Every time I see a man or woman lift a light dumbbell and perform “isolation” or “sculpting” exercises, I want to pull my hair out. Not that there’s anything wrong with these dumbbell exercises. It’s just that they are not designed to get the results that the user wants or needs.
And that’s a waste of valuable training time.
Let’s face it, most people have trouble making time to exercise. When they hit the gym or set aside part of their busy day to work out at home, the last thing they want to do is waste time. Every minute spent training should count! So stop wasting time with those dumbbell workouts and start using the dumbbells to their full potential.
At this point, some of you might be offended. You can believe beyond any doubt that “isolation” and “feel the burn” dumbbell exercises are the way to get the most out of your dumbbell workout. (Even if you haven’t managed to make major changes in your body). Please keep reading and give me a chance to change your mind.
Honestly, most people start doing dumbbell exercises, or any type of exercise, because they want to change their appearance. Yes, there are health and performance benefits to a properly performed dumbbell workout. But who are we kidding? Appearance is the main motivating factor!
And let’s be honest, most people only start exercising when they look so bad they can’t take it anymore. They have ignored lack of muscle tone and fat accumulation for so long that they are not just out of shape, they really are out of shape! They just don’t need to lose a pound or two of fat and tone their arms. They need to lose a LOT of fat and build a LOT of muscle to have a big impact on their appearance!
Therefore, the dumbbell workouts you perform should be designed to build muscle and burn fat, preferably in the shortest amount of time possible. So, they pick up a 2-pound dumbbell and perform triceps kickdowns. Bad bad bad!
Let’s look at it this way:
A sculptor is given a 2-ton block of granite to carve a figure that ultimately weighs 1/2 ton. Should they:
a) Use a small pick and start tapping the block?
Prayed
b) Take a mallet and remove most of the unnecessary material?
I hope you chose option b!
You see, when you have a lot of work to do, use the right tool for the job!
So, if your goal is to significantly change your appearance by increasing muscle and burning fat, make sure your dumbbell workouts are designed to accomplish both. Don’t waste your time with small weights and small exercises. Dumbbells are a great option for a total body transformation, but only if you use them correctly!
Here are three tips to change the way you look with dumbbell workouts:
1) Perform dumbbell exercises that recruit as many large muscle groups as possible.
Dumbbell lifts like squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and cleans, snatches and jerks require many large muscle groups to complete the movement. Also, using large muscle groups allows you to use heavier weights. Using more muscle with heavier weights means more muscle!
2) Perform exercises with dumbbells that require a lot of energy.
Heavy crushing exercises, explosive exercises, and combo arrays require a lot of energy to complete. Expending more energy means less fat!
3) Perform dumbbell exercises in such a way that you simultaneously build muscle, improve cardiorespiratory endurance and burn fat.
By doing workouts like super sets, timed circuits, and peripheral cardiac action training, you can make your dumbbell workouts SUPER efficient. You’ll get the most out of your training time by attacking your body on many fronts!
I hope this short article has opened your eyes to the true value of dumbbells in your quest to change your appearance. If you want to see the biggest change in appearance in the shortest amount of time, leave light dumbbell workouts alone and start using dumbbells to their full potential. Following the tips above makes your dumbbell training more effective than ever!
