Dumbbells are one of the most excellent pieces of gym equipment that all beginners need to have in their arsenal. They offer good control and stability and provide different exercises that promote muscle growth in all muscle groups. One of the most common questions that I get asked a lot is whether a specific set of weights is enough. In this case, are 8kg dumbbells enough?
8 kg dumbbells is a reasonable amount of weight to start with for beginners as long as it provides enough resistance, especially towards the last repetitions. However, as you get stronger, that set of weight will no longer provide a struggle so you’ll eventually need to increase it.
In this article, we’ll talk more in-depth about if 8kg dumbbells are enough, if lifting them is good, and if they’re suitable for biceps.
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Are 8kg Dumbbells Enough?
The answer to this question will depend entirely on your current strength level and if you’re a beginner or an experienced weight-lifter.
That’s why, as a general rule, and no matter what your current strength levels are, in order to figure out whether or not a specific amount of weight is enough, you’ll have to do a test that we like to call “the dumbbell strength test” and it goes as follows:
- Start by taking any set of dumbbells that you’d like to know if they’re suitable for you or not (in this case, you’ll take the 8kg ones).
- Begin doing any exercise of your choice (bicep curls for example).
- As you’re doing the exercise, make sure that you’re counting each repetition on your head.
- Continue the exercise until failure (until you can’t do anymore) and put back the dumbbells when you’re done.
If you did more than 12 repetitions with ease, this means that the amount of weight that you chose (8kg dumbbells in our case) is way too light for you and you should probably increase it. And If you managed to do 6 to 12 repetitions and you started to struggle during the last ones, that amount of weight is ideal for you and it will help you reach hypertrophy. And lastly, If you struggled to do even 6 repetitions, it simply means the set of weights that you chose is way too heavy and you should probably decrease it to avoid injury.
Remember that this test is applied to individual exercises, meaning that if you can do more than 12 reps in bicep curls with ease, it doesn’t translate to other exercises as well. If you’d like to see if 8kg dumbbells are suitable for a bench press exercise, you should do the test again and follow the same procedure, same thing goes for shoulder presses, tricep pulldowns, and so on.
And with this test, it’s best if you always start with super light dumbbells first and then work your way up to the desired weight until you figure out the one that is most suitable for you, especially if you’re a beginner to avoid injury and to get used to the movements of dumbbells since they’re a lot harder than other types of equipment.
Is Lifting 8kg Dumbbells Good?
When it comes to dumbbells, lifting any amount of weight is good as long as you’re pushing yourself to your limits to be as efficient as possible. Whether it’s 8kg dumbbells, 7kg, or even 2kg, if they can provide a decent struggle and make you feel a little squeeze, especially during the last repetitions, then you’ll definitely become stronger and grow your muscles.
And always remember one important rule, everyone starts somewhere. If 8kg dumbbells are all you can lift and you’re questioning yourself whether they’re good or not, remember that you’ll eventually be able to lift a lot more than that.
I remember during my first couple of weeks of working out, I used to train with only 1kg dumbbells and I didn’t care about what others might think because I knew from the very start that it was only a stepping stone towards a greater goal. And I used them to learn the foundation of training using dumbbells and to get my muscles used to the exercises that are done by them.
Slowly but surely, I managed to increase the weight and it’s the main reason why I can bicep curl 20kg+ dumbbells now.
And even though I consider myself an experienced weight-lifter, to this day, I still use light weights like 1kg, 2kg, and 8kg to warm up my muscles before an intense workout. This goes to show that lifting light weights will always be good no matter what your current strength levels are.
Are 8kg Dumbbells Good for Biceps?
8kg dumbbells are an ideal weight for biceps since they’re considered a small muscle group, so you probably shouldn’t be using heavy dumbbells in order to train them, especially if you’re a beginner.
But no matter the exercise or the muscle that you’re trying to target, you should always do the test that I mentioned in the beginning in order to verify if the weight that you choose is ideal or not. But for beginners, 8kg dumbbells are usually an ideal set of weight to start with for biceps.
Conclusion:
If you’re a beginner, you probably shouldn’t start with heavy weights right off the bat since that’ll only increase your chances of injury. Always start with light dumbbells to learn all there is to know about them and to get used to the exercises that are done using them. And with time, you’ll be lifting heavier weights with ease.