Using a full body workout that uses dumbbells in unison, one at a time and alternating is one of the best ways to improve fitness, burn fat and build an athletic body. If those are the reasons you use gym machines, it's time to quit the gym and get yourself some dumbbells.
Advantages of Dumbbell-Only Workouts
While we love all fitness equipment, dumbbells hold a special place in our hearts. The fact that you can achieve a full-body workout with a single tool and minimal floor space makes them a winner in our book.
If you have the space to build a full barbell home gym, that's a great default choice. If you don't have space, no problem—dumbbells are equally good for building muscle. They're also extremely versatile, a little bit cheaper, don't take up nearly as much space, and are amazing for bulking up your upper body and arms.
With dumbbells you can go deeper, getting more stretch and working the muscle harder. Also helps to shape the chest to look better. People are talking about you can't do as much weight, which is true because it's a harder exercise. It's far superior in my book.
You can absolutely give your whole body a full workout with dumbbells. You don't actually need a lot of equipment to build strength - even a bodyweight workout can be great for improving your health, fitness and strength.
The Verdict: For someone who isn't looking to achieve CrossFit-level power, I think 10 minutes of strength training per day is plenty to gain strength and even out muscle imbalances. And it's a great jumping-off point if you decide to push yourself further once you have a solid foundation and master proper form.
That being said, whilst machines can be great for beginners and will still give you a good workout, if you're really looking to maximise your strength gains and increase your athletic performance, free weights will probably give you your best bang for your buck.
Using a full body workout that uses dumbbells in unison, one at a time and alternating is one of the best ways to improve fitness, burn fat and build an athletic body. If those are the reasons you use gym machines, it's time to quit the gym and get yourself some dumbbells.
There's many reasons why dumbbell exercises are so popular – not only do they offer more variety than almost any other piece of gym kit going, providing you use a little imagination, dumbbell exercises will also help you expedite fat loss, develop total-body strength, build maximum muscle mass and even level up your ...
Exercise type
Even advanced exercisers might need 2 to 3 days of rest from running per week. Lower-impact exercises like cycling or swimming might require less rest and recovery time. Experts recommend 2 to 3 rest days between strength-training workouts like lifting weights.
Overtraining: Lifting heavy weights every day without adequate rest can lead to overtraining, increasing the risk of injury and hindering progress. Muscle fatigue: Muscles need time to recover and repair after intense workouts.
Building muscle mass will require the use of heavier weights and lower reps. 5kg dumbbells or 10kg dumbbells are good for beginners, while intermediate to advanced users will aim for around 15kg dumbbells and above.
Working out at home can be just as effective. While a gym provides a dedicated space, home workouts offer more flexibility and can be more efficient. It all depends on how you use your time and equipment to maximize your effort.
Benefits of dumbbell exercises for weight loss
A 2021 study published in the journal Sports Medicine found that resistance training or weightlifting can help reduce body fat percentage, body fat mass and visceral fat in healthy adults. Dumbbell exercises may not only help you lose weight, but gain muscle too.
If you're wondering whether you can tone your arms with a dumbbell arm workout, the answer is an emphatic yes!
With just one or two dumbbells you can build full body strength, muscle mass as well as lose fat. The goal of this article is to arm you (as in muscular arms) with some ideas for new movements you can use to build full body strength and muscle mass with dumbbells.
In general, free weights activate more muscles than machines and therefore are better for building muscle in the long-run. However, towards the end of your session when your muscles are tired and your form is starting to suffer, machines are safer and can help you to continue training safely.
Can I build muscle with just dumbbells? Yes, so long as you increase the weight over time. You can absolutely bulk up with dumbbells, but you're going to hit a wall if you don't keep adding weight. Every few weeks, increase the amount of weight you're lifting by 5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg) or so to keep those gains going.
Realistically, when it comes to getting weight training, using a combination of both dumbbell and Barbell exercises will likely give you the best results. However, if you are looking to isolate certain muscle groups, you will likely want to use dumbbells.
Using your body weight as a source of “resistance” is a great substitute for free weights like a barbell or dumbbell. As discussed earlier, bodyweight exercises, like weight training, can induce all three muscle-building mechanisms: mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress.
“Dumbbells are a great option and a nice substitute.” Dumbbells can also be more helpful for developing your pectoral muscles individually, regardless of any muscular imbalances, Gentilcore said.
Rest between set durations should be based on sets/exercise (volume), and not load or training goal. General recommendations include moderate (2 min) rest between sets if performing 2 sets/exercise, long rest (3 min) if performing 3 sets/exercise, and very long rest (> 4 min) if performing 4 sets or more/exercise.
You run the risk of tearing muscles or overtraining. Without proper rest in between workouts, your body can't recover from stress, and you may experience unpleasant symptoms including pain, trouble sleeping, decreased performance, fatigued muscles, and weakened immunity.
A recent meta study concluded that when following a full-body training routine using either free weights or machines, gains in muscle mass were all but equal across the two groups. So rest assured, machine built muscle isn't just bro-science, it's lab certified as at least equally as good as free weight training.