Dumbbells (short bars with weights at each end) are key pieces of equipment in resistance-training exercises. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, you can still move a muscle through its full range of motion. Muscles respond to this kind of stress by growing stronger, says Harley Pasternak, a long-time diet and fitness expert with offices in Toronto and Los Angeles.
Compared to using larger weight machines, dumbbells provide a more efficient way to work out. Many dumbbell exercises are done while standing, which means most of the body is engaged in the exercise.
Benefits:
• Inexpensive
• Quick noticeable results and easy to progress
• Exercises mimic everyday movements so you'll become stronger and more coordinated and balanced.
• Increases lean muscle mass and boosts metabolism, which improves your ability to lose weight.
• Decreases risk of osteoporosis. Joanne Schnurr, 48, a wife and mom, and a senior reporter for CTV News in Ottawa, says: "My mother and aunt suffer from osteoporosis. I'm lactose intolerant so I don't drink milk, and calcium pills bother me. That leaves me regular resistance training with weights to boost my bone density."
What you need:
• Dumbbell set
• Warm muscles: always warm up before you start.
• Correct form and technique. Pasternak, whose 5-Factor Fitness program includes resistance training with dumbbells, recommends that you master simple movements before more complicated variations. "Watch yourself in a mirror or work with a personal trainer."
• Use the appropriate resistance. "You should just barely be able to complete the prescribed number of repetitions with proper technique. To avoid injury, always err on the side of too light," says Pasternak.
Where/how to get started: For home workouts, dumbbells range in price from about $20 for a four-weight set (two 3-pound and two 5-pound weights) from Canadian Tire to about $130 for a 36-pound set of York dumbbells (two each of 10-pound, five-pound and three-pound weights) from Sportmart. Sign up for a dumbbell class at your gym, purchase a program on DVD (or in a book) for home workouts or hire a fitness trainer.
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