It was never one-size-fits-all. It depends on the capacity and fitness goals that you are planning to do. You need to test yourself before deciding the right size of dumbbells that best suits you.
The key is to challenge your muscles more effectively without struggling too much or feeling too light as you exercise. The right fitness equipment plays a vital role in your exercise routine. As you get familiar with the dumbbell weight, you can increase it by 5-10% for 15 to 20 reps.
How should you go about buying dumbbells? It depends on your body type, fitness goals, capacity, and budget.
Dumbbells are either fixed or adjustable.
- Fixed Dumbbells are durable and comfortable for any workout type as they have flat ends while you work.
- An adjustable dumbbell is the best if you aim to lose weight. It is ideal for various other forms of exercise as they are lifted without lifting them from your knees.
Let’s see which dumbbell size will best suit your body.
Find your fit and Increase the weight
If you started with XX kilos of dumbbells, you don’t have to stick to the same all the time. Your dumbbell should challenge your body. It is generally recommended to increase the weight by 5-10% every 2-3 weeks.
How do you know which dumbbell size is best for you?
It is a perfect fit if you didn’t struggle to compete with your form till your last rep. And if you kept your form/posture until your last rep and if you could go much longer than the actual workout routine time.
Although the common purpose of dumbbells is to build muscles, some do it to strengthen muscles and lose fat. Or consult a professional on which exercise equipment will be the best fit for you.
When do you increase your dumbbell weight?
If you started to do your exercise with 15 reps easily within 60 seconds or less, then it is time to move for the next higher dumbbell size. When you suddenly shift to the next dumbbell weight you will notice the sudden shift to the lowest end of the hypertrophy range. As you go, slowly start to strengthen your way back to 15 reps before advancing to the next dumbbell weight. The same is true for reps; if you’ve become too comfortable with 6 reps, try increasing it with minimal rest. This will seriously strengthen the habits.
Let’s see how it can fit into your fitness goals.
- To build muscle
- For strength training
- Weight loss, fat loss, and toning
What size of the dumbbells is best to build my muscles?
As a start, you need to find the right dumbbell range that will challenge you to build 8-15 reps. If you got only two reps in each tank, then continue doing 3-4 sets of each exercise.
Beginners | Intermediate to Advanced | |
Men | Start from 5-50lbs (2.5-22kg) and go up in 5lb increment | Starts from 10lbs to 70lb-100lbs and up to 100lb (50kg) max |
Women | Start from 3-12lbs increase 5lb and go up in 2lb increment | Start from 3-25lb (2-12kg) and get 30lb and a 40lb pair of dumbbells till it’s perfect |
What size of the dumbbells is best for strength building?
The first step is to test your current strengths.
The best bet is to visit the local gym and try a full-body workout and figure out your ideal db weights. While you are testing, make sure you do your squats, chest press, shoulder press, flys, deadlifts, lateral raises, bicep curls, rows, and tricep extensions to see which works well for you in the 8-15 rep range.
Beginners | |
Men | Starts from 15lb to 70lb based on the exercise |
Women | Starts from 10lb to 50lb based on the exercise |
Relative to your strength, you can easily range out from low weight to high weight as you will be able to grow. Strength building may happen a lot quicker than you think.
What size of the dumbbells is best for weight loss, fat loss, and toning?
For weight loss and fat loss, the size of the dumbbell doesn’t matter. In fact, you don’t need dumbbells in many cases, there are many other exercises or home gym supplies that will do the trick. You are on the right track as long as you can keep your heart rate up to burn your calories.
Maintaining a high heart rate while pumping your muscles is an excellent recipe for body toning. A 30-minute intermediate workout is more than enough to keep your metabolism and calorie-burning in check.
Beginners | Intermediate to Advanced | |
Men | Get 10lb or 20lb and go low as 5lb if it concerns | A mix of 5lb to 25lb |
Women | A mix of 3lb to 10lb | Upto 20lb |
Training like this will allow you to keep your heart rate up while also getting your muscles to get pumped like crazy. A good 30-minute workout like this is all you need. Your metabolism will sky-rocket and you will be burning more calories throughout the day. It is a perfect way for toning.
Wrapping up
There is no specific guideline that will fit everyone. If you are a beginner, try from the lightest. Then make it more effective by shortening the resting time, slowing the tempo, increasing the volume, adding more reps/sets, and so on.
If you are on a tight budget, get two or three pairs of dumbbells suitable for your lower and upper body. Choose isolation exercises over compound exercises that require a wide range of dumbbells.
Try and test various dumbbell exercises as you need. Dumbbells are a great advantage to your fitness goals. If you are looking at some of the best gym equipment suppliers, your last stop is at Life Fitness India. It has the best range of fitness equipment accessories that best fits your budget, quality, and options.