Anyone who has tried to get rid of fat has been there. In the beginning, the nutrition and exercise plan seems to be working, but then all the fat loss comes to a screeching halt. We all have those problem areas (for me it is my stomach and love handles), where the fat just won't seen to go away. Can dumbbell workout routines be the answer?

I say "YES", dumbbell training is the secret weapon against stubborn fat!

Now, I can see some of you scratching your head right now. You're saying, "I've done dumbbell workouts before and didn't notice any significant fat loss." And your right, just using dumbbells is not the key, HOW you use the dumbbells is the key!

Most dumbbell workout routines you see men and women do are "bodybuilding" type workouts. They perform dumbbell exercise with the intention of "isolating" small muscles to make them grow. And since the muscle groups they are targeting are small, they use light weights. And lifting light weight dumbbells using small muscle groups does not burn fat!

But what if you used heavier dumbbells in a full body workout routine that simultaneously builds a strong, muscular body, boosts heart and lung power AND burns a lot of calories both during and after the workout? Do you think those stubborn fat cells would lose that battle? You bet they would!

Here are three examples of dumbbell routines that build a strong, well-conditioned body AND blast off stubborn fat:

Grinding Dumbbell Super Sets

Grinding dumbbell exercises include presses, rows, squats and deadlifts. By themselves, these dumbbell lifts are excellent for building muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more calories your body uses while at rest to maintain the muscle. And just in case you missed it, using more calories while at rest = LESS FAT!

Now, if that wasn't good enough, when you perform a dumbbell workout using grinding exercises as super sets, you boost the fat burning power. For those of you who don't know, a super set is when you perform a set of one exercise, and then immediately (or after a short rest), perform a set of a different exercise. This allows you to move through the dumbbell routines faster, involving the cardiorespiratory systems and burning more fat!

Explosive Dumbbell Timed Circuits

Explosive dumbbell exercises include swings, snatches and jerks. By themselves, these dumbbell exercises require a lot of energy due to their explosive nature. These exercises require speed to move the dumbbells as fast as possible, which means repeated bursts of energy. And just in case you missed it, using more energy = LESS FAT!

But perform dumbbell workout routines where you do these exercises as timed circuits, and their fat burning power increases exponentially. Why? Because doing resistance exercise for a longer time period means you expend more energy for longer periods of time during the workout. So you don't only build incredible explosive power, extraordinary heart and lung power, but you burn more fat!

Dumbbell Combo Matrixes

This is my secret weapon for getting rid of that stubborn fat (and building an all-purpose body where strength and conditioning go hand and hand!). A dumbbell combo matrix is when you combine two or more dumbbell exercises together into one exercise repetition. This means each repetition takes longer to perform, uses more muscle groups and requires a great deal of energy. Translation: bye, bye fat!

Ok, you'll probably need an example for this one.

How about: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift + Dumbbell Power Clean + Dumbbell Press. This equals one repetition. So let's say you do 5 repetitions. You are really doing 15 repetitions per set (5 deadlifts, 5 cleans and 5 presses). This takes a lot of time to perform, uses a wide range of muscles and therefore uses up a lot of energy. And again, more energy used = more fat loss.

Just take a second and compare these dumbbell workout routines to the typical Use Light Weight, Target Small Muscles, Take Long Rest Period approach of other dumbbell workout routines. Do you see a difference? I do, and it is those differences that make these dumbbell workouts so effective at blasting off stubborn fat. So, if you're having trouble getting rid of that last 10 pounds of ugly fat, these dumbbell routines may be the answer!