Q & A: Starting Exercising With Dumbbells

The format for this post is a simple question and answer. It’s meant to help someone who is new to strength training. As you evolve and learn more, you’ll develop your own routines and opinions. I’m here to say:

You got this!

Why weights?

Strength training lowers your risk of dying early. Seriously, check out this study!

Why not just walk or do other cardio exercises? You need to incorporate some cardio, but the greatest impact for your goal of living a great life comes from weight resistance training. Working on building well-functioning muscles will keep you mobile and better able to heal from sickness.

What is a rep?

A rep is short for repetition. It means doing a motion one time. For example, I’m standing with a dumbbell in my hand hanging at my side, palm forward. I lift the weight to my shoulder and lower it back down. That is one rep of a Standing Curl.

If working one arm or leg at a time, a rep should include both arms or legs.

How many reps should I do?

A set means you do a “set” number of reps. As a start, do THREE sets of FIFTEEN reps per exercise you’re doing that day. This should take about fifteen minutes.

Some exercises are static, meaning you are to hold a pose for a specific length of time. Common lengths of times are thirty seconds, forty-five seconds, and one minute.

For example, if I’m doing Floor Presses, Sumo Squats, and Planks, I’d do the following:

1. 15 Floor Presses

2. 15 Sumo Squats

3. 30 seconds continuous Plank

4. 15 Floor Presses

5. 15 Sumo Squats

6. 30 seconds continuous Plank

7. 15 Floor Presses

8. 15 Sumo Squats

9. 30 seconds continuous Plank

What weight should I use?

Use heavy enough weights to work your muscles. You should feel worked after three sets. You’ll be switching weights a lot at the beginning, as you dial in your understanding of your current strength. Different exercises will need different weights. For example, a Floor Press will let you use heavier weight than a Fly. Your strength will increase over time, so you will need to increase weight over months of consistent training. This is called progressive overload.

What kind of equipment should I use?

Anything you can control the amount of weight you're using and that you can grip comfortably with the ability to maneuver easily. Dumbbells are purposely designed to be balanced and compact. Some dumbbells are adjustable and help save space.

You can do bodyweight only exercises, however you have less control over how much weight you’re using. You might find that you’re currently carrying too much bodyweight to do effective resistance training.

A padded weight lifting exercise bench will also be helpful. A basic used weight bench is $10-$20 on FB marketplace.

Wear lightweight clothes that allow you to move and shed heat. Supportive shoes are also a must.

How much variety can only a pair of dumbbells give me? I don’t want to be doing the same exercises every day!

You’ll be surprised at the number of unique dumbbell movements you’ll be able to discover! At the time of writing this, I have forty unique dumbbell exercises in my rotation, making up twenty days of workouts. That is plenty to keep things new and interesting. Plus, you’ll be lifting heavier weight over time, so you’ll constantly be challenged.

Where should I exercise?

Anywhere! I prefer to knock out the weight training at home, and the cardio around my neighborhood. I have much more motivation to do it when I don't have to drive to a gym to spend fifteen minutes exercising. You don't need much room - enough to lie down with your arms and legs extended (so you form a T or X).

The second best place for exercise is outside! Get out and get some nature therapy with a dose of vitamin D.

Quick tips

Look forward to it - Know the routine you'll do tomorrow.

Zone out - Listen to something that takes your mind off the exercises; listen to an upbeat music playlist or an interesting podcast.

Be consistent - Try to exercise at the same general time every day. Your body will want to exercise at your chosen time as you consistently exercise at that time.

Be confident - Your goal is to increase the ability of your body to move, to play, to heal. It doesn't matter what you think you look like or how old or what your equipment looks like. Don't let anything hold you back from giving your body the ability to heal.

Don't overthink it - Just get going, you'll keep learning as you DO. If it hurts, stop and reduce the weight. Hurts is different than burns. Embrace the burn.

Enjoy the sweat,
Brian

P.S. If you’re looking for a quick start for what exercises to try, I’ve put together this spreadsheet with twenty-one different days of dumbbell exercises. Please use it, copy it, make it yours!