5 pound dumbbell workouts?

_GlaDOS_

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 don't have plans to body build or join lifting competitions either. I want to lose weight and lower my BF%, so I lift heavier than 5 lbs.

yesthistime

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.

A person using 5 lb. dumbbells during any type of exercise would clearly be using her body weight PLUS the additional 10 pounds. You are only thinking from the point of view of someone who is already in shape and looking to build more muscle. A beginner would likely be toning just from using his/her own body weight during cardio/circuit training, making the use of dumbbells an added bonus. I know you know this.

SergeantSunshine_reused

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.

A person using 5 lb. dumbbells during any type of exercise would clearly be using her body weight PLUS the additional 10 pounds. You are only thinking from the point of view of someone who is already in shape and looking to build more muscle. A beginner would likely be toning just from using his/her own body weight during cardio/circuit training, making the use of dumbbells an added bonus. I know you know this.

No, if you are doing squats the extra 5 lb dumbbells are not going to be making a big difference. I am looking to build more muscle in the future, but I am talking more from the point of view when I started lifting a few years ago. Even when I first started lifting I was able to squat 95 lbs. So the 5 lb dumbbells would be useless.

If you read the above post you cannot "tone" a muscle. you build, retain, or lose. Doing cardio with some extra dumbbells is not enough for the first 2. So if you lose muscle - less definition at your goal weight. You have to be lifting heavy enough to actually tear the muscle fibers, not just work up a sweat

sarah_ep

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.

A person using 5 lb. dumbbells during any type of exercise would clearly be using her body weight PLUS the additional 10 pounds. You are only thinking from the point of view of someone who is already in shape and looking to build more muscle. A beginner would likely be toning just from using his/her own body weight during cardio/circuit training, making the use of dumbbells an added bonus. I know you know this.

I am not even close to being in shape and a complete beginner. I even opted out of physical exercise in school to be the equipment manager! I am lifting much more than 5lbs to help maintain what little lean muscle mass I have.

addisondisease2

5 pounds is not enough resistance, OP stated she was a mother, most babies are born at 5 pounds, and soon gain 10 pounds with in a month or two.

So 5 pounds is way too light.

Unless OP has spend the last year in a body cast 5 pounds is too light.

engineman312

hey, yesthistime... sunshine88 over here deadlifts twice her body weight. your argument is invalid.

ebonyroche

i use 5 lbs too. but for my p90x i think i might need to go up in weight. there are plenty of good ones out there with 5 lbs. i agree to try jillians. or even google.

I'm hoping one day I can do the p90x. I usually have to workout during my lunch break (I'd give you my i'm a mother of 2 one being a newborn and I work full time sob story but i'll save it for another time :laugh:). I'm hoping I can do something twice a week while the baby is napping on the days I work from home or on weekends.

I have heard a lot of good things about the 30 day shred. Maybe I should invest in that.

I just picked up the 30DS video at Target today for 11 bucks and I have 5lbs weights also. Im going to try it out tomorrow morning.

addisondisease2

Can we please get a feature where someone who uses the term "tone" gets banned from MFP, and if anyone uses "lightly tone" their computer explodes?

This kind of ignorance is exactly what is keeping you from making progress.

yesthistime

hey, yesthistime... sunshine88 over here deadlifts twice her body weight. your argument is invalid.

No, it's not. This has nothing to do with what Sunshine does. It has to do with what CAN and DOES work for people at varying levels of fitness.

melrose09

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.

That's my general rule of thumb, too...well, I say 12 usually and I move up. And depending on the exercises, 5 pounds might be fine for quite a while. Most people have weak triceps compared to other muscles in their arms, so for any tricep work, those 5 pounders may stick around for a while. Well, not weak, but they don't handle the same weight. Same with some shoulder stuff. But for bicep curls and to add weights to squats or any of those larger muscles, I bet the OP will be buying some 10-12 pounds shortly. We don't realize how strong we are! Especially, mommies. We don't give our bodies enough credit. Lugging a baby around builds some awesome muscles!

Matt_Wild

I think I can help here.

With EACH and EVERY movement take 5 seconds to lower the weight down (use a clock) and then explode and contract the bicep at the top for a couple of seconds and repeat. You MUST do the lowering part really slowly, it will totally mash your biceps. This will really work your biceps.

5lb is perhaps a little light BUT even at 265lb I'm only using 33lb dumbbells because I am body builder and I want to build muscle, not lift the heaviest weight possible (heck, whats the point - I have 19.5" inch arms and I lift lightly but with more control - a lighter weight is not bad - leave the ego at home!).

Standing Dumbell Curl


Alternating Dumbbell Curl


Concentration Curl


That should get your started.

woou

it's ok. i'm doing 5lbs each on P90. about to move up now finally.

Auspiciousgirl

How about you try the 5-lb weights that you ordered? Then, when they start to feel like nothing (maybe in a couple of weeks, or maybe right away), you can go ahead and get yourself some heavier weights to try. Just sayin'.

engineman312

I think I can help here.

With EACH and EVERY movement take 5 seconds to lower the weight down (use a clock) and then explode and contract the bicep at the top for a couple of seconds and repeat. You MUST do the lowering part really slowly, it will totally mash your biceps. This will really work your biceps.

5lb is perhaps a little light BUT even at 265lb I'm only using 33lb dumbbells because I am body builder and I want to build muscle, not lift the heaviest weight possible (heck, whats the point - I have 19.5" inch arms and I lift lightly but with more control - a lighter weight is not bad - leave the ego at home!).

psshshhshshssh.... what could you possibly know??!?!/1?!?1?

Yanicka1

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

Jay

You are my platonic crush of the day. Everything has already been said.

shalinimunjal

I'm hoping one day I can do the p90x. I usually have to workout during my lunch break (I'd give you my i'm a mother of 2 one being a newborn and I work full time sob story but i'll save it for another time :laugh:). I'm hoping I can do something twice a week while the baby is napping on the days I work from home or on weekends.

I have heard a lot of good things about the 30 day shred. Maybe I should invest in that.

I have the same sob story (LOL) except my newborn is suddenly 20 months old. I started out with 30DS in december while I worked from home a lot..and now I'm on to other things. P90X is on my wishlist to santa this year!!

loopybec2002

I use 5lb weights when stepping on the wii fit to march with to raise& lower& to just feel like i can do something with my arms constantly while i do my 30 mins of stepping. I may not have bulging muscles& i am going into the gym at school to.use the proper weight equipment but i think using 5lb weights while stepping suited my purpose and helped burn calories.

Matt_Wild

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

Jay

Very very very true. The amount of people who don't understand this is crazy.

Actually say this - you either gain muscle, stay at the same weight or lose fat generally, when combined with exercise.

CakeFit21

OP, could you post a pic of what your goals are? Just a rough estimate of what you are hoping to achieve?

nikolaim5

Yep yep. I can't believe I'm going to type this AGAIN but here goes. "Tone", "toning", or "toning up" are valid terms technically but they are incredibly misleading. The talking bobble heads in the media that say things like "Oh Ryan Gossling was so toned in his last movie!", have not helped the matter one bit. "Tone" seems to imply a singular goal to most, when in fact it is two very separate things. First, it involves building muscle mass. Muscle can be built or lost, not "toned". Secondly, body fat needs to be reduced so that the increased muscle mass becomes more defined through the skin. That is what "toning" is, increased muscle mass plus reduce body fat equals "tone". Got it?

Now, how do you get "toned" you ask? Well, if you are overweight and have done not much, if any, weight lifting in your life then the MOST efficient way to get toned is to lift HEAVY weights (this is how you build muscle) and eat a mild caloric deficit., (that's how you lose fat). Notice I said "mild" caloric deficit. You still need to get adequate calories and protein to build muscle. I don't want hear from the "You can't build muscle on a caloric deficit" crowd because for the overweight, under trained individual it's possible.