15 Minutes Dumbbell Exercises Using Everyday Objects

Power up your overall fitness in 15 minutes by using everyday objects like heavy books, a water bottle, a grocery bag, etc. instead of the dumbbell. Workout wherever and whenever to consistently improve your health.

When it comes to using dumbbells, people often think about using heavy weights to gain bulky arms. Surprisingly, many female celebrities also use dumbbells to tone their bodies. You can also practise dumbbell exercises to lose weight and strengthen weak muscles.

Dumbbell exercises are part of a strength training routine and are helpful in sculpting arms. You can combine dumbbell exercises with walking, lunges, planks, and Russian twists while holding dumbbells to add variations. There are many benefits to doing dumbbell exercises. But when you don’t have time to go to the gym or are unsure about investing in a dumbbell, everyday objects could be great substitutes at home or in your office.

Any object that has weight that you can hold properly can help you get started with dumbbell exercises. For example, you can use heavy books, filled water bottles, bags of rice or sand, grocery bags, etc. for workouts. I used ankle weights during lockdown for arm workouts. You also need to know the proper way to do exercises, weight proportions, and the appropriate time interval for doing strength training.

In this post, I have also included 10 dumbbell exercises for beginners to try with less weighted objects.

Disclaimer: All contents in this post are for general health information only. Please consult a specialist physician or a coach before trying any new exercise, diet or health advice. There are no affiliate links attached to this post.

POST CONTENTS
Importance of doing strength training
Benefits of using everyday objects for dumbbell exercises
10 Beginner’s Dumbbell Exercises

IMPORTANCE OF DOING STRENGTH TRAINING

Strength training is not just about gaining muscles. I consider strength training a balanced workout. Since I am a dance teacher, my main focus has always been improving flexibility and doing bodyweight exercises. It was only after my ACL injury that my physiotherapist helped me understand the importance of combining strength training with cardio and yoga.

Even if you are a desk worker in an office or at home, a balanced workout routine is very important. Consistency in workouts does not mean doing exercises every day. You can start by exercising on weekends or just twice or three times a week for 15 to 20 minutes. Strength training fits this criteria perfectly, for various reasons. Here’s what the experts at the Mayo Clinic suggest:

“You don’t need to spend hours a day lifting weights to benefit from strength training. You can see significant improvement in your strength with just two or three 20- or 30-minute strength training sessions a week.”

Other benefits of strength training are:

• Improves muscle tissue and strength, especially for people above the age of 40.
• Improves and maintains bone strength.
• With more strength, you will not get tired easily and retain stamina.
• Tones your arms and core muscles, eventually helping you lose weight.
• Protects your joints from injury and, therefore, a quick recovery. 
• Maintaining proper form during strength training exercises improves focus and coordination. 

Dumbbell exercises are a crucial part of strength training because they improve intensity much more than bodyweight and resistance band exercises.

BENEFITS OF USING EVERYDAY OBJECTS FOR DUMBBELL EXERCISES

The first time I saw a patient exercising with filled water bottles as dumbbells in a physiotherapist’s room, I thought that they had unprofessional staff. But I was so wrong. If you think about it, a dumbbell is used as a weighted object that is shaped in a way that makes it easier to hold. Finding an object with an appropriate weight may or may not be challenging. Taking the example of a filled water bottle, it is easy to hold, and the water is used as a weight. But water is not static. It floats from one end of the bottle to another, which is a challenge, and that is why it is used instead of a dumbbell. It is the perfect object to understand balance and control.

Likewise, the other object that you can use instead of a dumbbell is a heavy book, like Harry Potter, an encyclopaedia, a dictionary, or Gone With the Wind in a hardcover. Basically, a heavy book that you can hold properly.

A closed bag of sand or rice is another great option. You need not fear muscle gain because it all depends on the number of reps and the amount of weight you are using. The benefit of using everyday objects is that you can choose a lighter weight and practise it twice a week. On other days, you can do either yoga or light jogging.

Even if you do 3 sets of 10 reps of dumbbell exercises, you will still see results if you are consistent. 

Do not use furniture whose edges can hurt you or a heavy bucket filled with water, as it can put strain on your back. Strength training is all about lifting and moving with the training equipment. The object shouldn’t be burdensome or unmanageable.

10 BEGINNER’S DUMBBELL EXERCISES USING EVERYDAY OBJECTS

Whatever your choice of everyday object, you can easily pick and modify different weights without any extra expenditure.

You can use one object of the same kind or two. I am using the example of filled water bottles in place of a dumbbell.

Try to keep your back straight but not stiff whenever you are bending your knee to do any strength exercise.

Since this is a beginner’s workout routine, you can start by doing just 1 set with 10 reps. You can do this workout twice or three times a week and gradually increase the sets and reps after two weeks.

DO NOT: do these exercises without first checking with a physiotherapist or an expert gym coach. Avoid these exercises if you have back pain, strained muscles, or you are recovering from a recent injury.

Warm Up:
Walking on the spot for 2 minutes at a comfortable speed.
Toe Touch for 20 seconds.
Arm Swings front and back, 10 reps each.
Side Arm Stretches 10 on each side.

Overhead Press
Hammer Curls
Overhead Tricep Extensions
Side Dumbbell Raises

Romanian Deadlift
Tricep Kickbacks

Sumo Squats
Forward Lunge
Russian Twist
Supine Chest Press

After you complete your workout, don’t forget to stretch your arms to the side and overhead. Rest days are necessary when you are doing strength training. Don’t eat heavy food before starting any workout. Keep yourself hydrated. Eat healthy and seaosonal food. Avoid alcohol and other drugs as much as possible. 

References

Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier, by Mayo Clinic Staff, April 29, 2023.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670

17 Dumbbell Exercises For Weight Loss (That Actually Work) by Emily Trinh

https://fitbod.me/blog/dumbbell-exercises-for-weight-loss/