Weights

The different types of weights include:

• Dumbbells - for one-handed use, usually consisting of a short bar and any attachable additional weights.
• Barbells - for two-handed use, usually consist of a longer bar and additional weights that can be attached as desired.
• Curl bars - barbells in wavy form
• Kettlebells - dumbbells in ball shape
• Gymnastic dumbbells - rubberized dumbbells in one piece
• Compact dumbbells - dumbbells in one piece, where the weight cannot be changed

As a beginner, you should not start free weight training without professional instruction. In addition, a professional assessment by your doctor, physiotherapist or fitness trainer in the studio can be very helpful. The "right training" also depends on your goals.
In the strength area you work with fewer repetitions, but with higher intensity. If, on the other hand, you want to improve your endurance, train at a lower intensity but with a greater volume, i.e. with more repetitions. If possible, you should own at least one pair of dumbbells to expand your training possibilities with many exercises.
For an effective workout you should keep the pauses between the sets constant, warm up before the workout and never use dumbbells that are too heavy. You should also train your muscles in a balanced way. For example, if you train the biceps, you should also train the triceps to the same extent, so that it does not come to muscular imbalances.

In various sports, dumbbells are a popular training tool to set stimuli and to achieve an increase in performance through the increased resistance. In many areas, particularly heavy dumbbells are not necessary. Sports in which dumbbells are used are, for example:

• Fitness
• Aerobics
• Gymnastics
• Water gymnastics
• Boxing
• Martial arts
• Weightlifting
• Bodybuilding
• Weight training

Many other athletes who play American football, basketball, soccer or handball, for example, also benefit from the opportunities to increase their performance that dumbbell training has in store for them.

With dumbbells you can train almost the entire body. You don't need separate equipment like ab trainers, weight stations, a press or other machines. A few dumbbells are enough. Ideally, you have both dumbbell bars and a barbell bar. Here are just a few examples of how versatile dumbbell training can be:

Exercise	Muscle groups trained
Squats (Squat)	Legs
Deadlift	lower back
Weighted Crunches (Situps with weight)	Abdomen
Row	Back
Overhead press	upper shoulder
Side lift	lateral shoulder
Biceps curls	Biceps
Face Pulls	back shoulder
Triceps curls	Triceps

This is just a small selection of exercises that shows that you can easily train your entire body with dumbbell training. Various sport-specific exercises can also be intensified through the use of dumbbells.

Cast iron is ideal for dumbbells because it has the ideal properties. It is stable and has solid weight properties. Rubber and chrome weight plates are also available on the market. Cast iron has the advantage of being quite compact even with heavier plates.
Often the iron gets a coating and is covered with chrome or rubber. Sometimes the dumbbells also have a plastic coating. Weight plates made of hard plastic are also available, but these have the disadvantage, especially in higher weight classes, that the weight plates are quite large due to the lower density compared to iron or steel.
In addition, there are also weight sets that are equipped with a sleeve that is made of neoprene or vinyl. These are often used with small gym dumbbells.

This depends on the respective exercise. Basically, it is immensely important as a beginner to start with light weights. No professional has fallen from the sky, so start gently and build up basic fitness and strength first.
The active musculoskeletal system (tendons, muscles, fascia) must first adapt over a few training sessions and adjust to the new load. It is a misconception that lifting many kilos helps to achieve greater training success.
So make sure to train at a moderate intensity when you start, so that your body has time to get used to the new load.

Basically, there are no dumbbells that are only suitable for women or only for men. So you have the free choice between the whole range. Due to the many different designs that are available, especially in the rubberized dumbbells, you can find the right dumbbell for every taste, from non-rubberized cast iron dumbbells in the color black, which look particularly "raw", to pink rubberized, small dumbbells.
Due to the possibly smaller hands, the diameter plays a role. So that every petite lady's hand can grip the dumbbell stably and safely, there are also dumbbells that have a smaller diameter for more grip strength with small hands.

All common dumbbells that are also available for seniors are also suitable for children. However, you should use dumbbells that have an appropriate weight. Strength training should only be done at a low and moderate intensity, especially before puberty. Dumbbell training should not be done unsupervised during childhood.

Training on machines can be particularly beneficial for those with a dysfunctional musculoskeletal system after an injury. However, training with dumbbells is more effective because you have to stabilize and guide constantly due to the lack of guidance in the execution of the movement. This also addresses smaller muscles and improves intermuscular coordination.
In addition, dumbbells allow for a much more flexible workout. While you can only do a few exercises on a machine, you don't need more than dumbbells for a comprehensive total body workout. With dumbbells you can target more muscle groups and also train much more complex movement patterns.