Medium vs. Heavy Weights. 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.
For any man trying to gain weight, start a routine, or simply maintain muscle mass; 20 lbs + work = results. What makes the functionality of 20 lbs so great? Because they aren't too heavy and they aren't too light. For beginners, 20's could be the first step into some real weightlifting.
With dedication, consistency, and the right approach, you can effectively build muscle using 30-pound dumbbells. Tailor your workouts to your personal fitness level and goals, and make adjustments as you progress.
The average Dumbbell Bench Press weight for a male lifter is 90 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Dumbbell Bench Press? Male beginners should aim to lift 35 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.
Medium vs. Heavy Weights. 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.
After three to four years of consistent training, the average guy should be able to lift the following weight on the four main barbell lifts: Squat: 2x bodyweight. Deadlift: 2.5x bodyweight. Press: 1x bodyweight.
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.
Total beginners, who have only ever trained at home with no guidance from a personal trainer, should start with weights anywhere from 2kg-6kg, says Zara. “You don't want to start too heavy and end up losing confidence when you can't perform exercises,” she says.
Building a decent body with dumbbells is not only possible but highly attainable. The key to muscle growth and true transformation is consistency. And with the unlimited possibilities of dumbbell-only workouts, there's no excuse to skip a good sweat sesh.
To build muscle mass, you must use a weight that is heavy enough so you can only complete between six and 12 repetitions for four to six sets of each biceps exercise. Curling 20-lb. dumbbells will build your biceps if you stay within this range of repetitions.
Plan workouts with heavy sets at the start of your session and early in the week. Follow heavy sets with lighter, higher-rep work for hypertrophy, performance and injury prevention. Use extra rest days after lighter sessions to recover for the next heavy training block.
Biceps Curls
Palms should face forward. Squeeze the biceps and bend the arms, curling the weights towards the shoulders. Keep the elbows stationary and only bring the weight as high as you can without moving the elbows. Repeat for 1-3 sets of 8-15 reps.
For dumbbells and general dumbbell lifting exercises that target the biceps, triceps and shoulders the rule of thumb is to use a set of two 5 – 10 lbs weights (approx. 2 – 5 kgs) for women and 10 – 20 lbs weights (approx. 5 – 10kgs) for men.
For beginner men – For men looking to pack on muscle, aim to lift dumbbells ranging from five to 50 pounds. This wide range should give you the dumbbell weight required to not only challenge your biceps curl for five to eight reps but also give you options when it comes to working out other muscle groups.
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.
Depending on how strong your upper body is, 20 pound dumbbells might be relatively heavy or quite light to do lateral raises. If it's too light, incorporate eccentric contractions by slowing the rate you lower the weights. In contrast, if it's too heavy, do fewer reps or regress to a bodyweight version.
Strong biceps help with lifting, holding, and carrying heavy objects. The old-school curl is still the best exercise for building biceps. Use a pair of light dumbbells (about 10 pounds each). You also can use soup cans, full plastic water bottles, or any other easy-to-hold item that feels like an appropriate weight.
In summary, Women are the strongest between 26 and 37 years of age. Men are the strongest between 26 and 35 years of age. But of course there are individual differences between athletes and some people peak before or after that age window.
What is the average Dumbbell Curl? The average Dumbbell Curl weight for a male lifter is 52 lb (1RM).