5 pound dumbbell workouts?

Options
24

Replies

  • strawberry626
    strawberry626 Posts: 73 Member
    Options
    dont listen to addison! rude! i have three and five pounds. when i do my 30DS i have to use teh three-pounders on most of them. it may be light but it gets heavy after a while! anythingis better than nothing. dont listen to people like him! man that hacks me off!
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    Options
    Okay for those of you that do the 30 day shred. How many days a week do you do it? Would it benefit me at all if I just did it 2 days a week? (I jog/walk 4 miles 3 or 4 days a week as well). It's only $7 on Amazon. I think I might order it and try.
  • nytdreamer80
    nytdreamer80 Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    I do it every day in addition to my gym routine.
  • AmyJo54915
    AmyJo54915 Posts: 103
    Options
    I'm so glad you posted this! I'm just starting with 5lbs too :smile:
  • tistal
    tistal Posts: 869 Member
    Options
    Okay for those of you that do the 30 day shred. How many days a week do you do it? Would it benefit me at all if I just did it 2 days a week? (I jog/walk 4 miles 3 or 4 days a week as well). It's only $7 on Amazon. I think I might order it and try.

    6 days a week! :) 2 more days and I will starting level3. Down 13lbs and 10.25 total inches! :)
  • Cocochickdeleted
    Cocochickdeleted Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    I agree with those who suggest the 30 Day Shred. I use five pound weights, and with the compounds that Jillian has built into the strength training component, five pounds will definitely kick your butt! And believe me, I am no lightweight. A few years ago, I did some body building with my hubby and I was eventually benching about 110 pounds.
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    Options
    I see 2 and 3 lb. weights in stores all the time, so I think in terms of light toning 5 lb. dumbbells make a lot of sense (and are even a challenge) for many women. Go for it!
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Options
    I see 2 and 3 lb. weights in stores all the time, so I think in terms of light toning 5 lb. dumbbells make a lot of sense (and are even a challenge) for many women. Go for it!

    Completely wrong. Light toning? What does that even mean? = useless.

    Women do not need a special lifting routine. We can lift like men. Maybe not as much, but we do the same routines.
    OP I would still suggest some resistance training or you will be doing more endurance work than anything.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    Options
    I agree that 5 lbs is not really heavy enough if strength training is what you are looking to do. The 30DS is not strength training. It is circuit training/cardio.

    I started out without much upper body strength either, and I still can't do a full, real push up, but I lift heavier than 5 lb DBs for strength training. You may think they are heavy now, but in a week they probably won't be, and then what are you going to lift? You aren't increasing strength if you keep using 5 lbs for months.
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    Options
    This'll kick your butt.

    http://my.menshealth.com/workout/The-Spartacus-Workout-2.0/workout-a

    This is great. Thanks for the link. I will give it a try with my measly 5 pound weights.

    This looks to be fun.

    Also, I use 5 lb weights for certain therapeutic excersises. And yes, they are pink.
  • nutandbutter
    nutandbutter Posts: 447
    Options
    I see 2 and 3 lb. weights in stores all the time, so I think in terms of light toning 5 lb. dumbbells make a lot of sense (and are even a challenge) for many women. Go for it!

    Completely wrong. Light toning? What does that even mean? = useless.

    Women do not need a special lifting routine. We can lift like men. Maybe not as much, but we do the same routines.
    OP I would still suggest some resistance training or you will be doing more endurance work than anything.

    I would rep you if I could. :-)
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    Options
    I don't have any plans to body build. I do not have plans to have this amazing athletic body. I would like to lose the weight I gained during my pregnancy and tone my body. I am not looking to get obsessed with weight training or join lifting competitions. My ticker says I have only lost 3 pounds but I have lost 50 lbs. I know how to set high goals for myself.

    I am a mom, a wife, and a full time employee that just needs to add a few strength training days into my cardio workouts so that I can live a happy healthy life. I am happy to start off with 5 pounds and will eventually increase when I feel like i'm ready. I don't plan on lifting 5 pound weights forever.

    That is all.

    Thank you to all the wonderful posters and your suggestions. I just ordered the 30 day shred and will make time do it at least 4 times a week (2 during the week & both weekend days).
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    Options
    I see 2 and 3 lb. weights in stores all the time, so I think in terms of light toning 5 lb. dumbbells make a lot of sense (and are even a challenge) for many women. Go for it!

    Completely wrong. Light toning? What does that even mean? = useless.

    Women do not need a special lifting routine. We can lift like men. Maybe not as much, but we do the same routines.
    OP I would still suggest some resistance training or you will be doing more endurance work than anything.

    Just because we CAN lift like men doesn't mean that is the goal for all women. And the fact that you can tone muscles by just using your body weight (e.g. push-ups, squats) means that using light dumbbells would also lead to toning. My answer was neither wrong nor useless. It's just not what you practice.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    Options
    I see 2 and 3 lb. weights in stores all the time, so I think in terms of light toning 5 lb. dumbbells make a lot of sense (and are even a challenge) for many women. Go for it!

    Completely wrong. Light toning? What does that even mean? = useless.

    Women do not need a special lifting routine. We can lift like men. Maybe not as much, but we do the same routines.
    OP I would still suggest some resistance training or you will be doing more endurance work than anything.


    If women needed special routines that included 5 pound weights due to their lack of upper body strength how would babies be picked up, how would groceries be brought in from the car, and how would sammitches be made??

    Come on, ladies! Give yourselves some more freakin' credit!!!
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    Options
    here, if you want a good strength routine, check this out. http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    and invest in some kettle bells. you can buy a set that goes from 5 to 20 pounds.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Options
    I don't have any plans to body build. I do not have plans to have this amazing athletic body. I would like to lose the weight I gained during my pregnancy and tone my body. I am not looking to get obsessed with weight training or join lifting competitions. My ticker says I have only lost 3 pounds but I have lost 50 lbs. I know how to set high goals for myself.

    And to get a "tone" look you have too retain your muscle mass and continue to be in a calorie deficit. You don't "tone" a muscle with 5 lb weights. Easiest way to retain muscle mass? Lift heavy weights. You wont be building a lot of muscle if any at all in a deficit. No one is saying for you to get obsessed or join competitions, so I dunno where you got that.
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
    Options
    Take any dumbell movement - curls, tri extensions, lateral raises, whatever - and do as many reps as you can with good form until you can't physically lift another one.

    If you got more than 15 reps, your weight is too light. If you got more than 8, your weight will be too light pretty soon.

    It's great that you're getting started, but you may need some more weight for strength training. I did 30DS way back when I first started working out and it's a great burn, but it's not strength training it's cardio/circuit training. I would recommend it as a place to start for a beginner unsure of which way to go though. It's got a good mix of different things.

    Hope that helps.

    Jay
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Options
    I see 2 and 3 lb. weights in stores all the time, so I think in terms of light toning 5 lb. dumbbells make a lot of sense (and are even a challenge) for many women. Go for it!

    Completely wrong. Light toning? What does that even mean? = useless.

    Women do not need a special lifting routine. We can lift like men. Maybe not as much, but we do the same routines.
    OP I would still suggest some resistance training or you will be doing more endurance work than anything.

    Just because we CAN lift like men doesn't mean that is the goal for all women. And the fact that you can tone muscles by just using your body weight (e.g. push-ups, squats) means that using light dumbbells would also lead to toning. My answer was neither wrong nor useless. It's just not what you practice.

    So my whole body weight is only 5 lbs? Pushups are not the same as 5 lb dumbbells doing endless amount of reps.

    I said "light toning" was useless by the way. You don't "tone" a muscle like that.
  • jayb0ne
    jayb0ne Posts: 644 Member
    Options
    Oh, and.. a bit controversial I'm sure, but I'm just gonna throw it out there...

    There's no such thing as toning. It doesn't exist. You either build muscle, retain muscle or lose muscle. Nothing else.

    The first is mostly achieved by lifting while eating surplus. The second is achieved by lifting while eating a deficit and the third is achieved by not lifting.

    There, I said it. I feel better :wink:

    Jay
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Options
    Oh, and.. a bit controversial I'm sure, but I'm just gonna throw it out there...

    There's no such thing as toning. It doesn't exist. You either build muscle, retain muscle or lose muscle. Nothing else.

    There, I said it. I feel better :wink:

    Jay

    That is what I have been trying to say.
    Just so you know: You are my hero of the day :heart: :heart: :heart:

Categories