If you've ever been to the gym or seen gym videos on Instagram, you're probably aware of the popularity of dumbbells. A dumbbell is a piece of exercise equipment that is easily accessible to a person. Dumbbells never go out of style, regardless of whether you go to a professional or cross-training gym. Despite how popular they are, people make certain mistakes while lifting, which affects their gains.
So, if you are struggling to gain muscle mass or are experiencing pain while lifting dumbbells, let us first discuss why dumbbells are the best equipment and common mistakes to avoid.
Why Choose Dumbbells?
Every gym has three common types of equipment: exercise machines, dumbbells, and barbells. Machines are best for learning the fundamentals and chasing the pump. While barbells are ideal for heavy lifting, dumbells are another piece of equipment that can help you target those muscle fibres. How do dumbells assist? Firstly, training with dumbbells allows you to improve your mind-muscle connection. Secondly, it can assist you in gradually progressing and gaining strength. Finally, your range of motion increases.
Dumbbell Mistakes To Avoid
1) Half Reps
The most significant advantage of using dumbbells is that you have a greater range of motion. For example, if you're training your chest and doing a bench press with a barbell, you can only bring the barbell to your chest, whereas with dumbbells, you can bring your hands way down from the side, which helps target muscle fibre. People make the mistake of continuing to perform half-reps while not lowering the dumbbells. To put it simply, they do not stretch their arms. When performing a dumbbell exercise, your entire arm should close and open, as this will help you maximise the muscle gains.
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2) Performing Fast Reps
Muscle building occurs after the muscle is broken down by exercise. When you perform fast reps, the muscle is under tension for a shorter period of time and does not get breaks, which is why you do not feel sore after a workout. The ideal method is to perform slow and controlled reps so that the muscle is under optimal load in all reps.
3) Not Progressing
Dumbbells are an excellent way to progress in the gym because there is only a 2.5 kg difference between each dumbbell. People make the mistake of performing the same exercise with the same weight for weeks, which prevents muscle growth. The right way is to gradually increase your weight each week so that your muscles are shocked and can produce more muscle cells.
Also Read: Know How Many Exercises You Should Do Per Muscle Group For Muscle Building
4) You Are Lifting Too Heavy
The desire to be the strongest person in the gym often leads us to lift heavy dumbbells. When we lift more than we can, we take force from a non-working muscle, which is why our working muscle does not get pumped. So, the next time you work out, choose a weight that allows you to do six to eight reps easily before moving up.
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