Using Dumbbells for Fat Loss is Smart

Is expensive equipment necessary for a successful fat loss workout? Definitely not. You can get great results at home or the gym by combining dumbbells with bodyweight exercises. I believe in fact, there's a book out there with a title about smart women using dumbbells.

Whether you are a man or woman you can lose weight with just dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. A few years back, I was doing personal training in a large healthclub in a big city. We did 30 minute sessions so you had to get a lot done in that time period.

During the prime workout hours of 4-7 pm it could be difficult to get access to all the different equipment, especially on Mondays and Tuesdays. So the solution was to camp out in one spot and do lunges, step-ups, and squats with my female clients.

Sometimes they would use dumbbells for added resistance, often the weight of their own body would do perfectly. So I would run them all through this same routine, one after another. We would also add in some floor exercises to work their abs and low back. An exercise ball was also put to use.

The result? Leaner glutes and hamstrings, and sculpted quads. Did we have to use the leg extension or hamstring curl machines..... or even the inner and outer thigh machines? Absolutely not! By using multiple muscles and joints in every exercise, more muscles are used and the greater number of muscles used in an exercise makes it more efficient for burning fat.

These women were developing the lower bodies they wanted with simple, but effective exercises. One petite girl of about 110 pounds wanted to make sure that her legs weren't going to get bigger. Someone saw her in shorts and commented on the sculpted look that she was achieving.

I calmly assured her that she wouldn't put on too much muscle and she didn't. Upper body workouts weren't a whole lot different. Why mess with a successful formula, such as getting a lot done in a short amount of time?

Many of my own workouts at this time were done at home with bodyweight and adjustable db's. I was splitting time between working in a chiropractic clinic and the healthclub. After spending so much time at work, surrounded by so many people, its nice to have some time to yourself.

Adjustable db's can be an effective and affordable alternative to the expensive machines you usually see on TV. Just make sure the clips that hold the plates in place are securely locked. I had a little too much weight on them once and the weights slipped off. Luckily the neighbor below my apartment wasn't home to hear the crash.