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.

For a while now, I’ve noticed that whenever I put on a football match or some music while writing, it seems to either help or speed up the process while not hampering quality.

In fact, football players in the United States have been known to listen to classical music while in practice sessions. As bizarre as that is, it not only helps athletes to focus and do well but also students as well as those who take exercise seriously.

Again this depends on the type of workout you choose – if it’s yoga, then the music is definitely Indian, if weights, then some rock would do just fine but if you’re into cardio, then there are digital tracks that one can obtain, and can be found in the genre of cardio music.

The Importance of workout

While anaerobic exercise is important for building strength and increasing energy which is usually built through exercises and that lasts for short bursts.

While men mostly fancy weight lifting, women enjoy a good cardio workout yet it must be said that both these types of workouts are necessary.

Almost anyone would know that cardio involves using the lungs for much longer than you would in weight training. Of course, whether you use a treadmill, stationary cycle, indoor rower or just jog in the neighborhood, this is cardio exercise and require one’s lungs to pump energy for you to last as long as you would.

And trust me, a little cardio music definitely helps in giving you that extra boost when you are exercising whether it’s cardio or even weight training, where one can use machines as well as dumbbells.

Interestingly, there’s also another form of exercise that combines both types: kettlebell weights. Yes, they combine the benefits of both cardio and weight lifting workouts.

Yet there’s nothing like using music to fuel you on when performing any of these workouts, and so let’s look at where we can find cardio music.

So,where Can One Find Cardio Music?

Of course, you can look for workout videos at your nearest store but if one looks over the internet, you will find a treasure trove of cardio music that you couldn’t even imagine.

For starters, if you don’t want to buy anything just yet, sample a few videos from Youtube. Here’s a video that I like very much… and just excellent for those who are into weight training.

Better still, you can look for articles over the internet and make a compilation of the best workout songs that will make you get up and want to put in a hard workout.

(Prior to this, I used tracks from an Israeli goa-cum-progressive trance band called Astral Projection, and workout to their music. And it worked, even though I workout at home.)

Finally, in your search over the internet, you will also find proper compilations at the various stores, like Amazon and so on and so forth. Remember to sample  some of the tracks before purchasing it… or else you’ll waste your money and have to go through the process all over again.

In Closing

So, what do you think about using cardio music in your workouts? Do you find it works? If so, feel free to share your thoughts, as to how they work as an excellent companion during your workouts.

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.