Selter - Dumbbell WOD Bible: Dumbbell Workouts & WODs To Increase Your Strength, Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Increase Coordination & Fitness (Bodyweight Training, Kettlebell ... Bodybuilding, Home Workout,

Incase youre not familiar a unilateral exercise is when were performing a specific exercise using one limb/side of our body fantastic examples of unilateral movements I regularly perform with dumbbells include the one arm dumbbell chest press, dumbbell shoulder press, and dumbbell side lateral raise. Whats the point of unilateral training? You may ask it sounds like a waste of time. Unilateral training is fantastic for correcting muscular imbalances. For example, if one of your shoulders is significantly stronger than the other when youre performing your shoulder press or lateral raises one side will be compensating (and taking an additional portion of the load) from the aforementioned weaker side. Unilateral exercises allow us to hone in and correct these imbalances by strengthening the weaker muscle group by isolating it. ALL BARBELL EXERCISES HAVE AN EQUIVELANT Training with a barbell is fantastic too, dont get me wrong BUT we dont all have access to train with a barbell this could be due to several reasons, such as cost, amount of room you have available if youre training at home or perhaps youre just intimidated by the Olympic barbell.

Many experts will tell you that youre missing out by not pounding away with a barbell. Well, heres the thing there is LITERALLY a dumbbell alternative to every conceivable barbell exercise. On the flip side there are not barbell equivalents to every dumbbell exercise why? Well dumbbells are far more manoeuvrable and dynamic. DUMBBELL TRAINING IS EXPLOSIVE If youre an athlete focusing or sport specific movements to increase your performance on the field or just a casual gym-goer looking to develop that raw explosive speed, strength and power you cant go past a pair of dumbbell for developing that pure explosiveness. The tempo, plain of movement and ease of manoeuvrability during your dumbbell exercises will allow you to focus on building that explosive strength yuou desire. Barbells and pin or plate loaded machines are unable to replicate this same ability when it comes to explosive training.

MINIMAL SPACE IS REQUIRED Live in a small apartment? Dont have a backyard? Unable to get to the gym for a few days or perhaps even a more prolonged period of time? No fear, dumbbells are here! With only a mere few square feet of available space (doesnt even matter whether this is indoors or outdoors) youll be able to push your body to its limits and build your strength, mental toughness, physical fitness and induce fat loss should that be your goal. Barbells? Machines? Rope/cable training? All the other options require far more space than you and I probably have available in our houses or apartments. YOULL BE WORKING YOUR STABILIZERS Dumbbells are just that dumb. Unlike conventional weight training machines youll find littered throughout every commercial gym the dumbbell does not have a set plain of movement or range of motion you need to actively engage and stabilize the dumbbell for each and every movement you wish to perform with it. Sounds like a lot more work doesnt it? Well it is and the reason this is fantastic is youre going to be actively engaging your stabilizer muscles to keep the dumbbells on course. Notice the first few times you move away from the machines and decide to hit the dumbbells youre extremely shaky for lack of a better word throughout the movement? This is because youre not used to using yours stabilizers! ITS SAFER THAN BARBELL TRAINING Getting stuck under a barbell is one of many gym-goers worst nightmares.

Loading up a barbell with several hundred pounds and attempting to bench press it before the weight overpowers you and you end up pinned under it. Not fun, Ive been there unfortunately! When youre training alone (without a spotter) or when youre learning a new exercises dumbbells are a far safer option. Why? Well, when training with a barbell the barbell is moving above or with your body this can be disastrous if you slip or are unable to muscle that weight back up on your last repetition. Dumbbells on the other hand are utilized AROUND your body. Example the dumbbell chest press the barbell is above your chest, theres no way out meanwhile the dumbbell equivalent has the dumbbells located to your sides easier to bail out when required. ITS EASY TO TEACH NEWCOMERS As mentioned above with dumbbell training being far safer than the barbell alternative exercises it comes as no surprise that its far easier to teach dumbbell workouts and exercises to newcomers in the gym theyre able to start with light, easy to use dumbbells to grasp the concepts of plain of movement, range of motion and stabilization which will benefit them far more in terms of proper lifting mechanics and confidence in the gym in general as opposed to swinging around a barbell.