Dumbbells are one of the most essential pieces of equipment that every gym needs to have, whether it’s a local or home one. And when it comes to choosing or buying a set of dumbbells, you’ll probably notice that there are tons of variations that range from 0.5 kg all the way up to 50 kg. And with this large selection, it can get pretty confusing as to what each of them is used for. It makes sense with the heavier dumbbells but what about the light ones? In other words, what are 1kg dumbbells used for?
1kg dumbbells can be used in a variety of ways. Since they’re light, they help in toning the muscles, losing fat, warming up, getting used to certain exercises, and they’re a great introduction to weight-lifting using dumbbells overall.
In this article, we’ll talk about the different uses of 1 kg dumbbells, as well as their benefits.
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Different Uses of 1kg Dumbbells
Unlike what the majority of people think, 1 kg dumbbells have a lot of important uses when it comes to the weight-lifting world. Although it’s the most ignored and not used weight of dumbbell out there, you can benefit greatly from it, especially as a beginner. Here are some of its major benefits:
They Tone the Muscles
As we all know, lifting heavy weights is one of the most essential things that you can do in order to build and grow your muscles, which means that light dumbbells are ideal for toning them. And if your main objective isn’t to get stronger and look bigger, 1 kg dumbbells are going to be perfect for you since they aren’t heavy enough to promote growth. And don’t worry, just because you’re lifting dumbbells, that doesn’t mean that you’re gonna wake up like the Hulk, and here’s why:
In order to grow your muscles, the weight that you decide to lift needs to make you struggle, meaning that you can’t do more than 8 repetitions with it. And since 1 kg dumbbells are way too light even for a beginner (You lift 1 kg all the time during your day-to-day life), they’re not gonna make you struggle and you’ll probably do more than 20 repetitions with ease. This means that 1 kg dumbbells promote muscle toning but not growth.
Here is a great 10-minute workout that you can follow to tone your arms and legs:
They Burn Fat
Muscle toning and burning fat are two pieces of the same puzzle, meaning that you can’t have one without the other. Muscles can’t look toned if you have layers of fat on top of them. And since 1 kg dumbbells can tone your muscles, it means that they play a huge role in burning fat. And for beginners, it’s so much better to use light dumbbells as a way to burn fat instead of cardio since the latter one doesn’t really activate your muscles that much except maybe for your legs and calves. Light dumbbells will make sure that your muscles are activated to give them that toning effect and will burn fat at the same if you use them the right way, for example, in a fat-burning HIIT workout.
They’re Great For Warming Up
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced weight lifter, 1 kg dumbbells could be of great use for you especially to do warm-up exercises before your intense workouts. If you instantly start by lifting heavy weights, you’ll probably increase your chances of injury or damaging your muscles which are not great in the long term of your fitness journey. Always make sure that you’re warming up properly and by using light weights that include 1kg dumbbells. I personally still use them every time I’m about to hit a session even though I’m no longer a beginner and I can’t praise them enough. They always manage to loosen up my muscles and tendons and prepare them for what’s about to come.
They Help in Getting Used to Dumbbell Exercises
Since dumbbells are one of the hardest pieces of equipment out there, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the exercises that use them, especially as a beginner. You need a lot of control and stability in order to perform any exercise using dumbbells so lifting anything that’s heavier than 2 or 3 kg at the beginning will only increase your chances of injury. That’s why the best way to avoid all of this is by using the lightest weight possible when you’re about to perform a movement for the first time and 1 kg dumbbells are perfect for this.
They’re a Great Introduction To Dumbbells
If you’re a beginner and you’ve never lifted dumbbells your entire life but you’re considering it, 1 kg dumbbells are ideal for getting the feel of what’s about to come and familiarizing yourself with the handle of the dumbbell. If you lift heavy right from the start, you’re probably not gonna feel great and end up hating dumbbells for the rest of your life and letting go of one of the most important pieces of equipment in the gym. So don’t rush it, start with something simple like 1 kg, familiarize yourself, and you’ll start loving dumbbells as soon as you get the hang of them.
Conclusion:
As you can see, 1 kg dumbbells aren’t so useless after all, unlike what many people think. They’re ideal for many uses, they can tone the muscles, burn the layers of fat that are on top of them, help you in warm-up exercises, assist you in terms of getting used to certain movements, and they’re an awesome introduction to weight-lifting using dumbbells.