adjustable dumbbell

Top 5 Benefits Of Training With Dumbbells

Dumbbells are a staple piece of kit on any fitness journey. One of the aspects that we love most about this kind of equipment is its versatility. 

And, if you invest in an adjustable dumbbell set up to 40kg, you’ll have weights to take you through all kinds of exercises and a set that can grow with you as your strength and abilities develop. 

If you’re still not convinced that a dumbbell set should be your next home gym equipment purchase, have a read of five of the main benefits of using these types of weights in your training sessions. 

  1. Their versatility 

So we’ve already mentioned this, but it is worth diving into in more detail. Dumbbells, by their size and the fact that they are weights designed to be held in one hand, allow you to perform exercises that can work your whole body.

What’s more, if you’ve got an adjustable set of dumbbells, you can vary your weights to suit your body and your training goals. 

When we talk about versatility, we don’t only mean in terms of the weight you’re lifting. You also have more versatility in terms of how you structure your workout. You can switch sets up with ease, change weights quickly and mix up your movement patterns. 

  1. Dumbbells help you find and fix imbalances

It’s common to develop muscular imbalances throughout your life. Most of us have a dominant side and usually that means that both the arm and leg on that side of our body is stronger.

When you’re working with other gym equipment, like barbells, it is easy for your stronger side to compensate for your weaker one. This means the stronger side tends to get even stronger while the weaker side fails to develop.

But with dumbbells it’s a different story. You’ll very quickly notice if the weight you can lift varies significantly from side to side – and once you can see it, you can take steps to correct it. 

That might mean doing more reps on your weaker side, or using the heaviest weight your weaker side can handle on both sides until your strength levels out. 

  1. You can work through more range of motion with dumbbells

Unlike other gym equipment, such as fixed machines that are designed to work very specific muscle groups, or barbells that force you to lift in a particular way, dumbbells give you much more freedom of movement.

This enables you to switch up how you’re lifting to target very specific muscle groups. For example, one study found that using dumbbells to perform a chest press resulted in higher bicep activity than performing the same exercise with a barbell. 

That’s not to say that dumbbells are better than barbells or vice-versa. It merely highlights how different pieces of equipment can be used to train specific muscle groups. 

Because dumbbells can be held in a single hand, they allow you to perform movements that aren’t possible with larger pieces of kit too, once again bringing us back to that first point of versatility in your workouts.

  1. You can train one side at a time with dumbbells

While whole body movements are great, sometimes you want to isolate specific muscles or build up strength one side at a time. As we mentioned, this is a good way to tackle imbalances in strength.

But dumbbells are also a good way to hone your technique on both sides of your body, without allowing for your stronger or more stable muscles on the other side to compensate. 

Using a dumbbell also allows you to perform single sided movements that work a number of muscles at the same time. Think about a wood chop exercise performed with a dumbbell. 

This doesn’t only work your arms. It also works your shoulders, hips, thighs, calves and your core. 

  1. Dumbbells are safer if you’re training alone

When you’re training with weights, safety always has to be at the front of your mind. If you regularly train at home, and especially if you’re alone when you do so, dumbbells are often the best option.

It is much easier to drop a dumbbell if you realise you’ve lifted too heavy – you need to watch where you drop it (obviously). But if you are in a similar situation with a barbell on a bench, for instance, you could seriously injure yourself if you can’t re-rack the bar. 

Dumbbells are also a good choice if you are new to your weights journey because it is much easier to start lighter while you learn the correct form for the exercises you’ll be performing. 

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