Why train using a dumbbell?
The purpose behind a one dumbbell workout is to get a good strength training workout from the convenience of your home. Strength training is great for increased bone density, muscular strength, improved joint mobility, and increased cardiac function. The good/bad news is; we can gain muscular strength at any age but “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
How to get started!!!
The 1 dumbbell workout is a great workout to target all the major muscle groups in your body and can be done in 30 minutes of your day. If you have never lifted weights with a dumbbell or perhaps have not done these exercises before, you should start off without weights to get the feel for the exercises. Once you feel comfortable enough with the exercise, you can start to use a light dumbbell to get use to the added weight. As the exercise becomes more familiar, add weight that is challenging enough for you to work with.
What weight should I use?
Women and men are built differently and will have different ranges as to how much weight they can use during this workout. Women can use a 10 to 15 pound dumbbell and men can use a 12 to 20 pound dumbbell. The weight will depend on how comfortable you are with the exercise, how strong you are as an individual, and your experience with dumbbells. Remember your goal is to gradually get stronger with these exercises and not to see if you can lift the world on your first day working out. It is best to be safe and use lower weight than to use a heavier weight and risk getting injured.
The Workout
This workout will target all the major muscle groups like chest, back, legs, and everyone’s favorite… their core. The workout will consist of 3 sets of 12 repetitions, this means that you will do each exercise three times and each time you do the exercise it will consist of 12 repetitions. In between each exercise there should be a rest period of one minute to give your muscles some time to recover. As you start the workout, you will notice that the first few are multi-joint exercises that target more muscle groups and then end with single joint exercises like bicep curls followed by sit ups. If at any point you feel that you can lift heavier weight, try doing more repetitions, first with the weight you are doing now. Eventually, start to increase the weight of the dumbbell. Overall, you should be getting a great full body workout and great benefits in just a fraction of the time.
