Home fitness dumbbell weights

When choosing dumbbell weight for home fitness, the core logic is that "when you can complete the last two times of the target movement to a standard, the muscles will have obvious soreness and swelling, and will not use force to compensate." For beginners, it is recommended that boys start with 2-5kg/dumbbell and girls start with 1-1.5kg/dumbbell. There is no universal standard answer. It all depends on your training stage, goals and type of movements.

I encountered a lot of pitfalls when I first started working out. I saw an online blogger saying that "boys only start training at 10kg". I was so excited that I immediately ordered a pair of 10kg cast iron dumbbells. On the day I unpacked the package, I almost lost my waist. The first time I practiced shoulder press, I started shaking at the third lift. I relied on swinging my waist for support. After the second day of training, my shoulders were not sore, but my back hurt for three days. The pair of dumbbells were piled in the corner with clothes for three months, and finally sold at half price.

The currently recognized reference standard in the fitness circle is the RM value. Simply put, it is the maximum number of repetitions that you can complete an action to a standard. For example, if you are training to build muscle (which is often referred to as growing muscle circumference), a weight of 6-12RM is just right. That is, you can do up to 12 times with all your strength, but you can't get up on the 13th time.； If you want to practice muscle endurance, such as shaping and making muscle lines more obvious, choose something above 12RM ； If you want to practice explosive power and absolute strength, choose 3-6RM. This standard is not controversial. Whether it is bodybuilding training or functional training, it is basically accepted.

But when it comes to the specific weight to choose, there has been quite a quarrel in the circle. A group of veterans who have been practicing for seven or eight years think that there is no need to be too stuck in the movements. It is normal for novices to compensate a little. They should press the weight first, and the movements will naturally adjust as the strength increases. I used to train with a friend who practices powerlifting, and he asked me to add weight first when doing deadlifts. He said that even if my back is a little bent, it will be fine if I can pull it up. After two weeks of training, my strength has indeed increased quickly. ； But another group of coaches who do sports rehabilitation are firmly opposed, saying that the damage caused by compensation is chronic. If you feel fine now, when lumbar protrusion or acromion impingement comes to your door after a long time, it will be too late to cry. My own feeling is that it is better to be more steady when practicing at home. After all, there is no one around to help you monitor your movements and protect you. Don’t add weight randomly until your movements are smooth. If you get injured during practice, there won’t even be anyone to help you.

Moreover, the weights required for different movements are very different. Don’t be stupid and just buy a pair of fixed weights and think they are enough. I now have adjustable dumbbells at home, the lightest can be adjusted to 1.5kg, and the heaviest can be adjusted to 12kg. When practicing lateral raises and shoulder flyes, I use 1.5-2kg. If it is slightly heavier, I will shrug my shoulders to compensate. When practicing bicep curls and seated chest presses, I use 5kg. When practicing deadlifts and lunges, I adjust it to 10-12kg, which is just enough. A friend of mine bought a pair of 5kg fixed dumbbells at a cheap price. They feel light for leg training and heavy for shoulder training. It is useless to throw them away for use at home. It is a waste of money.

Oh, by the way, when choosing weight for home, you need to consider some very practical issues. Don’t just look at how much you can lift. First, check whether your floor can handle it and whether your neighbors will come after you. When I was renting in my old community, I bought a pair of pure iron dumbbells. Once, I lost my grip and dropped them on the ground. The whole building shook with a thud. The aunt downstairs knocked on the door with food and said that her grandson was taking final exams and thought that my house would be demolished. Later, I changed to the rubber-coated adjustable dumbbells. They didn’t make much noise when they fell on the ground, and they didn’t make holes in the floor. Also, don’t do dumbbell exercises with bare feet. Last summer, I stepped on a 2kg dumbbell that fell down with my bare feet. My big toe was purple for less than half a month, and it hurt even if I wore slippers.

Don’t listen to people’s lies about buying the heaviest one in one go. It’s really unnecessary. Many people around me initially had great ambitions to reach 20kg, but in the end, the heaviest tablets they bought were never installed and were all dusty. Just increase the weight slowly. Your muscles will grow much faster than you think.

To put it bluntly, dumbbells are tools you use, not ornaments used to compare with others. Whether the weight is appropriate or not, the feeling of your muscles when you practice cannot deceive others. The last two movements are a bit strenuous, but they are not crooked and the muscles are sore and hot. That is the right weight. There is no need to focus on other people's weights. He can lift 20kg. It is his business. If you can achieve results by lifting 2kg, that is also your ability.