Whether you’re short on time, looking to improve your level of conditioning, or just bored and looking to shake things up with your workouts, incorporating dumbbell complexes into your existing routine is a great idea. They are a great tool that can be used for anything from a warm up to a full workout.
A ‘complex’, while a fairly general term, is simply when you perform a consecutive set of different exercises, usually using dumbbells or a barbell, one after the other in a circuit fashion without rest.
And while the list of benefits of incorporating dumbbell complexes into your current routine is vast, here are the top four reasons I’m such a fan:
1. Portability
Dumbbells are a more portable tool than barbells, so they fit in very well with my ‘exercise anywhere’ philosophy. You can store a pair of dumbbells in a very small space, and even take them with you on a trip!
2. Superior Muscle Recruitment
Dumbbells force you to use each arm individually, thus requiring more use of those all-important stability muscles. This is a benefit you don’t get with things like free weights and select weight machines.
3. Time efficiency
You can get a full-body cardio and resistance workout with a dumbbell complex in less than 30 minutes. With how many other training methods can this be achieved?
4. Cost
It doesn’t cost much for a pair of dumbbells – you can get a lot of miles with just a pair of dumbbells.
Without a doubt, the dumbbell complex is a tool that can help you take your strength and conditioning to the next level.
Now that I’ve (hopefully) sold you on the dumbbell complex idea, you’d probably like to see an example of what a workout like this would look like… so here’s an example dumbbell complex:
8 dumbbell squats
8DB RDL
8 DB squats to presses
8 row DB Renegade
Do each exercise in the complex back to back without rest. Rest once you have completed the entire circuit for 30 to 60 seconds; then repeat the circuit 2 to 4 more times for a total of 3 to 5 circuits.
Complex dumbbell workouts are fantastic for quick and effective fat loss workouts. Some of the reasons they’re so great include portability, recruiting those all-important stability muscles, time efficiency, and cost. Include them in your exercise program for improved conditioning, rapid changes in body composition, and more fun today!