What are dumbbells? Or bodybuilding at home

Dumbbells are the simplest and most popular sports equipment for gymnastic and strength exercises that you can buy at any store.

Are dumbbells difficult? Surprisingly, for many, yes. Once bought, they are eventually found on mezzanines, balconies and summer cottages - in a word, anywhere, but not in the "sports corner" of the apartment. There is no such?

Well, then let's touch on the topic of self-discipline. If, in principle, it is not typical for a person to consciously approach the organization of his life time, if such concepts as "daily routine" and "exercise" are alien to him, then it is difficult to rely on a prick of conscience in relation to a forgotten but rather useful object called dumbbells.

But if, nevertheless, the main reason for the absence of a "sports" corner, as well as sports time, is workload, and not unwillingness to lead a healthy and, by the way, beautiful lifestyle, then we will try to "persuade" you.

Let's play a simple psychological game. List on paper all the reasons that prevent you from playing sports, and then imagine that:

a) these arguments were given to you by some other person;

b) you know that he is lying;

c) you need to catch him in a lie on all counts.

For example: "no money." You don’t need money to build muscle, unless you’re going to juggle it in bundles. If you mean the cost of a gym membership, just remind you that you can exercise with dumbbells not only in the gym, but also at home.

However, the thought of money is not so harmful. Remember that dumbbells are worth the money you paid for them - perhaps this argument will also keep you from abandoning classes.

"No time". Think - what do you spend your free on: sofa, TV? Well, and how will dumbbells prevent you in this case? Watch yourself your TV. With dumbbells. Or turn on your favorite music louder. This, plus everything else, will add positive emotions, psychological relief will occur, and you will feel happier.

"No results". This is the argument of all newbies. It is common for a person to expect an instant result with a minimum expenditure of energy. If there is none, they quit the sport. There is a way out - to enjoy the process. Try to feel like a champion during class before an important performance. And you will quickly get into shape, your workouts will become real and you will win!

Dumbbells are the simplest and most popular sports equipment for gymnastic and strength exercises. They can be bought at any sports and online store

With dumbbells, you can pump almost all muscle groups - from calves to traps. After regular exercise for two to three weeks, you can develop all the muscles in your body. In addition, dumbbell exercises improve posture.

Dumbbells are more effective than barbells, because you can perform a greater number of athletic exercises with them: dumbbells are not interconnected, the hands, when exercising with them, act independently of one another. In this regard, the bar of the bar is simply inferior to them in the classroom.

During training with them, a person builds up muscle mass. If after exercise you do not feel tired, you need to increase the load.

As simple as dumbbells

There are non-collapsible (cast) dumbbells and collapsible (composite). Stacked dumbbells are certainly more convenient, since you can independently adjust the load by adjusting the "pancakes".

Non-collapsible dumbbells are mainly used for fitness and gymnastic exercises. The weight of such dumbbells starts from 450-gram aerobics weights, up to … There are practically no restrictions here.

Such sports equipment is made of vinyl, and is used mainly by women. However, men can also use heavier vinyl shells. Although, by and large, men, of course, prefer chrome dumbbells.

Dumbbells weighing more than 20 kg are usually made collapsible. These athletic dumbbells are suitable for both strength training and fitness, as their weight can be adjusted.

When choosing dumbbells, pay attention to the grip where you will take the dumbbells (between the pancakes). Fixed dumbbells with a smooth handle can slip out of your hands during workouts, and rough ones can rub calluses. Therefore, when working with them, it is better to use sports gloves.

But it is best to purchase rubberized shells with a soft handle. These modern professional dumbbells are comfortable to hold in your hands - they have a soft handle, which is made of high quality neoprene. This material does not slip out of your hands and absorbs sweat. On rubberized grips, you can adjust the grips, making them to the size of your brush.

When buying sports dumbbells with interchangeable "pancakes", pay attention to the closures. The most convenient replacement for "pancakes" in rubberized dumbbells with spring locks. However, they wear out very quickly. Therefore, you can order athletic dumbbells, the cost of which is somewhat less, with screw locks, or those whose clamping is carried out using a special key.

To save and protect the floor, you should pay attention to the dumbbells, which have rubberized dials.

When choosing dumbbells, be sure to hold them in your hands, try to choose the most comfortable for yourself.

What weight should you choose?

At home, for strength training, in addition to a pair of collapsible dumbbells, it is good to have a small dumbbell row. Weight is selected based on your training. To begin with, experts recommend this range: 2 x 1.5 kg, 2 x 3 kg and 2 x 5 kg.

There is a remark - you cannot force the weight. At first, the most important thing is to master the correct technique, and then move on to serious weight.

Weight range - the more the better. Do not think in advance that 2 dumbbells of 20 kg are a lot and not for you. If you get involved in exercises with dumbbells and once feel a surge of strength in your hands, it will hurt you that you did not take care of the perspective in advance.

So if dumbbells from 4 to 20 kg are suitable for a start, then with a serious approach 30 and even 40 kg may be needed within six months.

It is also recommended when buying dumbbells to purchase a rack for them (for three pairs) so that they do not lie anywhere and roll under your favorite sofa.

And if you are in the mood for serious and regular exercise, then it will not be superfluous to purchase a sports bench, preferably with an adjustable angle of inclination, which allows you to perform exercises lying not only on your back, but also on your stomach. This will greatly expand the range of exercises you can do.

Photo: Robert. Montalvo flickr.com/robertmontalvo

What to do with dumbbells

Crack nuts! Joke. Dumbbells are the best exercise option for everyone who is just starting to play sports, and whose muscles are not yet adapted to the load, and this is necessary.

In fitness, dumbbells are used to perform exercises with additional burden (load) on the muscles. At the same time, exercises with dumbbells can be performed on different muscle groups and give different results, depending on what goal the person pursues in his studies.

As for the exercises, there are a huge variety of them, while many can be invented by yourself. The main muscle groups for which there are dumbbell exercises are arms and shoulders, chest and back.

Hand exercise:

- strengthening and development of triceps. Starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, dumbbells in both hands. The exercise is performed simultaneously with both hands. We raise them up above the head, lower them to shoulder level, while the elbows should look to the sides. It is performed 10 times, in 4 sets.

- strengthening and development of the biceps. Starting position: sitting on a chair, spread your legs wide and rest your sole on the floor. In one hand, a dumbbell, it is freely lowered along the body, with the other rest on the knee with your elbow, while leaning forward a little. We perform full flexion of the elbow, touching the shoulder dumbbells. It is performed 10 times in 3 approaches by men, 2 by women.

Exercises for the muscles of the chest:

- development and strengthening of the muscles of the chest and upper back. Stand up straight with dumbbells in both hands. Stretch your arms forward, palms up. We perform flexion at the elbow, towards the shoulders, keep the line of the arms straight. Perform 12 times in 3 sets for men, 8 times in 2 for women.

- strengthening and development of chest muscles. Sitting on a chair with your back straight, spread your legs wide apart. Dumbbells in both hands. We raise our hands up and put them behind the head, as long as we have enough strength, lingering for 3-5 seconds, return our hands to their original position. Perform 12 times in 4 approaches for men, women 10 in 3.

Exercises for back muscles:

- development and strengthening of the trapezius muscles of the back. Starting position: stand up, feet shoulder-width apart, back straight. You need a chair. In an inclination, lean on the seat of a chair with one hand, take a dumbbell with the other and lower it to the floor. We pull the dumbbell to the chest, pulling the elbow to the side and back. Perform 10 times in 4 approaches for men, 8 times in 2 approaches for women.

- strengthening and development of the muscles of the upper back girdle. The starting position is also. Dumbbells in both hands. We spread our arms to the sides at shoulder level, then bend at the elbows, pulling the dumbbells to the chest, keeping the horizontal line of the arms. For ease of execution, the palms should be facing forward. Perform 10 times in 3 approaches for men, 8 times in 2 approaches for women.

Dumbbells are an effective and convenient sports equipment that will help maintain and improve your health.

Dumbbells are a real miniature home fitness room that takes up a minimum of space

Stop complicating things. Dumbbells are easy!