A good dumbbell workout can meet every fitness goal you have. Whether it is increased strength, power, endurance, or fat loss, a properly structured dumbbell workout can provide benefits that other workouts can not. If you want that lean, sleek look or a more masculine bulky look, read on to find out the huge benefits a dumbbell workout has in store for you.

 

Why use a dumbbell workout? Listed below are many of the advantages a dumbbell workout can afford that other types of workouts fall short on.

 

1)      Free range of motion: a dumbbell workout allows for motion in any plane and multiple planes during the same exercise and allows for natural motion. This is unlike exercises that utilize equipment such as a barbell or machine where the two points of movement are connected thus restraining the natural motion of the body. If not properly supplemented with corrective movements, this could lead to injuries down the road as the body is forced to move in an unnatural way.

  

2)      Recruitment of stabilizer muscles: because a dumbbell workout allows for natural motion, stabilizer muscles are forced to take part of the movement where in other workouts they would be almost obsolete. This alone is a form of prehabilitation as training of the stabilizers is an important part of injury prevention.

 

3)      Unilateral training optional: a dumbbell workout allows for unilateral (one limb at a time) training options. Dumbbell exercises such as single leg squats and alternating dumbbell bench press can be used for variation and are also functional movements. They also challenge the core to a greater degree than their bilateral counterparts.

 

4)      Creativity: with a dumbbell workout you are not restricted in your movements which allows for creative but functional exercises. Dumbbell exercises such as the dumbbell snatch and the side bend can be fun alternatives to the monotony that so many other workouts can have.

 

5)      Safety: with a dumbbell workout, in a situation where you might have to drop the weights, it is a lot safer here than if you were using a barbell

 

6)      Body awareness: a dumbbell workout requires a lot more body control than other workouts. Movements such as alternating dumbbell shoulder press or single leg dumbbell Romanian deadlifts will challenge your nervous system and stabilizers much more than their barbell bilateral counterparts.

 

7)      Balance: with a dumbbell workout you are able to attain a better balanced physique as barbell movements usually lead to imbalances as they rely on the dominant movers while certain dumbbell exercises can isolate your weak, lagging muscles to catch up with your more dominant developed ones.