New to Weight Training? 6 Reasons to Begin with Dumbbells

New to Weight Training? 6 Reasons to Begin with Dumbbells : If you’re just starting out with weight training, it can be a bit intimidating at first. Watching all those people in the gym who look like they know exactly what they are doing, you may think that free weights are too advanced for you.

While you do need to know how to use free weights properly, you don’t need to wait until you’ve been going to the gym for years to start lifting weights. However, there are different types of free weights to use – and dumbbells are great for beginners.

Overview of Dumbbells

What exactly are dumbbells? You’ve almost certainly seen them before. They are short bars with two equal weights on either end, and they are compact and designed to be lifted with one hand.

They usually come in pairs, and they come in a wide range of weights and shapes such as hex, square or round and you can even get adjustable dumbbells which allow for different weights – meaning you only need to buy one set of dumbbells. In the gym, you’ll usually find lots of different weights to choose from so you can start with the most suitable for you.

So, what are the benefits of dumbbells? Let’s take a closer look.

Easy to Use

One of the best things about dumbbells is that they are so easy to use. Even complete beginners can use them without any difficulty, as long as they choose a light weight to start with.

They are also quite safe to use, as long as you warm up properly beforehand and get correct instruction on how to use them.
Large Range of Motion

Dumbbells are often used for the range of motion they provide. What does this mean? Essentially, dumbbells provide greater freedom. You can move in almost any way you want to while lifting them, which means you can work different muscles.

You are not limited to the muscles you can work in the same way that you are with barbells.
Good for Unilateral Movements

Most of us have strength imbalances and one side is often stronger than the other. If you start using barbells, you may find that your stronger muscles do more of the work, affecting your weaker muscles.

Dumbbells are great for making unilateral movements, so you can use them specifically to target your strength imbalances, helping to strengthen your weaker muscles.
Convenient & Practical

Dumbbells are one of the easiest types of free weights to use. They are relatively small, making them easy to carry, and they are convenient to take down to the park. You could also buy your own set without spending too much and store them in your home gym.
Wide Range of Exercises

Dumbbells are very versatile, so you can incorporate them into your workout with relative ease. There are lots of exercises you can do with them, such as goblet squats. This can make your workout more interesting.
Choose from Lots of Types

There are several types of dumbbells to choose from. These include the basic fixed-weight dumbbells that come in a range of weights. But you can also get adjustable dumbbells where you can change the weight as well as studio dumbbells with different coatings and hex dumbbells, which have flat edges so they don’t roll away.

Give Dumbbells a Go

As you can see, there are lots of benefits when you choose dumbbells. If you are still relatively new to free weights, they provide you with the perfect introduction. Try out the dumbbells at your local gym, or buy a set for your home gym, and give them a go to see how you get on.

You may find that you want to start incorporating barbells and other weights into your workout but start with dumbbells for a great introduction to free weights.