Write your goals down before and during your dumbbells training. This way, you can stay focused and modify or adjust your intentions if a goal has been met. For instance, you might write, “I want to be able to do a set of eight bicep curls with 35 pound dumbbells in the next two months. ”
Don’t settle for just one set of dumbbells. Ensure you have a range of different weights to accommodate the various exercises you want to perform. Most beginners should have three sets of dumbbells, a light one, a medium one, and a heavy one, to accommodate different types of exercises.
Keep a journal recording how many reps of each exercise you did, the weight you chose for that exercise, and your feelings about whether it was too light, too heavy, or just right. Always choose the weight that’s right for you. Listen to your body to decide what’s right for you. Do not select a weight based on what others of your age or gender are lifting. The only person you should be trying to beat in a dumbbell-lifting competition is you. [5] X Research source
Carefully monitor how many sets and reps you can do continuously and, if you find that you can do more than your target number of repetitions, increase the amount of weight you’re lifting by one to two pounds. Incorporating different exercises for the same muscles can change how the muscle is targeted. If you are not feeling strain with one exercise, try another to develop more complete strength.
When first starting with a particular weight, if you cannot do more than seven reps of a given exercise, it is too heavy for you. [7] X Research source Set the weight which is too heavy aside and select a dumbbell one to three pounds lighter, depending upon what is available. Adjust in small increments to get the best possible weight for your exercise. Picking a weight that is too heavy can cause you to develop bad form and, more seriously, injure yourself.
To keep the knees safe, keep them aligned vertically above the ankle. The knee should never extend past the toes.
