How Heavy Should Your Dumbbell Weights Be?

The ideal weight of your dumbbells depends … it depends on your weight lifting goal in the first place. If your goal is to increase upper body flexibility and endurance, then you want to use lighter weights, but do more repetitions.

However if your goal is to build strength and muscle mass, then you want to lift heavier weights but with less repetitions. But the part of the question of each goal that remains unanswered is how much or how little should you be lifting? Let’s look at both.

Increase Flexibility and Endurance

The other parts of the equation that determines how much weight you should be lifting is the muscle group you are working and your experience level. If you are just starting out working your upper body, know that you will lift more weight when exercising your biceps than you will with the triceps, deltoids and trapezius.

Regardless of your experience level, use a planning factor of twelve to twenty repetitions (reps) per set – this range of reps should bring you to muscle failure – the point where you are unable to do one more rep; plan for one to three sets. If twenty reps don’t bring you to failure, use more weight.

When first starting out, try using a five-pound dumbbell in each hand. Once you can easily do twenty reps, bump up the weight until you reach failure at twelve. Once you have been exercising for a while, you should be able to fatigue biceps with one set using eight pounds in each hand. If not, reduce the weight and add in another set or two of reps.

For the other upper body muscles, try using between two and five pounds in each hand. Still use twelve to twenty reps per set as a guide.

Build Strength and Muscle Mass

If building strength is your goal, then the amount of weight you lift and the number of reps is much different. For upper body muscles, you want to use a weight heavy enough to allow you to perform two to six sets of six reps per set until muscle failure. Again you will be able to lift more weight when exercising biceps than other upper body muscles.

For increased muscle mass, plan on using a weight that will allow you to do three to six sets with six to twelve repetitions per set. As you max out on reps and sets, increase the weight and lower the number of reps.

Lifting more weight than your body can handle can lead to muscle tears and other injuries. Always start with less weight than you think you can lift and work up one pound at a time as your muscles get used to a certain amount of weight at maximum reps.

Regardless of your reason to workout with dumbbells, lifting weights can be both fun and challenging. Be sure to use common sense and lift responsibly.

How Many Weight Lifting Reps Should You Do?

Once the question of “How much weight should I lift?” is answered, the question of “How many weight lifting repetitions should I do?” soon follows … and with good reason – the two questions are relative to each other. You have to know the answers to both questions before starting a weight lifting routine.

The answer in general is “It depends on your goal.”

A weight lifting repetition (rep) is defined as moving a weight from point A to point B and back again. For example, when working a bicep, it would be the action of moving the dumbbell (and of course your forearm and hand) from horizontal, to vertical, and back down to horizontal; that is one rep. A specific number of continuous reps with a short rest period at the end is a set.

Because the number of reps you should perform is goal-oriented, let’s talk about the goal at each end of the spectrum. If your goal is to make every day lifting easier, such as carrying groceries or the laundry basket, then you are more endurance oriented. With this goal you would be doing more reps with lighter weights.

However if your goal is to get stronger and to have larger muscles, then you are strength oriented and you would lift more weight but with fewer reps per set. In between, there are several sub-goals which end up being a combination of the two major goals.

But we still have not yet answered the question of how many reps, have we. That’s coming! If you are at the endurance end of the spectrum, then you want to do 15 to 20 reps per set; the lower number of reps if you are just starting out – the higher number if you have been working out a while. If you are strength-oriented, then your range is 1 to 5 reps per set.

Now, let’s move on to the number of sets. For the endurance-oriented people, usually 1 to 3 sets is enough to reach muscle failure – the point in which the muscle you are working cannot do another lift; for the strength oriented individuals, that number increases to a range of 2 to 6 sets.

To prevent injury start with a lighter weight than you think you can lift. You know you have about the right amount of weight if you reach muscle failure with your minimum number of reps. Now you can add reps/sets until you max out. Once that happens, then increase the weight and drop back on reps/sets.

In the end, the number of reps you should do depends on your goal, current fitness level and lifting experience. Enjoy!

Tired of bodybuilding gimmicks that never produce muscle mass?

Tired of taking fat-burning supplements that never do anything but burn a hole in your pocket?

We’ve all been there and we know it can get very frustrating.

But all is not lost. In fact, we have just the solution for you!

Our time-tested bodybuilding system is designed to help you build powerful muscles with the use of highly effective dumbbell exercises. And that’s not all. We’re also including 52 instructional videos to go with this system to ensure that you have all the know-how you need to achieve your goal.

Yes, you read that right! 52 instructional videos yours for the taking to help you attain the sculpted body that you have always wanted!

The excuses of not having enough time, of not knowing where to begin, of not being sure about which of your muscle groups should be targetted – these questions are now irrelevant. With this bodybuilding system, you’ll not only create time for your workouts, you’ll also be guided through every major aspect of the workouts.

The enclosed article set gives you a very clear idea of what muscles groups to target and how to target them to get optimum results. And this is just the dumbbell exercise articles we’re talking about. If you include the 52 dumbbell workout videos, you get a complete package that’s capable of helping you achieve the body you only dreamed about. The dumbbell exercise videos give you visual demonstrations and instruction of the exercises.

Imagine having a personal trainer at your command – one that will pause, repeat, stop, and forward instructions tirelessly and endlessly all depending on your needs!

The 52 intensive instructional videos not only demonstrate as a whole each of the dumbbell exercises included in these articles, they also give you step-by-step instructions on how you should do every single one of the dumbbell exercises, in crisp and clear audio and video.

There are dumbbell exercises for the most special parts of your body that get exposed to the scrutiny of the world such as your arms, back, and legs. And when you follow these exercises to a T, you’ll never be embarrassed about your body ever again.

Here’s a glimpse of how you’ll benefit from using this bodybuilding system:

Your Arms

Whether you prefer them lean and muscular, or bulky and muscular is your choice. You can choose how you want your arms to look by simply referring to your guide to see which relevant muscles to target, and then work away on them, following the instructions provided in your videos!

Your Back

Your back’s strength is a dead giveaway of the level of control you practice in your life. With our specifically created dumbbell exercises, you will have a strong and solid back in no time.

Your Chest

Get that barrel chest that looks as if it’s going to rip the front of your shirt apart! Strong arms always go best with a strong chest, so grab the opportunity to heighten the development of your chest with our muscle building plan!

Your Legs

Show off that wonderful pair of steady legs with rock hard muscles supporting your whole muscular frame with pride! Our dumbbell exercises for the legs will get your legs pumping hard and become firmer and stronger with each passing day!

Your Shoulders

Ever wanted to come up with a highly confident shrug that says you’re a definite hottie that knows what you want and won’t stand for any crap getting in the way? Our system will give you the opportunity to develop the very muscles in your shoulders that will make them stronger, firmer, and irresistible to look at!

Now’s Your Chance — Take It

Never before has the chance to take full and total control of your muscle building plan been made this available.

Why be content with only one singular bodybuilding workout when you can laser target your arms, back, chest, legs, and shoulders to maximize muscle development and build-up power where you want and need it the most?

Why limit yourself only to focusing on just a section of your body, and neglect the rest when you can combine the specific dumbbell exercises that you want to use to convert your body form into a powerful muscular precision sculpted machine?

Remember, it’s not just a set of instructional articles and it’s not just a set of videos!

When you put it together, it’s a complete bodybuilding dumbbell workout guide created to satisfy your need for getting the kind of strong, healthy, and fit body that you want. So, don’t let get anything get in the way of achieving your dream body because you can do it using this step-by-step process.

Can you do this workout? YES!

Will it help you achieve your fitness goal? Absolutely!

Will you do it?

When?

Here and now is where you’ll be able to get a complete dumbbell muscle building workout system that will teach you everything you need to achieve your goal. It comes with 52 intensive dumbbell workout videos that you will want to watch, follow along with and replay over and over again until you have them committed to memory.

Don’t pass up on this opportunity. Don’t doubt your ability to build fantastic muscles in all the right places. Start using the “Ultimate Dumbbell Training Guide”, subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top of http://MyFitnessNut.com to get all 52 dumbbell exercise videos and start using them along with the guide now. It may very well be one of the best investments you’ll ever make in yourself. Others will likely agree.

Setting Up Your Dumbbell Workout Program

As promised in the first article in this series of our dumbbell workout program, we’ll have covered enough material showcasing the best dumbbell exercise program for building muscle mass that you’ve ever seen.

Well, up to this point, it’s the best we’ve ever seen anyway.

So, after going through all the dumbbell exercises, it’s time to take stock of some of the points we’ve discussed and then outline the tools to help you put together your own dumbbell workout plan.

These key points are the reasons that you should get fit and buff through a dumbbell workout program of your own:

1. Appreciate life more.
2. Enjoy doing activities that you would not otherwise be able to do.
3. Avoid getting weighed down by vague aches and pains, which only cause you to worry. (Remember that when you are unfit, you are open to becoming a victim of dangerous diseases)
4. Have more opportunities for interacting with people who enjoy being around others like you.
5. Gain more self-confidence, enabling you to do your job better.
6. Give the impression that you are able to easily do things that other people can’t do as well (read: wake up feeling great, chase and bring down muggers, save people from dangerous or risky situations), therefore, bad elements will be wary of you while good people will appreciate your presence because it makes them feel more secure.

Clearly, reaching for the ideal body build and proportion is not about vanity alone, it’s more about having a better quality of life.

Our dumbbell exercises are progressive, so that means you should start small, then go towards doing more challenging workouts. The more you workout, the more fit and healthy you get!

More details and further instructions about the various dumbbell exercises are given on our dumbbell exercise videos so don’t forget to watch them before attempting to do any of the exercises we’ve talked about.

All right, we’re done with what we’ve set out to do here. Now it’s your turn.

You have two options here. You could just bookmark these articles in your computer and forget about them or you or you rise to the challenge and give yourself a complete muscle makeover.

1. Read Instructional Articles Below
2. Watch “The Dumbbell Series” Videos Below That
3. Start Your Dumbbell Workout Routine

• Dumbbell Arm Exercises
• Dumbbell Back Exercises
• Dumbbell Chest Exercises
• Dumbbell Leg Exercises
• Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises

Take some time to browse through these articles so that you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to perform these exercises in the most effective way we possibly can. However, never do anything that you are not completely certain about.

The ball’s in your court now. Go to MyFitnessNut.com and subscribe to the free My Fitness Nut Newsletter and for a limited time get the full set of “Muscle Building Videos: The Dumbbell Series” included with your free subscription then watch them (most less than a minute), review the above articles and get started with your own personalized dumbbell workout routine.

Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises – What to Do to Get “Adorable” Deltoids

Time and time again, dumbbells have been proven to be the perfect shoulder builders combined with perfect posture. Dumbbell shoulder exercises help you develop the adorable v-shaped physique of a professional swimmer, even without going near the pool!

Before we go on to the development your deltoids or delts, aka your shoulders, here are some important facts to know about the parts of your delts:

• Anterior deltoid – this is the front head of the shoulder, the main muscle that rotates the arms inwards. This muscle is used in doing bench press, and other forms of chest training, and also helps to stimulate biceps and triceps exercises. Bodybuilders tend to overdevelop this muscle causing muscular imbalance, injury, and posture awkwardness. And we’re here to try to help you avoid that.
• Medial deltoid – this is the side head of the shoulder, the abduct part of your arm that puts the arms out from the mid-line of the body. This muscle, if developed properly, brings width to your upper body.
• Posterior deltoid – this is the back side of the shoulders, responsible for extending and rotating the arms outwards. This muscle is important in back exercises such as chin ups, pull ups, rows and so much more.

Pre-Exercise Reminders Before Starting Your Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises

Perform each of the dumbbell exercises in a slow, paced, and controlled manner to ensure that your muscles are developed without the risk of injury. It’s recommended to do at least a light aerobic exercise or stretching before touching your dumbbells. It will increase your heart rate, while preparing your body for a good dumbbell workout. Doing so also helps you to avoid cramps.

After your workout regime, do not forget to stretch your targeted muscles to prevent being sore and aching all over.

Posture and proper form could mean the success or failure of your workout. As much as possible, maintain proper form because falling into the wrong form could expose you to the risk of injury.

For some exercises, lifting more than you should could cause an injury. Try to feel the weights first and write them down to remember, as there will be different variations in weights according to each exercise.

Almost every arm exercise affects the shoulder muscles at some point or degree. When you try to isolate the shoulders, other exercises might have put some strain on them already. It’s important to know that balancing your workout with a well thought of plan could engage your muscle groups evenly without exposing you to the risk of pulled muscles, or more painful injuries.

Doing Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises

• Shoulder dumbbell press – the shoulder dumbbell press develops the entire shoulder muscle group. This greater freedom of movement also increases shoulder muscle activation and can also be very useful for people with shoulder injuries, since the dumbells are not as stressful on the shoulder joints.

Demonstration of a Dumbbell Shoulder Press:

• Dumbbell push press – when you want stronger shoulders, then the dumbbell push press is perfect for you. It allows you to lift heavier weights with very low risk of injury. Using a dumbbell push press gives the advantage of having your legs provide the push through, reducing strains that can be felt on the shoulders. This exercise targets your shoulders, different parts of your triceps and thighs.
• Dumbbell lateral raise – a dumbbell lateral raise was developed for one thing only, and that’s isolating the middle of the shoulder to enhance shoulder strength and gain muscle mass overall. To build more size and tone, try to limit the movement so that the muscles will be under constant tension throughout the whole set. Lateral raises target the medial deltoid – the muscle which is in the middle of the 3 shoulder muscles. This exercise will give you the V-Shape form, much like those of professional swimmers.
• Dumbbell front raise – the dumbbell front raise works muscles in your shoulders, targeting the deltoid specifically. Considered a beginners’ exercise, but also used by veteran bodybuilders. This is an exercise where you don’t have to worry much about using much weight, as lifting more than you should could mean a muscle injury that could affect your whole exercise routine. Take your choice about doing the shoulder exercise at the same time or alternatively; focusing on each arm rather than both. In doing an alternate arm variation, it should be noted that once you’ve finished performing the first arm raise, the next arm should follow, and so on.

Demonstration of a Dumbbell Front Raise:

• Dumbbell overhead press – overall, the benefit of the dumbbell overhead press is to allow greater range of motion or more movement compared to using a barbell. In other words, you will gain more muscle mass. Usually, it’s done while seated, allowing you to use your core muscles and lower body to lift heavier weights. You’ll also get more triceps involvement as secondary muscle training. A good choice for lifters, including beginners and hardcore bodybuilders.

How Much Exercising Should You Do?

You can combine all the said exercises or keep it to a minimum of about two (exercises that will give you the most advantage at the top) if you are on a fast track, for about 30 minutes a day or so. Your muscles require rest and time to develop and relax so it’s best if you create a routine which would incorporate this relaxation time.

Don’t forget, doing selective exercises fast will not gain you anything. Remember to keep your composure and maintain a slow pace while performing the exercise you’ve chosen.

Your Delts are Priceless

The shoulders are the most widely used muscles in working out. In fact, you use them in almost every aspect of your workout regime. So in essence, your shoulders or deltoids are priceless. They are packed with a capability of 360 degrees rotation power. But overusing them can lead to weakness or injury, rendering you unable to perform other exercises.

However, if you keep a steady workout regime, you’ll be able to fully utilize your shoulder strength and work on every part of your upper body.

The fun starts when you actually start seeing your shoulder muscles develop and take shape. Ladies love it, guys envy it. Just remember that like everything involved in building muscle mass, it takes time to develop your shoulder muscles. The key is to persevere with the most effective dumbbell shoulder exercises that you can learn.

Eventually you’ll feel more confident with a wider shoulder and a wider look through these dumbbell shoulder exercises; stronger legs through the dumbbell leg exercises; a more steady back through the dumbbell back exercises; a pumped up chest with dumbbell chest exercises and of course, with your chiseled arms gained from the dumbbell arm exercises. In the end, you’ll be thankful you didn’t stop your dumbbell workout and are now able to start witnessing your new look and feel.

Before you begin doing your dumbbell shoulder exercises, go to the top of MyFitnessNut.com and subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter. When you do, you’ll get a full set of videos demonstrating 52 different dumbbell exercises that you can use to learn from and follow along with.

Doing Dumbbell Leg Exercises Because Strong, Shapely Legs are Sexy

After going through our dumbbell chest exercises in the previous article it’s time for us to talk about dumbbell leg exercises and what these exercises can do for the lower part of your body.

Do you remember the Hollywood action star Jean Claude Van Damme? You know, the “Muscles from Brussels” who used to be a ballet dancer too? (Yes, strange things happen in this universe). Van Damme’s a great proponent of working out and obviously, to get the kind of leg power that he has which propelled him to fame and fortune, he must be.

The dumbbell leg exercises we recommend for you are not meant to turn you into another Van Damme, of course (although if and when it happens, it happens).

What it will do is to target your upper, lower and inner thigh muscles, as well as your calves or calf muscles.

Leg exercises are important because the sad fact is that bodybuilders tend to focus mostly on their upper body, forgetting the lower part of their body, and this has the effect of making them look like Johnny Bravo. So, unless Johnny Bravo is your ideal, better start working on those leg muscles pronto!

Dumbbell Leg Exercises – Challenging But Fun

Leg workouts at home can be quite challenging. You’ll hear everywhere that using barbells for squats and other leg exercises are difficult to do at home, or even next to impossible. Well, we’re here to tell you that it is NOT impossible. On the contrary, you might even find it quite easy, and have fun doing it at the same time.

Before doing dumbbell exercises, remember to stretch your targeted muscles to avoid cramps. Directly after working out, do the same routine to lessen the sore and tightness, to loosen up that heavy feeling.

You must remember that doing leg exercises using dumbbells needs a lot of concentration and energy. Always maintain good posture; straighten your back, and brace your core.

Give your legs a rest for about 4-5 days before using them again for another workout routine. Quality is better than quantity. Don’t train to failure, do your best to maintain your posture, if it starts deteriorating, meaning if you feel like you’re turning into a camel with several people on top of you, stop, get some rest, and resume only when you’re feeling much better.

Only add weight to each of you dumbbell leg exercises when you feel that you are able to perform more. Forcing yourself might risk injury, thereby affecting your overall dumbbell workout.

Doing the Dumbbell Leg Exercises

Here are our recommended dumbbell leg exercises, and a brief on why these are great to do for your muscle mass building program:

• Dumbbell deadlift – the dumbbell deadlift has been, for years, the most feared exercise for casual and expert bodybuilders (depending of course on how heavy the weight being lifted is). Curiously, it has also been praised for being efficient in developing your strength and in excellently building mass. To do this exercise, all you would need are a pair of dumbbells and clear space. The dumbbell deadlift targets the hamstrings. Other muscles called into action with this leg exercise are the inner thigh, the glutes or the rear of the hips (less glamorously aka as the butt), the upper and middle back, the upper shoulder, the waist or abs, the obliques or the sides of the waist.

• Dumbbell split squats – dumbbell split squats are a cross between the squats and the lunges, meaning, you have one foot forward of the other to do split squats instead of having both feet parallel while doing squats. The exercise specifically targets your quadriceps and evenly activates about every other muscle in your lower body like the hamstring on the front and the back of the thighs, and of course, the gluteus maximus (yes, it’s still your butt).

• Dumbbell squats – dumbbell squats may look like a beginner’s exercise, this is true, but its efficiency has proven itself otherwise, particularly in developing the quadriceps muscles of the thigh, the calves, the lower back, the hamstrings of the back of your legs, and again, the gluteus maximus. Since the weights are held on both sides of your body instead of up on the shoulders, it’s a easier to maintain your composure, meaning you’ll be able to finish your reps and sets with less of a chance of getting injured.

• Dumbbell lunges – dumbbell lunges are intermediate exercises that work several muscle groups at the same time. Using dumbbells for lunges greatly increases the benefits of getting a total lower-body workout, while requiring only a pair of dumbbells and a small area to work in. It’s very effective, and a great alternative to the standard leg machines, possibly even better. Dumbbell lunges target the transverse abdominus, medius and minimus, quadriceps, obliques, and the now famous gluteus maximus.

Working Towards Your Goal With Dumbbell Leg Exercises

Whether you’re a man or a woman, the goal is for your body to look good and be in great shape. You have a freehand in which exercise you want to do, but if you’re going to focus on your leg muscles you should limit yourself to only one or two days a week.

Mix up your dumbbell workouts and combine all the exercises above. You can even add in any of the 52 dumbbell exercises on video that you’ll receive when you subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter. See the top of MyFitnessNut.com for information.

Just remember not to do the said exercises to the point of failure, meaning don’t overexert yourself. Finish one exercise after another, rest, and then move on to the next one. As time goes on you’ll be able to master each exercise in terms of how to do it and maintain the proper posture to avoid risk of injury.

Dumbbell exercises for your legs do not only affect the lower part of your body. As you have read and will experience for yourself once you watch our exercise videos. They have a secondary effect on other muscle groups belonging to the upper part of your body.

Sheer Efficiency

The exercises above might seem hard to do, or to simple to do; depending on who’s going to do them, but in reality they’re really easy for everyone provided that the person exercising is focused on the goal.

These exercise that we recommend are excellent in terms of sheer efficiency. It could take a bit of time before you see results, but as soon as you’re noticing changes, expect yourself to become more active and interested in your muscle mass building routine.

A lot of professionals don’t really have the time to work out because of their busy schedules. But with a couple of dumbbells, whether these are adjustable, fixed-weight, or selectorized, you’ll be able to finish your workout in just 30 minutes at a time.

You won’t feel like you’re doing a dumbbell exercise once you start feeling that sweet burn in your thighs. Give it some time and you’ll see yourself smiling. Better yet, go for the whole dumbbell workout program, and get yourself in peak form, from head to foot!

Do These Dumbbell Chest Exercises to Get the Toned Buff Chest You’ve Always Wanted

People are creatures of habit that find comfort in doing rituals. All of us stick to at least one thing that we repeatedly do because we’re used to it. For example, when we want to develop our chest muscles, our first instinct would probably be to do bench presses and then barbell lifts. But there’s another more targeted way, and that’s through dumbbell chest exercises, in particular, those that target the chest.

Dumbbells give you the advantage of motion, flexibility, and of course a more symmetrical sculpted chest – since you’ll be using both of your arms, with the power coming from your chest to really level out the weights that you are lifting.

For beginners who have not yet mastered the proper posture of using a barbell, the exertion could force their bodies to contort without them noticing. This could be risky and could end up with you getting injured.

After we’re done with this article you should have fully understood the advantages of doing dumbbell workouts and will be better prepared to start reaping the rewards.

Tips that MUST be Followed When Doing Dumbbell Chest Exercises

Let’s start off by making sure that you understand that more weights does not necessarily mean more mass. Of course, we know that lifting heavier is better, but let’s not forget that lifting heavier weights without mastering the proper form is like baking a cake without knowing what the ingredients are.

Don’t listen to your ego, it’s not a numbers competition. You can bench less than your friend and yet have a sexier and a better looking sculpted chest.

Maintaining Proper Form While Doing Dumbbell Chest Exercises is Key

That’s right, proper form is the key. You can lift as much as you can, but without proper form, you’d just be wasting your time. Always remember to watch out if the other half of your body is giving way.

Get the power from muscle that’s targeted specifically by the workout that you are doing, and use only muscles, that’s secondarily targeted, for support.

Always keep your back on a natural “arch” so that you have a slight gap between the bench and your back, avoiding injury and unnecessary usage of power from other parts of your body.

We want to concentrate on the chest. Keep your core or the “abs/midsection” always tight to support your spine. This can be neglected often, especially by beginners. Keep in mind that we don’t want unnecessary back aches after a strenuous dumbbell workout.

Spotter or No Spotter With Dumbbell Chest Exercises?

Most of the exercises recommended here can be done without a spotter, but it doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t need one. It’s an entirely personal choice. When you have a friend available, it’s better to have him around to break the weights for you than you breaking your shoulders.

Let’s not get too excited about starting our routines by just pulling up the dumbbells straight away. You could risk injury just by doing this. Instead, gently place each dumbbell on the leg closest to it, and then do a leg lift to bring the dumbbells up.

If you should be on a lying position, start off by going on a sitting position, put the dumbbells on your legs, then gently go down on your back holding the dumbbells in sync, coming from your legs, as you lie down.

Make every rep count on a controlled slow pace. Feel the burn on each rep that you do. Going bouncy and fast on reps defeats the whole purpose; you’d be wasting precious energy and not get the effect you want. It also makes you prone to injury. So…feel the burn, go slow, and squeeze it.

Doing the Dumbbell Chest Exercises:

Here are some great dumbbell chest exercises from out Dumbbell Exercise Series that would give you excellent chest mass gain results while having fun at the same time. Check out the sample exercise videos for a quick demonstration of doing dumbbell chest exercises.

Dumbbell bench press – an excellent (or even better) alternative to doing barbell bench press. For beginners to advanced body builders, this exercise develops your chest primarily with secondary effects on the triceps and shoulder muscles. The advantages of doing dumbbell bench press (also known as dumbbell chest press) are more symmetrical chest development with less chance of risk injury due to the fact that you are not holding a fixed bar meaning you have more control and motion. Since you have more motion, you’ll achieve maximum chest development, which is after all what you’re after. This one doesn’t require a spotter, so you need to be the one to give yourself all the motivation you need.

Incline dumbbell press – this is a great dumbbell chest workout variation that specifically targets the upper chest muscles, with targeted secondary muscles as well (front delts and triceps). In order to fully execute this workout, your body must have more muscle fibers to keep the weights balanced. Most people do this exercise but never fully get its maximum benefits, because they do not know how to do it in optimal form.

Incline dumbbell flys – targets the muscles of the clavicular head of the pectoralis major or in layman’s term the “upper chest.” This is a great exercise to do if you want to add Juggernaut-esque mass on your upper chest. Much looooved by the pros, and enjoyed by the beginners. To fully obtain maximum result, this exercise should be done early on, as this is usually used as a pre-exhausting exercise. Why? For one simple reason only, you work out your chest until failure before affecting any other secondary muscle groups (triceps, deltoids) that you would need in other exercises – giving you the most benefit from your overall workout regime.

Dumbbell flys – primarily develops the chest without the assistance of the triceps muscles. This can be done using various angles such as: decline, incline, or using a stabilizer ball. Dumbbell flys focus on the chest and shoulders, yes; but it also strengthens muscles in your back, as well as your triceps. Keep your arms straight and don’t forget to only use your chest power for this exercise to avoid injury and get maximum results.

Decline dumbbell press – probably the most underused chest exercise in the history of bodybuilding. You won’t believe how underrated it is even though full usage of this will give your chest the best sharp cut look going down and carves up to complete the separation of your abs to your chest. This rounds up your chest giving it that fuller and muscular thickness look. It targets the lower pectorals primarily and gives a great deal of stress right on the middle and upper chest as well. Very good for beginners, and once the form has been mastered, enormous chest gains await. Give a decline dumbbell press a chance and you’ll see very noticeable changes in the development of your chest.

Possible Selective Exercises with Dumbbells

There are lots of different chest exercises that you can do, but as for selectively choosing workouts, there are only about 5 that you can put your focus on, and only 2 of these that you can do using dumbbells. You may modify the workouts using dumbbells, but the results would not be the same.

Here are the workouts that you can selectively choose to enhance your upper torso.

• Dumbbells Press
• Dumbbells Fly
• Straight Road on a Flat Bench
• Straight Road on an Angle Bench
• Butterfly Machine

All of the exercises mentioned above would give you the shape and fitness you’ve always wanted. It’s going to be slow at first, but you’ll notice the difference when the pace starts to pick up.

Stomach in, Chest out!

When you complete our recommended dumbbell chest exercises, it’s natural for muscle fatigue to set in. There’s a trade-off however, to all that weariness and that’s when you see yourself developing the cuts that you admire in others.

Just imagine, if thinking about getting a sculpted body already leaves you feeling great, then what more could completing a whole set of chest-targeted dumbbell program do for you?

You’ve done proper form, soon you’ll be perfecting it, opening the opportunity to lift heavier weights and gaining more chest muscle mass. Your sculpted chest will be the symbol of your dominance, your alpha male tag, next to your arms and core. In no time the ladies will be staring at your beautifully sculpted upper torso physique and may be inclined to want to touch it.

They won’t be able to keep their gaze away from you, amazed at the wonderful creature that just passed them by, and guys will be staring at you too, envious at your nicely developed muscles.

Growing more and more confident each day, attracting the ladies, and being happier with the way you look are just some of the many rewards that you can reap from a dumbbell chest workout.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this article and received value from reading it. In the last article we covered dumbbell back exercises, so now move on from the dumbbell chest exercises to the next article. There we can further talk about how you can develop your legs doing dumbbell leg exercises to turn you into a lean and mean machine, so keep on reading!

Previously, we’ve talked about how dumbbell arm exercises can benefit you and even your loved ones by setting the stage for gaining more health, more strength, and even providing opportunities for saving some serious cash.

Today, we’ll discuss dumbbell back exercises as part of our dumbbell workout program and prove how doing these exercises are a great way to level up your muscle building plan.

By the end of this article series, we’ll have covered enough material showcasing the best dumbbell exercise program for building muscle mass that the world has ever seen.

Seriously!

Words to the Wise About Muscle Building in General

Since we are now on the “how to do it” phase of our master plan, it’s time to distribute these cautionary words of wisdom related to muscle building:

1. Maintain good posture. Always. This is a must, especially since you are not using gym machines that stay in place. A wrong move could be cause for injury, so make sure your posture is correct when you start your dumbbell workout. This also applies when you are placing your dumbbells on the floor and lifting them again during your dumbbell exercises.
2. Always get a “clean bill of health” clearance first before starting on any workout routine, including your dumbbell workout. Remember this thought: workout in haste, repent in leisure.
3. Do not cheat. Remember that dumbbell exercises do not build up muscles in isolation. There are step-by-step instructions given in the videos for you to follow and get the most out of your dumbbell workout.. If you cheat, you may finish your set more quickly, but you’ll only be fooling yourself.
4. Consult with a bodybuilding expert or trainer on whether or not it would be best to use fixed weight dumbbells or adjustable weight dumbbells in your case. The choice will be based on several factors such as your cash flow (fixed weights are more expensive) and your overall body condition. If you’re a beginner, it may be to your best interest to go with adjustable weight dumbbells. They require more input from you in terms of adjustments, but at least you will be able to control more easily just how much you will lift.

Doing Dumbbell Back Exercises:

Here are our recommended dumbbell back exercises, with details about why these are great to do for your muscle building program, along with some sample dumbbell workout videos to demonstrate how these back exercises are done:

• Dumbbell pullover – a dumbbell pullover requires a pair of dumbbells and an exercise bench to lean on. A pullover is great for conditioning the lower chest or the lower pecs, the lats, the rear deltoids or rear shoulders, the middle of the back, the upper shoulder, the rear of the neck, the front shoulders, the upper chest, and the inner forearm. Does your job require the repetitive use of your arms from shoulder, to forearm, to wrist? Writers, some types of athletes such as tennis players, and painters often get afflicted with painful shoulders, forearms, or wrists. This would be a great exercise for them.

• Dumbbell shrugs – dumbbell shrugs are perfect for the upper shoulders, the upper back and the lower back. Requires no other equipment aside from the dumbbells. Must be done on an even surface, standing up.

• Dumbbell upright row – the main target of a dumbbell upright row are the side shoulders. The synergists or the muscles helping in the conditioning of the main target are the front shoulders, the rotatory cuff, the upper and outer forearms, the biceps, the middle of the back, the serratus magnus (boxer’s muscle), and the rotator cuff. The stabilizers, or the muscles that help maintain posture for this exercise are the upper shoulder and the rear neck.

• Dumbbell rows – dumbbell rows are also known as dumbbell bent-over rows. This exercise targets the back as a whole. Muscles called to support this target are the upper and middle back, the lats, the back outer helper or little lats, the rear shoulder, rotatory cuff, biceps, the upper-outer forearm, and the lower pecs. Stabilizers are the front and back of the arms (biceps and triceps). This requires the use of an exercise bench.

• Dumbbell side bends – dumbbell side bends are perfect for dancers (yes, there are male dancers), gymnasts (ditto), and others who require a whole lot of balance, flexibility and agility in their line of work (think construction people who work up high balancing steel bars). The main target of this exercise are the obliques (upper hips, sides of waist). Synergists for this exercise include the deep lower back and the hip. The stabilizers are the upper and back shoulders, and the hips.

You can get the full set of 52 different dumbbell exercises when you subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter at the top of the home page.

Can These Dumbbell Back Exercises Be Selectively Done?

Of course you have a free hand in determining whether or not you will do the dumbbell back exercises as a group, or selectively only. However, when training is being done not only for body conditioning, but also for developing muscles according to plan, then it is highly recommended that the exercises be done as a group.

That means, you progress from one exercise—and perfect it—before going on to the next.

If you’ll review the given dumbbell exercises, you’ll see that although they may sometimes target only one specific group of muscles, the overall effect is spread out through several muscle groups.

Specifically, for these dumbbell back exercises, you’ll notice that while it is the back that is the main target, you also get to work on your shoulders, arms, wrists, and even your waist and hips. How’s that for hitting many birds with one stone?

Being Zen About Your Dumbbell Exercises

At this point, you may get the impression that muscle building is all about work, and you may not immediately see where the fun begins in a dumbbell workout. That’s par for the course, particularly if this is your first time at attempting to get fit and healthy.

The reality is – and you can ask any bodybuilder about this – it’s really only “work” at the very start. As you progress from dumbbell arm exercises to dumbbell back exercises and so on, the “work” part of what you are doing eventually gets eclipsed by the sheer joy of knowing that you are actively doing something to sculpt your body to the way that it should be.

When you work on your arms through a dumbbell workout,  there’s a major reason behind it, and no, it has nothing to do with wanting to be able to lift objects that are absolutely heavy – although, of course, that comes as a very agreeable side-effect to having muscular arms.

Dumbbell arm exercises can give that to you.

No argument about that.

But the thing is, for most guys, arm workouts are done to look more attractive. Becoming strong is secondary. That’s because well-developed arms speak of power and strength, endurance and reliability.

Think of long haul truck drivers and lumberjacks. Don’t their muscular arms make you feel that their having physically taxing jobs is more than compensated for by gaining the kind of physique that some of them have?

Now, look at your own arms.

What comes to mind when you see them?

Well, the great news is, you don’t have to drive around cross-country hauling an 18 wheeler. Nor do you have to be like Paul Bunyan swinging your axe all around the country to get the kind of arms that you want! These dumbbell arm exercises can help you achieve your arm development goals right in your own home.

Well-developed forearms make women regard men as competent and knight-ish. It’s a no-brainer. Guys who have muscular arms can defend women more easily when she is under attack. Guys with muscular arms can help women move heavy objects around more easily. To hunt, work, provide, take care of; It’s in our human genes and more capable is more desirable without question.

Wait. Does this mean that a dumbbell workout is only good for men?

Of course not. Dumbbell exercises, in particular dumbbell arm exercises, are also important to women, because no woman in her right mind enjoys having arms that are flabby and… jiggly.

Flabby, jiggling arms are a turn-off. They make the owner of those arms look old and uncaring about how she looks. When a woman does not care about how she looks, what are the chances that other people will care?

Women who don’t have flabby arms, or “bat-wings” as they are sometimes called, are seen as more desirable by most men. The reason being that flab on the arms, jiggling this way and that, can remind men of older women that are off-limits to them in terms of romantic intimacy… you know, like their mother, or their aunts. (Let’s not go there, okay?)

Of course, nothing great happens overnight (unless you win the lotto, which is another story), so you would need to really put in some dedication into your dumbbell workout. But it will be worth it, you’ll see. More chances for men or women hooking up with hotties – can someone really be foolish enough to pass those up?

Focusing on the Arms

Why should you focus on your arms? Here are several very practical reasons:

1. Our arms are designed in such a way as to be utilitarian. They don’t just hang around like some limp appendages. Arms are used for lifting, for carrying, for moving things about, for writing, for painting, for using technology… the list can go on and on. Therefore, the stronger and more developed your arms are, the more efficient they will be in carrying out such activities.
2. When you develop your arms, say through a variety of dumbbell exercises, such as dumbbell curls, dumbbell bicep exercises, or a dumbbell hammer curl, you actually prepare your upper body or trunk to get chiseled. This is because you can’t do any serious weight lifting or even ab crunching if you have weak and undeveloped arms to begin with.
3. Doing a dumbbell workout is very, very helpful to boosting your confidence, such that you can go on to perform harder tasks related to bodybuilding. No one turns into a weightlifter overnight. You need to start with simpler, lighter things. Seated dumbbell curls, dumbbell tricep exercises, and dumbbell kickbacks, among other dumbbell exercises, can lead the way towards lifting heavier weights, once your arm muscles have gotten used to the initial lifting stages. In short, lift something not so heavy at the start, then progress on to bigger and grander things.

Doing the Dumbbell Arm Exercises

Let me go ahead and point out to you which parts of the body would benefit from certain dumbbell arm exercises:

• Dumbbell curls – these are great for developing the biceps or upper arm, the lower arm, and the upper and outer forearm. They are also beneficial to the front shoulders or deltoids, the upper shoulders, the upper back, the rear of the neck, the inner forearm, and the wrist flexors.

Example of Dumbbell Curls:

• Incline dumbbell curl – also known as the dumbbell incline curl, this exercise targets the front of the arms or the biceps. Affected muscles include the lower biceps or sides of the arms, the upper and outer forearm, the front shoulders, the inner forearm and the hand flexors. Doing this exercise repeatedly can give you a strong grip.

Example of Incline Dumbbell Curls:

• Dumbbell hammer curl – this targets the upper-outer forearm. Muscles that are developed secondarily include the lower biceps, the front of the arms, the front of the shoulders, the upper shoulders, the upper back, the rear of the neck, the inner forearm, the hand flexors, and the outer or back forearms.

Example of Dumbbell Hammer Curls:

• Dumbbell kickbacks – these target the triceps. Perfect for ladies who want to do away with the jiggling Jell-O at the back of their arms. Also developed are the rear shoulders, the middle and outer back, the upper back, the middle back, the outer forearm, and the wrist flexors.

Example of Dumbbell Kickbacks:

With the exercise videos which are part of this article, you will find step by step directions on the best method and style for performing the dumbbell arm exercises, and these include specific instructions for chiseling your arms through dumbbell bicep exercises and dumbbell tricep exercises (aka tricep dumbbell exercises).

Conditioning the Body and the Mind With Dumbbell Arm Exercises

The good thing about doing arm workouts is that you not only condition your arms and the rest of your body, you also condition the way you think, which is actually more important.

Working out lets the mind see things from a different perspective. When you start working out, even if it’s only your arms at first, your mind will tell you to avoid eating the pig-out foods that you may have been fond of (sweets, fried foods, junk food, etc.) because it is counter-productive to what you are trying to achieve.

That’s why when you do dumbbell exercises to tone your arms, or build more muscle mass, you also learn to gradually develop an abiding fondness for exercise. That means, you won’t be backing off at the thought of doing cardio workouts, or lifting heavier weights, or even doing calisthenics because you have already experienced the benefits that come from doing something as simple as dumbbell arm exercises.

In the next article I’ll be discussing Dumbbell Back Exercises so keep on reading!

Remember, you can always go to MyFitnessNut.com (top of the page), subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter and get the full set of “follow-along” dumbbell workout videos. Included are the dumbbell arm exercises videos mentioned earlier so there’s no cost to help you get your arms in the best shape of your life.

Ready for a Complete Set of Dumbbell Workout Exercises That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great?

Are you being shallow when you think hard about how much work you need to do to keep your body in good shape?

Well, maybe you’re not. Not from a practical point of view anyway.

Being shallow is when you spend a fortune on unnecessary plastic surgery, on body tanning and spa works, on having your hair permed or straightened or whatever, but never once paying attention to the condition of your body.

Yes, it happens.

Use a Dumbbell Workout Routine to Shape Up Your Looks

But what’s all the fuss about looking good, anyway? Why is it important for people to look good?

People don’t strive to be attractive, or to look physically fit out of a misplaced sense of narcissism. I mean, come on. Who looks at the mirror and admires himself or herself the whole day? Even if you are a great fan of “selfies,” you can’t possibly be spending all your time just admiring yourself because there are so many other things to do!

So, again, what’s behind this “need” to have a good looking body, that stems from an overall need to look fit and attractive?

Energetic and Enjoying Life

There are those who will say that beauty is simply skin-deep, and that it’s the inner you that matters.

And that’s true. After all, people age, youth fades, and the urge to just relax at the beach and drink piña coladas while watching the surf go in and out does hit sometime, late in life.

But that’s the key – “late in life.” When you are in the prime of your life, you don’t want to slink away to be tired before your time. You want to be energetic, you want to enjoy life, you want to have the benefits of being attractive anytime, anywhere.

Here are some great benefits to looking good by being physically fit:

1. You get access to higher income – I kid you not. This is a fact. According to the highly esteemed Wall Street Journal, people who are attractive can not only make interviewers regard them pleasantly, they are also the ones who get hired much quicker, and they are the ones who can produce the biggest sales.

On top of that, Daniel Hamermesh, Professor of Economics at the University of Texas in Austin, goes on to say that based on his research, “attractive people are likely to earn an average of 3% to 4% more than a person with below-average looks.”

Earning more in these tough economic times is a great incentive to embark on a “get fit, get muscular, remove flab and jiggle” program, which is what a dumbbell workout can do for you.

2. You become an inspiration to your spouse or significant other who may be a couch potato, a tub of lard, or a beanpole — Whether or not you met your partner already in that condition is not the issue here. The issue, as ever, is – are either of you satisfied with the way things stand? Unless either of you has a flabby stomach or pencil-stick legs fetish, I’d say maybe not.

3. You get to save some serious cash from disability, life, and health insurance — You can use that cash for something else, like maybe a deposit towards a new car or just as additional savings.

4. And let’s not forget our friends, the feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters — Serotonin, dopamine, adrenaline, and endorphins – can’t say enough good things about these guys that get released every time we work out. When you are working hard to get buff, you won’t need to get an artificial high from cigarettes, alcohol, or other substances because the feel-good hormones and neurotransmitter can make you feel more awesome and happier than ever before.

So, if you want to begin a total transformation and lead a healthy life, get rid of depression, stay focused, and be strong – start your dumbbell workout now.

Remember, start from little things and move up and onward. A structured dumbbell workout today, like the one we will provide you, can lead to better health and more strength in the future.

Take some time to browse the MyFitnessNut.com website and specifically the section on Dumbbells. When you subscribe to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter (form at top of home page) we’ll even give you a complete collection of 52 Dumbbell Exercises and dumbbell workout routines that you can start using and learning from right away.

Through the following set of dumbbell exercise articles, we hope to help you achieve a fit and developed body. To help you get the most out of doing your dumbbell exercise routine you will find separate sections outlining each muscle group that you’ll want to concentrate on for a total dumbbell workout.

The best way to start your dumbbell workout program is to read the articles (below) and watch the videos (above) for each section that’s related to the article you just read. When you’re certain about what to do and your ability to do it, begin your dumbbell workout routine.

• Dumbbell Arm Exercises
• Dumbbell Back Exercises
• Dumbbell Chest Exercises
• Dumbbell Leg Exercises
• Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises

Go ahead and browse through these articles so that you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to perform these dumbbell workout exercises in the most effective way possible.

Here’s to better health and a trimmer YOU!

It seems like there is real craze with building muscles right now. Everyone including men, women, young and old are starting to shape up and sculpt their bodies like never before.

We’re all aware that obesity has taken over lately but now there seems to be a tide-shift with a reversal going on in a positive direction. For the first time in many years the obesity rate of school children in the USA is dropping instead of growing.

With more and more people looking to build their muscles and strength this trend can certainly accelerate.

So what is makes building muscle suddenly so popular?

In this article we’ll discuss building muscles for:

Bodybuilding Competition
Looks and Confidence
Strength and Stamina
Gain or Lose Weight
Building Muscles for Women
Doing More and Being More

In general people have different reasons for getting into body and muscle building. One person might do it for competitive reasons, others for confidence issues, others to build strength and stamina, gain weight, lose weight and then some people just want to be able to do more and live a healthier life.

Building Muscles for Competition

Bodybuilding competition is one reason why people are interested in building large muscle mass. Building muscles for competition is a huge sport. You can find big rewards in competitive bodybuilding but competing on this level takes much dedication and effort. You’ll need to dedicate time, lots of time working out every day to build and maintain large muscle mass and shape.

Building Muscles to Compete is not Meant to be a Hobby

You will not naturally obtain a perfectly chiseled body with pumped up muscles overnight and if you are looking to make it to the top of the muscle building food chain, you’re going to have to invest tens of thousands of hours in workout time and the younger you get started as an adult body builder the better chance you’ll have at making it to the top.

Building Muscles for Confidence

If you are getting into bodybuilding because you’re overweight, too scrawny and thin or just not happy with the way your body looks, body and muscle building can help and the results can bee seen in a matter of weeks. When done properly, you’ll be muscle building in a matter of days and many people see noticeable improvements in just 4 to 6 weeks time.

Getting stronger, building muscle tone and depending on your situation, gaining or losing weight is a great confidence and self image booster. You just need to be sure that you don’t get carried away doing too much too fast. Set a rational schedule based on where you are starting from and you’ll begin to see improvements in quick order.

Building Muscles for Women

Body and muscle building for women isn’t as popular as it is for men but it is really a great way for women to build strength without being concerned about bulking up like a man would. There are many petite women who body build and can lift an extreme amount of weight. So don’t confuse building big muscles with raw strength and size.

Many women are coming to realize this and finding that even though they build muscle mass at a slower pace than a man would, they still get the luxury of building strength, stamina and their metabolism without the worry of looking like the Hulk’s masculine twin sister.

Speaking of building muscles to look masculine, younger males get into body and muscle building many times to impress the girls. They want to look fantastic and they want ripped muscles and they want them now! Their desire to look ripped, strong and desirable for a potential mate can become problematic.

This is the same problem competitive bodybuilders can get caught up in when they try to build muscles too fast and take shortcuts that they think or have been told will give them an edge.

Avoid Using Steroids and Growth Hormones when Building Muscle Mass

When the pressure is on to bulk up quickly, some body builders turn to using growth hormones and steroids to hasten muscle building. There are a couple of big problems with this. In the case of teenagers trying to bulk up quickly, they have to remember that their bodies are still in a growing mode and the use of hormones or steroids can have some bad side effects that can seriously mess up the rest of their life.

As far as competition body builders go, there’s really nothing to say to you here. You know what’s going on because you see it nearly every day in the world of sports and fitness; elimination from competition, health problems and stripped titles after years and years of hard work and full dedication of a big piece of your life.

It’s not worth it and cheating at building muscles for competition won’t make you feel very proud if you do happen win an event.

In the case of the young “want to impress” bodybuilder or the super Hulk competitive version, doing steroids and growth hormones is rarely a good idea.

Bodybuilding in its beginning was created to be a sport and when given it respect and patience it deserves it can be a rewarding way to stay fit and healthy for a lifetime.

If you’re into the competitive body and muscle building realm it can be a great way to travel and socialize with people all around the world from local events all the way up to the Olympics if you are so inclined.

If you’re looking at the field for a career there are huge opportunities for working in the health and fitness industry and if you’re into it to impress others and gain confidence then building muscle mass may be a great way for you to achieve it.

Whatever your reason for building muscle and getting into bodybuilding is, the benefits to your health, fitness level, confidence and ability to do more and be more is undisputed.

Grab a hold of these two muscle-building video programs and get started. The first one shows you how to build muscles using Dumbbells at http://myfitnessnut.com/dumbbell-exercises, and the second one is training on building muscles using Kettlebells at http://myfitnessnut.com/kettlebell-exercises . Both follow along video programs are free for the time being and both work well for the beginner and the fitness nuts alike.