For beginners, Ben recommends trying five to 10 pounds for light weights, 10 to 20 pounds for medium weights, and 15 to 30 pounds for heavy weights—or simply starting with five-pound weights for each exercise and working up from there.
If you are going to start by buying just a couple of dumbbells, it's best to start on the lighter side. For women, it's recommended to start with 5, 10, 15, and 20 lb pairs. For men, I recommend starting with 10, 20, and 35 lb pairs. This is one of the benefits of adjustables, though.
Beginners are advised to start with 5- to 10-pound weights, while those returning to fitness or looking to bulk up might find a range between 3 and 25 pounds more suitable. Prioritising form and technique over weight is essential, particularly when starting.
If you've never used dumbbells before, it's best to start with lower weights — for some people, that might mean 3 or 5 pounds, while for others that might mean 10 or 12 — so you can adjust to the shape of your dumbbells, become accustomed to holding them in your hands during exercise and learn proper form and technique ...
Generally speaking, your medium set of dumbbells should be slightly more than double the weight of your light set. Your heavy set of dumbbells should be roughly 50% heavier than your medium set.
Durable 10 lb dumbbells provide the perfect amount of resistance to help you build strength and tone your muscles effectively. Whether you're targeting your arms, shoulders, or even your core, these dumbbells offer the versatility to work multiple muscle groups.
A: 2lb weights are great for arm exercises. The weights don't put too much strain on your muscles, while helping to build basic strength in your triceps and biceps.
Start with your lighter sets, and you could set yourself up to pre-fatigue your muscles before your lifts, therefore hindering your performance. Starting with heavier lifts, therefore – when your muscles are fresh – is key to hitting higher strength numbers and potentially gaining more muscle.
I recommend starting with 5-pound weights. Halfway through the month, do a check-in with your body to see if they feel too light. If so, you can move up to 7.5- or 8-pound weights. If you notice you are building muscle too quickly, or bulking instead of toning, I recommend staying lighter with your weights.
Dumbbells For Beginners & Common Rules
Dumbbells weigh in the range of half to fifty pounds (up to 20-22 kgs). Usually, fitness experts recommend low weight dumbbells for beginners like you. Once you become handy with the form and workout, you can increase the weight of the dumbbells.
All you'll need is a set of dumbbells. I'll be using 15 lb dumbbells for this bicep workout. Start with lighter weights to get a feel for the workout, then gradually increase the weight each week and watch your biceps grow!
Henriques suggests that men should aim for 225lbs or 1.25 times body weight after 6 to 12 months of consistent training. For example, a beginner weighing 75kg (165lbs) might aim to bench press between 37.5kg (83lbs) and 75kg (165lbs) initially, working their way up from there.
There is no set weight to start with when using dumbbells, some people may feel comfortable beginning at 5kg and others at 15kg. It is important to start with a manageable weight, nothing too light or too heavy, as you want to be able to feel some impact.
When it comes to working out with dumbbells, many people think that heavier weights are the key to building muscle and toning up. However, 3-pound weight exercises can be just as effective for targeting your arms, especially for those looking to improve endurance, sculpt lean muscle, or work on form.
For beginners, Ben recommends trying five to 10 pounds for light weights, 10 to 20 pounds for medium weights, and 15 to 30 pounds for heavy weights—or simply starting with five-pound weights for each exercise and working up from there.
Working with higher reps and lighter weights or lower reps with heavier weights will affect your body differently. According to the strength-endurance continuum, low rep counts are best for building muscular strength, moderate rep counts for building muscle mass, and high rep counts for building endurance.
Your body is learning to be strong, even before your muscles actually increase in size. Remember: With training you are pushing your muscles to work harder, and with that extra use they are stretching and tearing. The soreness you feel a day or two later is the muscle repairing itself, which is how it begins to grow.
Sadly, there are no natural quick fixes for this and trying to lose arm fat specifically is fruitless. Your body cannot and will not spot reduce fat. Instead, your task comes down to the classic combination of learning how to build muscle and learning how to lose body fat.
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.
Can dumbbells help slim arms? Yes, you can! The best exercises for flabby arms involve using dumbbells to tone, strengthen and increase the lean muscle mass of your arms and upper body.
Advanced lifters may prefer the 80- to 100-pound version, while beginners can start with the 5- to 25-pound set and gradually progress. Each set includes five pairs of dumbbells in 5-pound increments, ensuring versatility for all lifters of all levels.
Dumbbells tend to be more expensive than other gym equipment primarily due to their construction from high-quality materials, which ensures durability and performance.
Understanding What “Heavy” Means
The answer varies depending on your personal experience and goals. For a seasoned lifter, heavy might mean lifting close to their one-repetition maximum (1RM). For someone just starting, lifting a 10-pound dumbbell might feel like a significant challenge.