Must you increase your weights as you get stronger to see results?

vanityy99

I have 8lbs dumb bells they aren’t very challenging.

sardelsa

What do you mean by results? Getting stronger, keeping fit, retaining/building muscle?

If you want to progress in terms of retaining and especially building muscle, you will want to have some type of progressive overload factored into your programming. It doesn't have to be an increase in weight (although this is typically the most straightforward way), it can be increasing reps, less rest between sets, adding more resistance (with bands, increasing range of motion etc), incorporating unilateral exercises, adding more sets, more overall volume.

If you are a beginner you will be able to make progress this way, but it might come to a point where it will be easiest and most beneficial to add weight, especially when it comes to lower body which require more stimulation.

vanityy99

sardelsa wrote: »

What do you mean by results? Getting stronger, keeping fit, retaining/building muscle?

If you want to progress in terms of retaining and especially building muscle, you will want to have some type of progressive overload factored into your programming. It doesn't have to be an increase in weight (although this is typically the most straightforward way), it can be increasing reps, less rest between sets, adding more resistance (with bands, increasing range of motion etc), incorporating unilateral exercises, adding more sets, more overall volume.

If you are a beginner you will be able to make progress this way, but it might come to a point where it will be easiest and most beneficial to add weight, especially when it comes to lower body which require more stimulation.

So weird. I was just gonna @ you to make sure you saw my post and here you are with a long *kitten* response🥳

cupcakesandproteinshakes

vanityy99 wrote: »

I have 8lbs dumb bells they aren’t very challenging.

8lb dB won’t challenge you after a while. Yr body gas adapted to the stimulus they were providing.

My advice is to look at the thread at the top called ‘ which lifting programme is the best for you ‘ and pick one you like the look of.

If you are a beginner, almost any programme will ‘work’ to an extent.

XLNC1981

Btw strength and definition (if that’s what you’re referring to by results) don’t necessarily go hand in hand.

You don’t have to go heavy heavy but it should be challenging... if existing dumbbells don’t do that then stepping up is best!

If you had a range of weights you could sometimes do more reps with lighter weights and less with heavier for a different burn.

Ultimately the results bit all depends on the look you want and how much body fat you are carrying.

Some people at my gym look amazing and strong.. even though I know they don’t go heavy and it’s only because they’re so lean.

Hope makes sense 👍🏽💪🏾💪🏾

RovP6

You can also get strong and build muscle using nothing more than your own bodyweight

Have a look here

https://alkavadlo.com/

tirowow12385

I do that every month, i raised the weight by 5%, ive got up to 50% so far

Chieflrg

cupcakesandproteinshakes wrote: »

vanityy99 wrote: »

I have 8lbs dumb bells they aren’t very challenging.

8lb dB won’t challenge you after a while. Yr body gas adapted to the stimulus they were providing.

My advice is to look at the thread at the top called ‘ which lifting programme is the best for you ‘ and pick one you like the look of.

If you are a beginner, almost any programme will ‘work’ to an extent.

Co-signed.

Find something. The program doesn't matter to novel lifters as they will see progress regardless because increased stimulus.

sgt1372

vanityy99 wrote: »

I have 8lbs dumb bells they aren’t very challenging.

Then use heavier dumbbells.

FWIW, you can only get stronger by lifting increasingly heavier wts. Taken to the extreme, you will reach a point of diminishing returns but you'll never get to that point by just lifting dumbbells.

If you are combining your wt lifting w/a lower cal limit and a chg to a higher protein diet, you should also see a loss of wt, increased muscularity and vascularity (even if you are a woman) and generally improved muscle tone and definition. Something we all aspire to achieve

BUT this generally takes a considerable period of time and effort and it's best to follow a prescribed beginning lifting program, like Starting Strength or Stronglifts, to get going in the right direction.