Just as important as cardio, strength training is extremely beneficial to both men and women. The The American Heart Association stated on their website that they actually recommend strength training at least twice per week. Benefits of strength training include: lower risk of injury, increased muscle mass, increased strength of your overall body and better quality of life. Whether you use dumbbells, soup cans, books, or exercise bands—anything will work as long as it has weight to it. There are apps, YouTube videos and other resources to begin to incorporate strength training into your workout routines!
Apps to Use
Dumbbell workout apps are a great way to start if you have little to no experience or if you do not want to start off in a gym. There are apps out there that are free to use or with little cost. One of the best rated apps I found was: Dumbbell Home Workout (IOS Link) with around 2,100 ratings averaging at 4.8 stars. The app has a preset training regime, syncs with your Apple Watch, and shows you how to do each workout. Reviews highlight the fact that this is a great way to start and incorporate dumbbells into your daily routine! Another great free app to use but is targeted towards men is called LifeBuddy—Dumbbell Workouts (IOS Link) that has a 4.7 star rating with 23 reviewers…much less popular but users seem to be liking it! This is a four week plan based app that never has you doing the same workout twice. This is perfect if you have a set of dumbbells and a workout space—but again, this is targeted for men.
YouTube Videos
Another great tool to utilize is YouTube since there are some professional trainers that record their workouts and post them for viewers like us. Caroline Girvan is a popular personal trainer who also focuses on nutrition. She has over a million subscribers on her YouTube and even has a section of her YouTube dedicated to dumbbell only workouts. You can find one of her full body dumbbell only workouts here. Heather Robertson is another personal trainer who also has over a million subscribers on her YouTube account and has training programs that don’t need any sort of equipment on her channel. However, she does have a dumbbell workout here, she uses a kettlebell with some of the exercises to change it up but it is not necessary. Lastly, Buff Dudes Workouts are brothers Hudson and Brandon White who involve their mom in meal planning/prepping. This is the first phase of their 12 week dumbbells only program and you can find it on YouTube here.
Dumbbell Workouts Are For Everyone!
Of course, you can always consult your doctor before trying any sort of new intensive workout, especially if you are on medication or have any medical conditions. However, dumbbell workouts are suitable for everyone and for all ages. There are endless options for apps and YouTube videos, but always make sure to do your research. You can also ask a personal trainer for a custom workout plan as well as joining a gym and starting with a friend. If you are not comfortable with starting with dumbbells, you can check out this previous article on working out when you don’t like the idea of it.