For all the stories I’ve written and edited about the benefits of strength training, I still fell into the trap of overdoing cardio. I’d take Peloton spin classes every day, sometimes to the point of feeling sick from how exhausted and overheated I was. But I wanted to burn as many calories as possible (reality check: the number on the scale didn’t budge). After a recent injury, though, I had to say goodbye to my beloved bike, forcing me to get creative with my workouts.
I knew I wanted to incorporate more strength training, but I didn’t quite know where to start, especially because I exercise in my basement. Since many of my favorite spin instructors teach the classes, I started with Peloton’s Arms & Light Weights offerings. What could 2-pound weights and 10 minutes really do, though? A lot, as it turns out.
“While more weight is great for muscle bulk (hypertrophy), high-repetition weight (light weights) yields a toned, lean body with no bulk,” Steven Dick, co-founder of The Fitness Group and a global health and fitness education expert, tells Best Life. “Most find improved muscle definition, improved posture, and daily living strength for muscles within 4-6 weeks.”
Curious how these workouts can help you get a toned and slim physique? Read on to hear from Dick and other experts about the best light-weight exercises that you can do with dumbbells starting at just two-pounds.
RELATED: 7 Easy Wall Pilates Exercises That’ll Tone Your Core in No Time.
How to reap the benefits of light-weight workouts.
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First, select a set of weights you feel comfortable with, usually between 2 and 5 pounds. Remember that the weights may feel extremely light at first, but they can be deceptively challenging when you get going. You can also have multiple sets of weights: For example, I use 2-pound weights for shoulder work, and 5-pound weights for biceps.
Dick and Meagan Kong, head of fitness and lead trainer at Alter, agree that a good light-weight workout is usually 3 to 4 sets of 12-20 reps per exercise.
“The intent is to be slow and in control with an emphasis on time under tension, which will enhance muscle activation and endurance,” Dick shares.
1. Bicep Curl
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One of the best free-weight moves for beginners is the bicep curl.
“This exercise targets the biceps, which are essential for overall arm strength and tone,” notes personal trainer Cara D’Orazio, owner of C.G.M. Fitness.
Simply stand with your feet hip-width distance apart, with your bodyweight slightly over your toes and your core engaged (this is the ideal stance for most upright upper-body exercises). Hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing forward, and then curl the weights towards your shoulder without moving your upper arms. Return to the starting position and repeat.
When you’re comfortable with the basic exercise, you can start to do compound movements—for example a lunge with a bicep curl—which “add the most calorie burn and body toning,” Dick shares.
RELATED: 6 Best Walking Workouts for Weight Loss.
2. Tricep Kickbacks
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Everyone loves to flex their biceps, but did you know that they only make up one-third of your upper arm muscle, whereas the triceps make up two-thirds? So, to get these large muscles working, Dick recommends tricep kickbacks.
For this exercise, stand as explained above but hinge forward from your waist. Have your weights in each hand, palms facing in. Bend your elbows so they’re 90 degrees, and then extend the weights backward, without moving your upper arm. Return to the starting position.
3. Front-to-Lateral Raises
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Kong recommends doing front-to-lateral dumbbell raises to sculpt your shoulders (both the front and side deltoids) and improve upper-body definition.
“Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Lift both dumbbells straight in front of you to shoulder height, then lower,” she explains. “Lift them out to the sides (lateral raise) and lower again.”
4. Shoulder Press
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Another great way to sculpt your deltoids (shoulders) is with a good, old-fashioned shoulder press.
To start, hold your light weights at shoulder height. “Press the weights straight up over your head, then lower them back down to the starting position,” says D’Orazio.
A fun compound movement combines a shoulder press with a bicep curl. Simply curl the weights down after your shoulder press, then bring them back up.
RELATED: 6 Best Low-Impact Workouts to Burn Fat, According to Fitness Experts.
5. Weighted Squats
All of the trainers we spoke with recommend using weights when doing squats, which increases the intensity of the exercise.
“Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height (resist resting dumbbells on your shoulders),” advises Kong. “Lower into a squat, keeping your chest up and core engaged. Push through your heels to return to standing.”
Be sure to keep your back straight and your knees behind your toes, instructs D’Orazio, who explains that this exercise “targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.”
To make this into a compound move, Dick suggests adding a shoulder press when you come to standing.
6. Romanian Deadlift
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This exercise also targets your glutes and hamstrings, but it works your core and lower back while increasing flexibility, too, says Kong.
“Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your thighs. Hinge at the hips and lower the weights down to mid-shin, keeping a slight knee bend,” she shares. “Engage your glutes to return to standing.”
If you do this move regularly, Kong notes that you can expect “a firmer, more lifted backside and stronger posterior chain.”
7. Standing Oblique Crunches
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Another way I’ve incorporated more strength training into my regimen is through Peloton’s standing core classes. These are great if you don’t feel like getting down on the mat but still want to work your abs.
In particular, Dick recommends a standing oblique crunch. To do this exercise, hold one or both of your weights in one hand. Rest the other hand on your hip or behind your head. With your knees slightly bent and hip-width distance apart, crunch up and over to the side with the weight. Without moving your lower body, return to standing.
8. Russian Twists
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When you do make it down on your mat, Dick suggests doing weight Russian twists.
Sit in an upright position with your feet flat on the floor. Hold one or both weights in your hands in alignment with your chest. Lean back slightly with your core engaged, and without moving your lower body, twist your torso from side to center to the other side.
To advance this move, you can lift your feet off the floor.
9. Sit-Up + Jab
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Kong’s sit-up suggestion transforms a basic core exercise into a workout that also engages your arms and shoulders while adding a cardio element.
“Lie on your back with a dumbbell in each hand. Perform a sit-up, then punch forward with one hand, then the other,” she advises. “Lower back down and repeat.”
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.