There is one piece of equipment that has stood the test of time. When all the fitness gadgets have come and gone... When the shake weight, slide, Gazelle, Nordic Track ski machine and many other fad pieces of equipment have ended up in the basement or Salvation Army, dumbbells have still remained the tried and true, multi-functional tool to help get you where you want to be physically. Whether you're training in a commercial gym or looking to build a home gym, dumbbells are a great way to get a full body, multiplanar workout while increasing strength and cardiovascular endurance. They take up a lot less space than the large, single use pieces of equipment as well.
Below are a few benefits of training with dumbbells...
MECHANICAL AND METABOLIC OVERLOAD
Mechanical overload is the result of strength training exercises. This type of workout will break down muscle tissue stimulating muscle growth and strength. This type of workout is best accomplished with heavier weighted dumbbells and moderate to low reps.
Metabolic overload is the result of muscles contracting to cause fatigue. This type of workout causes the cells within the muscle to store more glycogen which can also increase size and efficiency. This type of dumbbell workout is best accomplished with moderate weight and high reps.
INTRAMUSCULAR COORDINATION
Intramuscular coordination is the ability of various muscles working together to create and support joint movement. This creates joint stabilization and strength. Daily tasks such as carrying groceries from the car to the house or picking up children require intramuscular coordination. This is also referred to as Functional Training. This type of training is best achieved by completing basic compound movements with modest weight. By performing multijoint exercises with multiplanar movements, you will increase the body's muscular, skeletal and nervous system's ability to work synergistically to perform everyday tasks.
FULL RANGE OF MOTION AND VARIETY OF EXERCISES
Machines allow for a specific range of motion. Your limbs track through the range of motion dictated by the specific machine. Machines are designed to place a constant load on the targeted muscle(s) through the range of motion dictated by the machine. Barbells are efficient for basic compound movements such a bench press or squat. However, because the barbell is longer they are best suited for linear movements only. Dumbbells can be held in each hand and used both in a linear or rotary range of motion allowing for better development of joint strength, range of motion and allows for a greater variety of exercises.
UNILATERAL TRAINING
Dumbbells can also be used for unilateral training, where one limb of the body is exercised independent of the other. This will allow training which will create muscle balance and minimize having one arm or leg etc more dominant than the other.
*Some information compiled from ace.org