Optimum Fitness Network

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Dumbbell training is one of the most productive forms of exercise you can do.  And no, I’m not talking about those light weight “isolation” exercises targeting small muscles.  I’m talking about using dumbbells in unison, one limb at a time and in an alternating fashion.  These movement patterns more closely resemble movements you encounter in the real world, and therefore are extra beneficial.

But there are a couple of things going one with dumbbell training below the surface that don’t get talked about a lot, and this is what I want to talk about today.  For example, what is the relationship between the brain and your muscles when exercising with dumbbells?  This is a very important aspect of training that doesn’t get talked about a lot.

I always like to think of the body as a whole.  This is very different than bodybuilding style training where they like to split the body into parts and train them separately.  And when I say “whole” I mean WHOLE.  I think of how each exercises stimulates the muscles needed to perform the movement, how the heart and lungs support the movement and how the brain facilitates the movement.  As you can see, this is a little more complicated than “Biceps curl makes biceps big”.

So, let’s look at some of the brain-muscle connection when using dumbbells.

Did you know that if you train one limb exclusively, the other limb will also get a little stronger?  This is called “cross education”.

You see, strength is not only about the size of the muscle, but the efficiency of the brains ability to send the message to perform the movement with strength.  When you train one side of your body, your brain applies the training to the other side as well.  The strength gains are not equal, by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a little something extra going on behind the scenes of your dumbbell workouts. 

Did you know that the sum of your single limb efforts is often greater than the total amount you can do with both limbs? There are many reasons for this.  One is the fact that your body recruits more muscle fibers when performing single limb lifts for stabilization purposes.  More muscle fibers means you can lift heavier weights.  Another reason is because often one limb is stronger than the other, allowing you to lift more with that limb.  But when you lift with both limbs at the same time, the brain reduces the force of the stronger limb for a more balanced effort.  This means your two limb strength is less than the sum of each limb separately.

As you can see, there is a connection between the brain and your body that influences how you perform and how much strength you can command.

If you are currently neglecting your dumbbell training, you should add unilateral training into your overall fitness program.  It will not only allow you to build a more balanced body, but it will teach the brain to recruit more muscle for common, everyday movements.  This means you build a more symmetrical body with more strength.  Often, it is what goes on behind the scenes that produces the most benefits.

Coach Eddie Lomax is giving away a valuable Special Report called, “Why Dumbbells Are My Secret Weapon For Building Six-Pack Abs You Can See In The Shortest Time Possible!”  Get yours today, while it’s still free.

Dumbbells have been around for a long time.  This should lead any exerciser to believe they must be highly effective, because they have withstood the test of time.  Unfortunately, in today’s fitness world of shiny fitness machines and slick-tongued marketing, the dumbbell exercise program is often overlooked.  But don’t be misled, a dumbbell workout is an excellent fitness, fat loss and physique building tool that should be in everyone’s exercise program.

I’m not going to get into the whole free weight vs. machines debate.  My mind is made up.  I believe free weight are more effective for training every aspect of fitness that can be used inside or outside the gym.  And of all the free weights, I believe dumbbells have a lot of untapped potential.  End of debate.

I’m not going to talk about how free weights are more closely related to movements you find in sport, work and life.  I’m also not going to talk about how machines limit your range of motion and force you to training in ways you’ll never encounter in the real world.  I want to talk about mindset.

What happens when you walk into a gym and see an ocean of fancy gym machines on one hand, and a dumbbell rack sitting in the corner on the other?  You believe the machines are better, that’s what.  And in the back of your mind, “better” means more results for less effort.

This is why I believe a dumbbell exercise program is better than machines.  When you work on machines, you automatically feel you can get away with doing less.  You think it’s going to be easy to get the results you’re after, whether it be building muscle or losing fat.  After all, the expensive machine must be “better” than those old dumbbells, right? 

Not necessarily!  The fact remains, you’ll get out of your exercise program what you put into it.  If you look for shortcuts or “easy” ways to achieve the results you want, you will fail.  But if you are determined to improve your fitness, fat loss and physique, and are willing to work for it consistently, you will succeed.  I don’t care if you only use your own bodyweight or a pair of rusty old dumbbells, your determination is more valuable than a gym full of fancy, expensive equipment. 

Dumbbells have been around for centuries for one reason and one reason only.  They are extremely effective!  You can use them for a wide variety of exercises, over a wide range of motion and with varied weights.  And used properly, they can simultaneously improve fitness, build strong, athletic muscles and burn off unwanted fat.

So the next time you have a choice between performing a dumbbell exercise program or one involving machines, choose the dumbbells.  Find out why dumbbells have withstood the test of time.  And most importantly, use dumbbells to their full potential.  (Most people only do bodybuilding exercises, or light weight “sculpting exercises… what a waste!)

I hope I’ve opened your eyes to the value of a dumbbell exercise program.  Not only will you use a highly effective fitness, fat loss and muscle building tool, but you’ll enter the program knowing you’ll get as much out of it as you put in.  This alone can make your exercise efforts more productive than ever before!

Coach Eddie Lomax is giving away a valuable Special Report called, “Why Dumbbells Are My Secret Weapon For Building Six-Pack Abs You Can See In The Shortest Time Possible!”  Get yours today, while it’s still free.

In my opinion, a full body dumbbell workout is the best exercise program for developing six pack abs.  Unfortunately, hardly anyone uses dumbbells to develop strong abdominals you can see.  In this article, I’ll show you the error of your ways. Carving out six pack abs you can see is a strong motivating force for many a man and woman. 

But the problem is, the desire is so strong people often don’t think rationally when putting a plan into action.  They want six pack abs, and they want them yesterday.  This leads to making poor decisions, which often lead to a lot of wasted time and money. I’ll be honest with you… 

-      Those gadgets you see on late night television don’t work

-      “Isolating” your abs are ineffective for your goal and a waste of time

-      Anything that claims to be “fast and easy” is a waste of money

Getting a six pack is just like any other goal.  Stop letting emotion drive your decisions.  Let’s take a deep breath and look at this logically.  I’m sure once we do this, you’ll conclude that a full body dumbbell workout is your best bet for a six pack you can see, as I have.

There are three things you must do if you want to see your six pack: 

1)    You must build muscle all over your body

2)    You must strengthen your core muscles

3)    You must lose fat

If you do all three of these things, you’ll develop abdominals you can see.  

Building muscle all over your body not only helps you look better, but muscle is metabolically expensive.  This means your body must use more calories to maintain a higher percentage of muscle, and therefore leaves less calories to be converted into fat.  So, you not only build an attractive body, but also create a situation where the bigger muscles help you reach your goal of a visible six pack.  A full body dumbbell workout builds muscles all over your body.

Obviously, stronger and bigger abdominal muscles are necessary to achieve the abdominal look you desire.  But stop relying on “isolation” exercises like crunches and leg raises to get the job done.  A dumbbell workout puts emphasis on the core muscles with every exercise.  This means every exercise is an ab exercise.

No matter how much muscle you put on or how strong and big your abdominal muscles, no one will ever see them if they are covered with fat.  You must get rid of the fat around your middle to make the muscles underneath visible.  And a dumbbell workout, done correctly, burns a lot of fat.

Think of it this way.  You want to perform a workout that  builds muscle, strengthens the core and burns fat at the same time.  This is the most effective method for getting the result you want.  If your entire workout does these three things, it is the fastest way to build abs you can see.

So, spend more time doing a full body dumbbell workout instead of doing those “isolation” exercises and you’ll build more muscle, strengthen your core and burn off more fat.  This is what you need to spend your time doing if you ever hope to see your six pack.  So, pick up a pair of dumbbells and get busy!

Coach Eddie Lomax is giving away a valuable Special Report called, “Why Dumbbells Are My Secret Weapon For Building Six-Pack Abs You Can See In The Shortest Time Possible!”  Get yours today, while it’s still free.

I’m not surprised people are confused. Walk into any gym today and you’ll be overwhelmed by the shiny machines and fancy equipment. It is easy to start believing you need all this equipment to meet your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals. But in my opinion, a full body dumbbell workout can do everything those expensive machines do, better!

Just so we’re on the same page, let me start by saying you don’t need a gym full of fancy equipment to get fit, burn fat and build the type of body that turns heads. You don’t even need to join a gym at all. A full body dumbbell workout, dedication and consistency are all you need.

First of all, did you know you can get an excellent full body workout using only dumbbells?

Yes, that’s right. You can use dumbbells for more than curls and flies! I know it sounds crazy, but if I hand someone a dumbbell, the first thing they do is try to curl it. I hand it to them, and without thinking, the curling motion begins. But these limited motion exercises using small muscle groups are not the only reason to use dumbbells. As a matter of fact, if you are only using dumbbells for a limited amount of exercises, you’re missing out on their true potential.

When I say, “full body dumbbell workout”, here is what I mean…

• Dumbbells are the only piece of equipment used.
• Upper body, core and lower body are all worked.
• The heart and lungs are also involved

With dumbbells, you can perform workouts that involve all the big, major muscle groups AND the cardiorespiratory system. You can train both muscles and the heart and lungs at the same time. So when I say “full body” I mean full body.

Compare this to “bodybuilding” style workouts that split the body into small muscles and focuses on training each muscle separately. And forget about getting a heart and lung workout. You’ll have to do that separately!

The truth is, there are many different types of dumbbell exercises. There are grinding strength exercises, explosive power exercises and rhythmic exercises requiring both incredible strength and endurance. Each type of exercise can be arranged into a full body dumbbell workout that simultaneously improves fitness, burns fat and builds strong muscles.

The secret to reaching your goals is to get the most out of your training equipment and training time. So, don’t overlook the power of full body dumbbell workouts. If you have access to a set of dumbbells, you have everything you need to get a great workout. And you don’t even need to drive to the gym!

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the fat burning power of a proper dumbbell workout and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.

A dumbbell workout is an excellent way to burn off fat, and keep it off. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how to take full advantage of the fat burning characteristics of dumbbell training. I hope this article opens your eyes and helps you on your quest for a leaner, more attractive body!

When most men and women think about burning off the ugly fat keeping them from looking and performing their best, very few of them think about a dumbbell workout. Usually, the first two things that come to mind are restrictive diets and long duration aerobic exercise. This is a shame, because dumbbell exercise is an excellent way to burn off fat and build a muscular, attractive body.

Here are three important ways a dumbbell workout helps you shed extra pounds of flab…

• Dumbbell Training Builds Muscle

You may be asking, “What does building muscle have to do with fat loss?” The answer is simple. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn during the day to maintain the muscle. Muscle is more “metabolically expensive”. It takes more energy to maintain muscle, even during rest. So, since you burn more calories naturally during the day for maintenance, there are fewer calories left over to be converted into fat.

A dumbbell workout is excellent for building muscle because you can take advantage of the bilateral deficit. You see, when you perform dumbbell exercises with a single limb (as compared to the two-limb version of the same exercise), your body recruits more muscle for stabilization purposed. More muscle recruited means the ability to use heavier weights. And heavier weights mean more muscle growth!

And just to make sure you’re paying attention: More muscle = less fat!

• A Unilateral Dumbbell Workout Uses More Energy

Unilateral training is when you perform an exercise with one arm or leg for a certain number of repetitions, then perform the same number of repetitions with the opposite arm or leg. This doubles the amount of “work time” per set.

So, not only can you use heavier weights (as discussed in #1), but you spend more time exercising with those weights. This means you expend more energy performing a unilateral dumbbell workout than a machine or barbell workout.

More energy used in the workout means more fat burned and less calories left over to be converted to fat!

• A Dumbbell Workout Blurs The Lines Between Strength And Cardio Training, Producing More Metabolic Disturbance

Most people have been lulled to sleep by the set 1, rest, set 2, rest, set 3, rest format of training. But what happens if you throw some high repetition, rhythmic exercises into your dumbbell workout. For example, what happens if you do 20 reps of dumbbell snatches for each arm back to back. The exercise requires muscular strength and power, but also extraordinary heart and lung power. This kind of dumbbell workout burns a lot of fat.

But maybe more important, you burn fat during AND after the workout. Think of it this way. The workout places stress on your muscles, heart and lungs. To recover, your body uses a great deal of energy to return to a normal state. This means you are not only burning calories during the workout, but during the recovery process as well.

So, you effectively turn your body into a 24 hour fat burning machine!

Are you starting to see what a powerful weapon a dumbbell workout is in your battle to lose fat and keep it off? And I’ll let you in on a little secret. Restrictive diets and long duration exercise is NOT the fat loss solution you seek. A nutritious diet, well planned workout program and healthy lifestyle is!

If you need to lose ugly pounds of fat, it’s time to give a dumbbell workout a try!

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the fat burning power of a proper dumbbell workout and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.

A properly structured dumbbell routine is a powerful tool to help you reach your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals. Just make sure you don’t take the word “routine” too literally. There should be nothing routine about your dumbbell routine.

Getting in shape, improving fitness and changing the way we look (for the better) are all reasons people begin to exercise. And many people settle on a dumbbell routine to get the results they want. I can understand why. Dumbbells are an excellent tool for building muscle, burning fat and improving cardiorespiratory endurance.

However, I have one suggestion.

Don’t make your dumbbell routine TOO routine!

You see, your body adapts. In order to get your body to improve you place stress on the body. This is what a dumbbell routine is designed to do, stress your body and force it to adapt. But once the body makes the necessary adaptations, you must increase or change the stress for further improvement to occur.

Anyone who has worked out before knows you body starts to change quickly when you start a new workout program. But then the improvements slow down, and eventually you reach a plateau where it seems all improvements have stopped forever. This is a very dangerous time in your exercise journey, because the lack of improvements often leads to quitting all together.

So, when you start a dumbbell routine, or any workout routine for that matter, keep in mind that the effectiveness of the routine is short lived. In order to progress, you must plan ahead and know how you are going to change the workout routine to keep the improvements coming. Do it right, and your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals are just around the corner. Do it wrong, and you’ll be wasting your dumbbell training time and miss out on all the benefits.

Here are some ideas to keep your dumbbell routine fresh and effective:

• Use different types of dumbbell exercises.

Not all dumbbell exercises are created equal. There are grinding “slow” lifts great for building strength. There are explosive “quick” lifts great for boosting power and burning fat. And there are combo dumbbell matrixes which are great for full body strength and conditioning, fat loss and mental toughness. Make sure your dumbbell routine uses all of these different dumbbell lifts and keep switching exercises every so often.

There are a lot more you can do with dumbbells than curls, flys and triceps extensions!

• Use different types of dumbbell routines.

Dumbbells are one of the most versatile pieces of training equipment in existence. Don’t limit their use to the typical 3 sets of 10 reps, rest for 1 minute between sets routine. How about doing a super-set dumbbell routine? How about timed circuits? There are many different ways to structure your dumbbell routine.

Don’t just do the same routine over and over again and miss out on the creative dumbbell workouts you can do!

Sadly, I see men and women do dumbbell routines made up of the same old exercises and performed in the same way every time. While this may be fine when you first start, you’ll soon discover the results of your training soon dwindles.

And I don’t know about you, but I want to get RESULTS from my training. I want to improve the way my body looks, feels and performs by building muscle, burning fat and increasing heart and lung power. So, break out of the routine of your dumbbell routine and keep the results coming!

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the body transforming power of proper dumbbell training and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.

There’s no denying it, dumbbell training is excellent for improving fitness, burning fat and building a strong, athletic body. The accessibility, versatility and effectiveness of dumbbells make them an effective weapon in everyone’s exercise arsenal. But, did you know you can dramatically boost the physical results you can SEE by using one little trick? In a second, I’m going to show you how you can get more from your dumbbell training.

But first…

I want to make sure you understand the fastest way to visible RESULTS. If you are interested in changing the way your body looks (aren’t we all), then listen up. The fastest way to change the way you look is to build muscle and lose fat. By simultaneously making some parts of your body larger (muscle growth) and other parts of your body smaller (fat loss), you’ll quickly change the way you look. And might I add, you’ll look a whole lot better!

I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many men and women miss this simple point.

Dumbbell training is an excellent way to build muscle and burn fat. But I’m about to show you how you can get even more from your dumbbell exercise routines. This one small change results in more physical changes in your body, and therefore more results you can SEE! Are you ready?

This little trick is called Unilateral Training.

Basically, unilateral training is when you perform an exercise (in this case a dumbbell exercise), with one arm or leg at a time. So, for example, you would perform a single-arm dumbbell military press with your left arm for the desired number of repetitions. Then you would do the same number of repetitions with the right arm.

Here are two reasons why Unilateral Dumbbell Training is so important for getting visible results…

• There is a phenomena called “bilateral deficit” which allows you to lift heavier weights with one arm, than the combined effort of two arms. Let me explain. If you can do a one-arm military press with a 50 pound dumbbell, logic states you should be able to do a two-arm barbell military press with 100 pounds. But this is not the case! You’ll be able to do slightly less than double, or say 90-95 pounds.

Due to the imbalanced nature of the one-arm dumbbell exercise, your body recruits more muscles for stabilization. More muscle recruited means the ability to lift more. And as we all know, using more muscle and lifting heavier weights means more muscle growth!

Unilateral dumbbell training forces you to spend more time on each set. For example, if it takes you 10 seconds to perform 10 repetitions of a two-arm barbell military press, it will take twice as long to complete the unilateral version (or 20 seconds).

The more time you spend exercising, the more energy you expend. The more energy you expend the more calories you burn. So, just by doing unilateral versions of exercises burns more fat. It’s a small change, but it really adds up!

So, as you can plainly see, unilateral dumbbell training can help you build more muscle and burn more fat. And, as we all know, this is the fastest way to getting physical changes you can SEE!

But since I have you here, I’m going to share a BONUS BENEFIT of unilateral dumbbell training!

As I stated earlier, unilateral dumbbell exercises recruit more muscle because of the unstable nature of the exercise. But, what are these stabilization muscles that are recruited? They are your core muscles. Yes, your abdominals folks!

When you perform unilateral dumbbell exercises, your core muscles must contract to keep your body stable. This means EVERY exercise becomes a six-pack strengthening exercise.

So, let’s recap. Unilateral dumbbell training simultaneously builds bigger, stronger muscles, strengthens your core and burns more fat. This sounds like the fast lane to physical changes you can see to me. How about you?

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the body transforming power of proper dumbbell training and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.

I’m going to share with you a dumbbell exercise you can use for combined strength, endurance and fat loss.  For most of you, the concept of using one exercise for multiple effects is foreign.  This is because most people take a SINGULAR approach to training.

 -      Lifting weights is for strength-      Running on the treadmill is for cardiorespiratory endurance-      Stretching is for flexibility-      And so on 

While using the dumbbell for strength or muscle building is commonplace, using the dumbbell to get a great cardio boosting workout, or for burning off large amounts of unwanted fat probably hasn’t occurred to most of you.  This is unfortunate, because combining strength, cardio and fat loss into one quick workout involving dumbbells produces fitness improvements you can USE in everyday life, and physical changes you can SEE in a short amount of time!

Dumbbells can be using for two arm exercises, one arm exercises or in a alternating manner. (By the way, many real world activities are performed this way!)  This improves your ability to perform a great variety of sport, work and life activities with excellence.

Combining strength, cardio and fat loss into one dumbbell workout teaches the body to perform as one complete unit while performing strength movements that require the back up of a strong heart and lungs.  This creates a more resilient body able to perform a variety of activities stronger, better and longer.  Isn’t this why you train?

How many of you have been on a fitness program of some sort, only to become tired and winded when performing an unrelated life activity? While you may be able to run on the treadmill for 10 minutes with ease, lifting a box and climbing a flight of stairs wipes you out! Could it be that your fitness efforts are not translating into real world benefits you can use to improve your ability to live life to the fullest?

Time for an example:

No matter how much I try to explain that dumbbell exercise can be used for cardiorespiratory improvement and fat loss, or how much better this form of training is to prepare for real world activities… some people just won’t get it!

So try this… Do 10 minutes of this dumbbell exercise: 2 Handed Dumbbell Swings.

*** Disclaimer***

This and any form of exercise should only be attempted if you are given clearance by your doctor.  Do not attempt this if you have a history of heart problems.  Immediately stop the exercise if you feel feint, lightheaded or feel any pain or tightness in the chest.  Above all else, use common sense.  Coach Eddie Lomax, the Optimum Fitness Network LLC, or anyone associated with them are not responsible for any injuries or damage resulting from attempting anything in this article.  Attempt at your own risk.
**************

DB Two Handed Swing

Starting Position: Grasp one dumbbell with both hands and squat down with a wide stance so the dumbbell hangs between your legs.  Keep your chest out, head up and the natural curve of your lower back.

Action: Swing the dumbbell back through your legs and reverse the direction by forcibly extending the knees and thrusting with the hips to swing the dumbbell outwards.  The movement of the dumbbell comes from the explosion and snapping of the legs and hips, not arm strength.  Your arms just guide the dumbbell in an arching motion.

When the dumbbell reaches about shoulder height, guide the dumbbell back along the same path to the Starting Position, immediately letting the dumbbell swing back through the legs in preparation for the next repetition.  Remember, you are squatting down by lowering your hips and bending at the knees, you are NOT bending over.

Breathing:  Keep your core tight throughout the entire exercise, exhaling through pursed lips on the way up and inhaling through the nose on the way down.

Directions: Set a timer for 10 minutes.  Pick a dumbbell that you can swing with good form, but that provides some resistance.  Start swinging the dumbbell, stopping to rest only when needed.  Try to get as many repetitions done with good form in the 10 minute time period.

What will happen?

If you chose the correct weight, performed the exercise correctly and rested as little as possible, what you’ll have figured out is that you just got a full body workout that used a wide variety of muscles, got your heart pounding and your chest heaving and burned off a huge amount of calories.  You see… you got your heart rate and breathing rates up using a strength exercise!  And that was just with ONE exercise!

Just imagine what you can do with a full dumbbell workout program designed for simultaneous strength, endurance and fat loss?

Coach Eddie Lomax reveals the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell training on Superior Dumbbell Workout.  See what you’ve been missing and start getting the most from your dumbbell workouts.  Build you best body with dumbbells now.

It’s no secret, a properly designed dumbbell exercise routine is one of the most beneficial workout programs you can do. Dumbbells are widely accessible, making them available to a large number of people. There are a huge amount of dumbbell exercises to choose from for everyone’s needs. Plus, the ability to perform single-limb and alternating exercises make them invaluable for training movements that improve your performance in the real world.

Unfortunately, many men and women don’t perform dumbbell exercise routines as a full workout. Many people use dumbbells as “extra” or “supplemental” training. They do their primary workout with machines or barbells, and then focus on small muscle groups with dumbbells as an afterthought. While this extra training is not a complete waste of time, it is definitely not the best way to use dumbbells.

But there are major advantages to performing a dumbbell exercise routine as your primary workout routine. I’m about to reveal 5 ways proper dumbbell training can help you get faster results.

But first, I want to talk about some of the results you should expect from the execution of proper dumbbell exercise.

The three biggest reasons men and women work out (in my opinion) are:

• To Improve Their Physique By Building Muscle
• To Improve Their Physique By Burning Fat
• To Improve Their Performance

Most people want to create a strong, lean, athletic body that looks great, and oh yea, performs great too! And in my opinion, there is no greater tool to achieve these results than dumbbells. But, not just any old dumbbell workout will do!

Isolation exercises with light weight dumbbells are popular with men and women who are convinced this type of training “tones” your muscles. Plus, they see bodybuilders use this type of training to target small muscle groups. But, as you’ll soon learn, this is not the best use of your dumbbell training time.

Incorporate these 5 things into your dumbbell exercise routine to get the most from your dumbbell training…

Lift Heavier Dumbbells

Pick exercises that require large muscle groups from competition. Using big muscles means you can use heavier weights. Using heavier dumbbells causes more muscle growth. You’ll expend more energy, which means more fat loss. Plus, the increased strength leads to performance improvement.

Just think about it, compare the benefits of squatting with heavy dumbbell (which requires the entire lower body to perform) to doing a bicep curl with a relatively light weight.

Perform Unilateral Dumbbell Exercises

Performing your dumbbell routine one limb at a time has many benefits. For one, you can use a heavier weight because your body recruits more muscles to help with the lift. (This is called bilateral deficit.) More muscles used and heavier weights means more muscle.

The time for each set during the dumbbell routine is doubled. (Since you first perform the exercise with one arm or leg, and then the other.) This results in greater energy expenditure. Translation: unilateral dumbbell training burns more fat!

Perform Alternating Dumbbell Exercises

Most dumbbell exercises can be performed in an alternating fashion. Instead of lifting or pushing the weight with both arms at the same time, you first do one and then the other. This alternating pattern more closely relates movement patterns encountered in sport, work and life activities.

Compare this to performing an exercise on a machine where you are in an unnatural position performing an activity foreign to your natural environment. I think you’ll agree, the benefits are self evident.

Your Dumbbell Routine Should Include Grinding, Explosive and Combo Lifts

There are many types of dumbbell lifts you can include in your exercise routine. You should include all of them. Some examples are grinding lifts like presses and squats, explosive lifts like swings and snatches and combo lifts like the clean and press.

The combination of these dumbbell exercises does more than just build muscular strength and explosive power. They strengthen the heart and lungs, burn fat and force the body to function as one complete unit. So, not only does your body benefit from the appearance benefits, but performance is greatly improved as well.

Perform Dumbbell Exercises Targeting Muscle Growth, Fat Loss And Cardio Improvement

As hinted at above, your dumbbell exercise routine can build muscle, burn fat and improve cardiorespiratory endurance SIMULTANEOUSLY! Talk about getting the most from your training time. If you only have a short time to work out, using dumbbells to target many improvements is the way to go.

I just want to leave you with this. Most men and women struggle to find time to work out. It is very important you don’t waste your training time. So, if you want fast results like more muscle, less fat and improved performance, look no further than a properly designed dumbbell exercise routine.

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the body transforming power of proper dumbbell exercise and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.

Every time I see a man or women pick up a light dumbbell and perform “isolation” or “sculpting” exercises I want to pull my hair out. It’s not that there is anything wrong with these dumbbell exercises. It’s just they aren’t designed to get the results the exerciser wants or needs.

And that is a waste of valuable training time.

Let’s face it, most people have trouble setting aside time to work out as it is. When they do get themselves to the gym, or set aside part of their busy day to work out at home, the last thing they want to do is waste their time. Every minute spent training needs to count! So, stop wasting your time with those dinky weight dumbbell workouts, and start using dumbbells to their full potential.

At this point, some of you might be offended. You may believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that “isolation” dumbbell exercises and “feeling the burn” is the way to get the most out of your dumbbell workout. (Even though you’ve failed to make major changes to your body). Please, keep reading and give me a chance to change your mind.

Honestly, most people start dumbbell workouts, or any workout for that matter, because they want to change the way they look. Yes, there are health and performance benefits to a properly performed dumbbell workout. But, who are we kidding, appearance is the top motivating factor!

And, since we are being honest, most people only start to work out when their appearance gets so bad they just can’t stand it anymore. They’ve ignored the lack of muscle tone and the accumulating fat for so long they are not just out of shape, they are REALLY out of shape! They just don’t need to lose a pound or two of fat and tone up their arms. They need to lose a LOT of fat and build a LOT of muscle to make a major impact on the way they look!

So, the dumbbell workouts they perform should be designed to build muscle and burn fat, preferably in the shortest time possible. So, they pick up a 2 pound dumbbell and perform triceps kickbacks. Wrong, wrong, WRONG!

Let’s look at it this way…

A sculptor is given a 2 ton block of granite to sculpt a figure that ultimately weighs ½ ton. Should they…

• Use a small pick and start to lightly tap on the block?

or

• Pick up a sledgehammer and whack away most of the unneeded material?

I hoped you picked option b!

You see, when you have a lot of work to do, use the right tool for the job!

So, if your goal is to significantly change the way you look by putting on muscle and burning fat, make sure your dumbbell workouts are designed to do both. Don’t waste your time with small weights and small exercises. Dumbbells are an excellent choice for full body transformation, but only if you use them correctly!

Here are three tips for changing the way you look with dumbbell workouts…

• Perform dumbbell exercises that recruit as many big muscle groups as possible.

Dumbbell lifts like squats, deadlifts, rows, presses and cleans, snatches and jerks require a lot of big muscle groups to complete the movement. Plus, using big muscle groups allows you to use heavier weights. Using more muscle with heavier weights means more muscle!

• Perform dumbbell exercises that require a great deal of energy.

Heavy grinding exercises, explosive exercises and combo matrixes require a lot of energy for completion. Expending more energy means less fat!

• Perform dumbbell workouts in such a manner as to simultaneously build muscle, improve cardiorespiratory endurance and burn fat.

Doing workouts like super sets, timed circuits and peripheral heart action training, you can make your dumbbell workouts SUPER efficient. You’ll get the most out of your training time by attacking your body on many fronts!

I hope this short article has opened your eyes to the true value of dumbbells in your quest to change the way you look. If you want to see the greatest change in appearance in the shortest period of time, leave the light weight dumbbell workouts alone, and start using dumbbell to their full potential. Following the above tips makes your dumbbell workout more effective than ever before!

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the body transforming power of proper dumbbell exercise and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.