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What dumbbell weight should I use to tone [Article, Video]

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Nov 30, 2019 9:00:00 AM

What dumbbell weight should I use to tone

What dumbbell weight should I use to tone 

 
Men should start somewhere between 8kg - 20kg while women usually start between 4 to 12kg. This depends on fitness level, weight and which exercise is done for which goal to pick the right dumbbell.
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Dumbbell training 

 
Dumbbell training comes in many forms. Some use them for gaining muscles, others to lose some weight by adding resistance to their home routine. It all fronds on your training style and which goals you want to achieve which dumbbell is the best for you. 
 
What is important is to hold on tight to the handle while you are training. This increases strength and minimizes injury risk. Bodybuilding.com has a wide variety of dumbbell exercises targeting almost any muscle group. If you are in doubt about how to execute a certain movement this is a good source to check. 
 

Dumbbell weights 

 
Dumbbells come in sizes ranging from 5LB to 150lb. The most common dumbbells are rubber in hex or round shape. There are also stackable systems available like the loadable dumbbell from Rogue or the Power Elite stack. 
 
You can also get dumbbells from many local supermarkets. These are usually a bit lighter and not as rough to the touch. These are more aimed at women who want to exercise at home. Weight is weight so these are also good if you have a program you want to follow on YouTube or you have subscribed to. 
 

Dumbbells for strength 

 
If you are aiming to build more strength use dumbbells you can lift for 4 - 8 repetitions per set. Once you can do 4 - 5 sets at 8 repetitions easily it is time to go up in weight. You can experiment in your local gym but always err on the side of caution to keep your shoulders and arms healthy. 
 

Dumbbells for toning 

 
If you want to use your dumbbells for toning have a look at all the exercises you have in your circuit. There is usually one exercise which is the hardest to do with weight. Use this as the limiting factor to determine how heavy the dumbbell is you use. For the easier exercises just do more, faster, when it gets stronger until you reach your goal on the hardest exercise. Once that is done it is time to move up in weight or that you try to finish faster or more deletions at the same time. 
 

Pros of dumbbell training 

 
Dumbbells give you more freedom of movement than machines and barbells. They are also smaller and can, therefore, be a good start for a home gym. 
 

Cons of dumbbell training 

 
Going heavy usually becomes a challenge with dumbbells as they don’t provide the stability and balance of barbells or machines. They can also get rather bulky in high ranges which makes them awkward to move.
 

What dumbbell weight should I use to tone 

 
Depending on your size, fitness, exercise selection, and goals women can usually start with 4 - 12 kg while men usually start with 8- 20. That usually covers most scenarios with the ability to scale. If you only want to use one dumbbell make it an 8kg for women and 12kg for men. 

Topics: Rogue, Dumbbell