Dumbbell Workouts – 4 Tips to Avoid Injury and Embarrassment

1. Learn the right technique:

   When you lift weights, even if they’re light dumbbells, the wrong technique could cause sprains and muscle pulls. You may not be able to afford a personal trainer or even a gym membership, but there are websites that offer tutorials and tips on the right way to work out with dumbbells. You could also learn the right way to use dumbbells from friends and family members who are workout enthusiasts.

2. Don’t overdo the weight:

   It’s ok to be enthusiastic and eager to work your muscles, but if you start out with the heaviest ones, you’re going to end up either dropping them on your feet or spraining a muscle trying to lift more than you can. So start out with the lightest dumbbells you can find before moving on to heavier alternatives.

3. Do the “drop set”:

   If you’re working out with heavy dumbbells and cannot complete your reps because your muscles are aching, put them down and use a lighter pair that you have at hand. This prevents wear and tear and injury on your muscles.

4. Pick them up correctly:

   When you’re picking up the dumbbells or laying them down, don’t bend from your waist down; instead, go into a half squat and lift them using your thighs for leverage. If you use your back, you could end up with a serious injury if the dumbbells are too heavy.

Choose dumbbell exercises that you’re comfortable with and which tone and strengthen the parts of your body that need firming up. Once you’ve learned a certain set of exercises, it’s easy enough to go through them for just 30 minutes or so every day. However, remember to follow the right safety measures when performing your dumbbell workouts; keep in mind the tips to avoid injury, which could put you out of action.

This guest post is contributed by Maryanne Osberg, who writes on the topic of RN to MSN Online Programs. She can be reached at mary.anne579(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

It’s a tall order to be calm and dignified all the time. Obama spooks me out for this very reason. I’m not being judgmental of the man here but he’s really chilled out. Don’t suppose he has any moments when he throws things around because he’s just pissed like normal human beings.

Almost everyone of us have been in one of these episodes where you throw and break things because you’ve just about had enough. And you can only appease that anger by destroying some thing, regardless of who valuable it might be at the time…

While there are some of you who might deny being this way, there are those who are – and it’s time that you considered using kettlebells, if only to mimic the quick “throwing movements” that come with this form of exercise.

Kettlebell Weights – Even better than throwing

Even though most people think that kettlebell weights are the latest fitness fad, nothing can be further from the truth. Actually, Russians have been using them years together now, and which was passed on to the military and their Olympians as well.

Of course, Hollywood has taken this form of training and made the most of it and the list of names goes on – Lance Armstrong, Sylvester Stallone, Kim Basinger, Jennifer Lopez, the entire cast of “300” and the legendary Bruce Lee.

And not surprisingly, the US Secret Service and the US Navy Seals have taken it up in training as well.

But what you should keep in mind especially if you’re one of the try-anything types, this form of exercise is not for those with a strained back or shoulders or even a weak core.

One good reason for this is because it is vigorous exercise…

But for those of you who can (and should) take a shot at this type of training, you should know that you can train with these cannonball-like objects with increasing weights of 1/2 a pood (16 kg) such as 8kg, 16kg, 24kg, 32kg, 40kg and 48kg.

Just the mere mention of the word pood should tell you how rich in tradition this form of exercise really is… with its origins in Russia, of course, and yes… as old as vodka itself!

Kettlebell Weights Training: An Overview

Perhaps the best part about working with Kettlebells is that it mimics everyday movements as opposed to other workouts that you find these days. According to some people who have tried this workout, you’re done in 50 minutes or so, in comparison to those who pound away at those weights for two or three weights, way after your testosterone levels are depleted.

But what are the benefits, you might ask?

With a focus on strength, flexibility and cardiovascular training, need I say more?

If that’s not enough, the shoulders, lower back and legs get an excellent workout, thanks to even the most basic exercises such as the swing, snatch and clean & jerk which work on almost all muscles in the body.

And if you are interested, follow this link in order to know more about kettlebell exercises…

In Closing

So much for being able to throw (your) weight around… huh?

Many people in the world are looking to lose weight, however, there are many people in the world who struggle to gain weight; whether you want to gain muscle mass or gain size, gaining weight is very simple, as long as you remember to stay away from the junk food.

To gain weight, the key is to increase your caloric intake. Whether you want to eat more meals each day or just increase the size of your meal, as long as you consume more calories, you will achieve your goal, even if you believe you have ‘bad genes’ or a ‘very fast metabolism’.

As with losing weight, gaining weight takes time, dedication and persistence. If anything, it is easier to lose weight than to gain weight.

Here are the tips on the best way to gain weight:

Eat a lot of the good stuff to gain weight

You may think that you are already eating a lot, but if you aren’t gaining weight, you are not eating enough. To pack on the pounds, you should aim for at least 6 meals a day and eat every 2-3 hours to pack in the nutrients.

You may find it difficult as often you will be forcing yourself to eat, however, you eend to persist and look at the end goal.

You should also aim for around 3500 calories daily, but you need to consume good calories to see the best benefits. You must avoid eating junk food as it will just make you fat and is not the answer to your weight gain.

To do this, you must consume the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This will help you gain a healthy weight and muscle mass.

High Protein

Protein is an essential part of your diet and a building block for everything in your body, such as muscles, bones, skin, hair and blood.

Eating high amounts of protein, along with carbs and healthy fats will ensure you gain weight and your muscles grow and become stronger.

Carbs for weight gain

Carbs are vital for weight gain, and they are the bodies main source of energy, but too much can you make you fat. Carbs include pasta, brown rice, whole grain bread, oatmeal, fruit and veggies and many more.

Avoid simple carbs, as they quickly digest due to their high sugar content. They contain empty calories and are more than likely going to be stored as fat.

If you just eat protein, you will find it difficult to gain weight as your body will use protein for energy and ultimately is counter productive.

To gain a healthy weight, pack you main meals with proteins, carbs and fats, as well as snacking in between.

The right fats

Eating the right fats will make you look bigger and healthier. Junk food contains trans fats and saturated fats, both bad.

Food items containing healthy lipids include meats, dairy products, nuts, and avocados. Healthy lipids are advised to comprise 30% of one’s daily caloric intake. Snacks containing healthy lipids are optimal throughout the day.

Eat late at night

Studies have shown that changing your eating times can increase your weight. Eating a large dinner later in the evening or snacking at night fuels your body with calories that are stored in your body due to no physical activity as you sleep.

The study showed that people who eat later at night have a higher body mass index than those who don’t eat after 8pm.

Weight train

If your workout consists of alot of cardio, this could be the problem as to why you are finding it trouble to gain weight. Without consuming the correct amount of calories, engaging in large amounts of cardio results in weight loss your body uses the fat and muscle as energy.

Weight training has many benefits. Weight training will build up your muscles and stimulate your appetite. To get maximum muscle gains, lift heavy weights with low reps. To begin with, start with compound exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, benchpress, pull ups, and dips. Compound exercises use a range of muscles in the body, allowing you to get stronger quicker. You can then move on to isolation exercises.

As well as eating more and working out, you need to stay well hydrated and get at least 8 hours of sleep each night. If you follow these tips and persist through the difficult times, you will gain weight in now time and ultimately look how you want to look.

What do you think of this blog? Can you think of any more tips on how to gain weight? If so, please let us know in the comments below.