ...
Using dumbbells, or free weights, in your exercise program yields benefits such as strengthening and toning targeted muscles and muscle groups. Using dumbbells may also increase your muscular and cardiovascular stamina and endu...
dumbbells are a versatile weight-training tool, that are relatively inexpensive to buy, and can be used at home or at the gym. For beginners, dumbbells are available in all sizes, and, when used properly, are very safe. The key...
Dumbbells provide you with the versatility to do strength training exercises anywhere: at home, the gym or in your hotel room. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends two weekly strength training workouts to increase...
dumbbells are among the most widely used forms of free weights available. Many gyms dedicate an entire section of their weight area to a row of dumbbells for this very reason. One of the core muscle groups often trained with du...
Lifting dumbbells if you have arthritis may sound painful or even foolish, but with proper form and by starting carefully with lighter weights, you may find that dumbbells can play a key role in managing your arthritis. Strengt...
If you're looking to build muscle, you don't have to use large weight machines or barbells. Training with a set of dumbbells several times each week helps build muscle and contributes to a leaner, healthier body. A study conduc...
The dumbbell pullover targets your pectoralis major muscle, which is your largest chest muscle. When you perform the dumbbell pullover consistently, you can increase the size of your chest. The dumbbell pullover engages and sub...
Chest presses with dumbbells or kettlebells are an effective exercise to tone your deltoids, triceps and pectorals, says ACE Fitness. Either style of exercise targets the same muscle groups, but there are some advantages to bot...
The popularity of dumbbells stems in part from their flexibility as an exercise tool. They can add resistance to aerobic activities, provide targeted lightweight training and offer weightlifters a means of increase muscle mass....
