What Are Dumbbells?

Dumbbells are one of the earliest pieces of exercise equipment and they can be used for many different exercises. Other advantages they have over other weights is that they are appropriate for all fitness levels and they are small and portable. There are several modifications that have made dumbbells more useful for home gyms and have increased their overall effectiveness.

  1. Uses

    • Dumbbells are often used in conjunction with barbells. Barbells are long bars that allow someone to put weight plates on the ends to adjust the weight. Each offers advantages over the other. According to "Men's Fitness," dumbbells are better for beginners. They are safer because they are smaller in size. Another major advantage of dumbbells is that they can be used to correct muscle imbalances such as when one arm is stronger than the other.

    Variations of Dumbbells

    • There have been some recent innovations to dumbbells making them more versatile. One of the most popular is the adjustable dumbbell concept. There are several major manufacturers of these weights and they come in different sizes. Some smaller variations come in sizes as small as 12 lbs. while larger models can reach 100 lbs. These dumbbells can be adjusted in one of two ways. Either there is a pin that can be inserted or a pivoting capsule that is used to set the desired weight.

    Dumbbell Exercises

    • The dumbbell bench press is a variation on the traditional bench press that involves using a barbell. To perform this exercise, lie down on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Press the weights up until your elbows are fully extended without being locked and then slowly lower the weights until your elbows are just past being parallel with your body.

      Lunges are typically performed with dumbbells because of the body's instability during this exercise. Holds one dumbbell in each hand and step one leg forward. Bend the forward leg and lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the floor.