Okay, so today I wanted to push myself a bit with dumbbells. I’ve been doing a lot of bodyweight stuff lately, but I felt like it was time to add some real weight. My goal was pretty simple, start the routine with a 5lb and challenge until the 100lb, I wanted to see I could deal with.
I started with my warm-up, just some light stretches and arm circles. Nothing crazy, just getting the blood flowing. Then I grabbed the 5-pounders. Easy peasy. I did a few basic exercises, some bicep curls, some overhead presses, and some rows. I felt good, so I moved up.
- 5 lbs: Felt like a warm-up itself.
- 10 lbs: Still pretty light, I start to do more reps.
- 15 lbs: Okay, now I’m feeling it a little.
- 20 lbs: This start to be the regular weight I used to manage.
- 25 lbs: Starting to get a bit challenging. I could do to many reps.
- 30 lbs: I’m starting to sweat, I’m taking my time between the series.
- 35 lbs: Getting a bit more harder, I start to do less reps, but I still go on.
- 40-45 lbs: I can really feel my muscles working.
- 50-65 lbs: I feel the pump, it’s painful and good the same time.
- 65-85 lbs: Exhausted, but I keep the mindset of doing just one more, and only one more.
- 90-100 lbs: I did it! With my tongue out and all sweaty.
As I went up in weight, I had to reduce the reps and focus on my form. It’s not about speed; it’s about doing it right and not hurting myself. By the time I was at 60 pounds for the curls. The rows and presses were tough, but doable. I was definitely feeling the burn.
The challenge
The 85 pounds weight were a real struggle, I did 2 reps and dropped it. At this point, I was pretty gassed. But hey, I managed to do a few reps, that’s a win in my book.
After that, I managed to do the 90-95lbs after a few minutes of rest. I tried the 100lb, and I moved. I was so happy! My arms felt like jelly, but I was proud of myself for pushing through.
I cooled down with some more stretches, making sure to really loosen up those muscles. It was a good workout. It reminded me that I’m stronger than I think, and that progress is all about taking it one step at a time, or in this case, one rep at a time.
