How to Pick the Right Weight for Dumbbells

Dumbbells are so popular with fitness enthusiasts that it becomes crucial fitness equipment in our life. Dumbbells are known for their simple structure and low cost. Whether you are professional athletes or fitness lovers, dumbbells are necessary for the workout programs. However, the majority of us do not have an idea of how to pick the right weight of dumbbells for ourselves, which may be the reason for ineffective or inefficient workouts in some cases. Under this circumstance, we are going to talk about the issue in this entry.

How to Choose the Weight of Dumbbells?

First of all, identify a specific goal. Generally, dumbbells with more weight is good for muscle building and strength training while dumbbells with less weight are great for durability and explosive power training. Secondly, then target the muscle groups you want to work on. Usually the larger muscle groups you target, the heavier dumbbells you will need. In general, small and medium weight dumbbells are great for toning up small muscle groups such as biceps, triceps and deltoids, while heavy-duty dumbbells are suitable for building up larger muscle groups such as muscle in the chest, legs and back.

Every single person has a different strength basic, which determines the weight capacity for everyone. The weight capacity of someone else might mean nothing to you. There is a term for fitness training, RM(Repeat Max), which could be interpreted as the maximum number of repetitions that you can do with a specific weight. Take squats as an example. If the maximum number of repetitions for performing squats with the 20kg dumbbells is 10, then it suggests that you squat with 20kg dumbbells for 10RM. This number is like the relative weight in physics and is of great value for reference in terms of strength training.

Generally speaking, 1-5RM is great for absolute strength training, 6-12RM helps to build up muscle mass, and 15RM or above is suitable for muscle endurance training.

How to choose the weight for 10-15RM?

Pick up a dumbbell in any weight. If it allows you to do about 10-15 reps in a row in this weight and you happen to feel exhausted after the last rep, then it means the weight applied is appropriate for you. While if you could do 20 or reps without effort, it means you should add weight. Also, it is not recommended to begin with heavy-duty dumbbells without instructors around. Otherwise, it may cause damage or strain to the muscle. It is important to note that a large weight capacity does not always lead to perfect workout performance. In fact, exercises with a proper posture also matter in fitness training.

*    25kg dumbbells set for 1.60m or below in height with 60kg or less in weight 

*    30kg dumbbells set for 1.70m or below in height with 70kg or less in weight 

*    35kg dumbbells set for 1.80m or below in height with 80kg or less in weight

*    40kg dumbbells set for 1.90m or below in height with 90kg or less in weight

Generally speaking, you can choose a dumbbell according to your height and weight. If you are not sure how to choose, you can refer to the following principles, which are made based on the the regular physical condition and exercise intensity, as well as considering the possibility of intensity increase in the future.