Dumbbells for upper body workout
Dumbbells or (hand weights) are great for upper body work and body toning. And to those who don’t have time (and money) for a gym membership, dumbbells are great alternative.
As a runner, mountain biker and occasional mountain climber, I need some upper body strength. Running, biking and climbing are concentrated more on lower body workouts, so to maintain a balance body tone, I need some uppers.
First, need to set some goals and an upper body workout program. As mentioned above, I do not need a Schwarzenegger figure as I am eyeing for something that will compliment my running, biking and climbing. Basically I’ll need some upper body/muscle toning and strength building.
What I need is a pair of light dumbbells for a starter. There are plenty to choose from but I bought the Spinlock Adjustable Dumbbells which consist of a metal bar whose centre portion is often engraved with a crosshatch pattern (knurling) to improve grip or sometimes rubberized grips. This can be loaded with Weight Disks or typically called Plates and secured with clips or collars (spinlocks).
Compared to Fixed Weight Dumbbells, I can easily add more weights buy just buying a 5-pound or a 10-pound weight discs and slide it in to put more focus on strength exercises.
I got a pair of spinlock dumbbells at Chris Sports (SM Malls) at Php750 which consist of the following: Two metal bars with rubberized grips, four 2.5-pound weight discs, and four pieces collars for the lock. It could be cheaper if I went to Quiapo Manila, but for only Php750, I think it’s not worth the half day trip.
Here’s my program for the dumbbell workout using a pair of 5-pound dumbbells:
- Stretching (10-15 minutes): back stretch, chest stretch, rear arm stretch, shoulder rolls, posterior shoulder stretch, forearm stretch.
- Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 20 (For beginners 2 sets of 12 for 2 weeks, Monday-Wednesday-Friday)
- DB (Dumbbell) Bench Press: 3 sets of 20
- Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 20 (I love doing this)
- Posterior Raise: 3 sets of 20 (I also love this)
- Front Raise: 3 sets of 20
- Triceps Extension: 2 sets of 15 (10-pound single dumbbell – Put four 2.5 pounds weight discs on a dumbbell bar.)
- One Arm DB Row: 3 sets of 20 (10-pound single dumbbell)
I use a wrist watch to time my intervals to 30-40 seconds per set. And 1 minute rest between DB exercises.
Remember to exhale during the lifting phase, and inhale while lowering the weights slowly taking care not to bang the dumbbells together.
It usually takes around 25 to 35 minutes to do all these sets and DB exercises.
After the upper body workout, I always try to hydrate and eat within the next 30–50 minutes. I eat meals loaded with carbohydrates, proteins and calcium on them. Rice meals are great with, fish, beef and eggs. I also mix fresh milk with chocolate drinks (Miloand Alaska Slim fresh milk fits my budget). This is my typical recovery meal to replenish lost calories and for muscle repairs. I also stick to my 2,000 calories a day diet. Running, biking, and workout like this will not work if there’s no diet in them. My mind is set on: I can eat anything but I will not eat too much – besides its gluttony. Our body needs around 1,500 to 2,000 calories a day. If you’re just sitting around you’ll just need around a thousand or more calories to function well.
Dumbbell workouts added a significant change in my upper body strength after just a few weeks, and it compliments my running, biking and mountain climbing. It also makes me feel complete, as I gain balance to both my upper and lower body.
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