If you look at "typical" dumbbell workouts performed in gyms, featured in books and magazines or on the Internet, they all look pretty similar. They are used to target specific muscle groups, use limited movement and use light weights because they are targeting small muscle groups. I'm going to invite you to stop thinking like a bodybuilder, and start thinking like someone who's life depended on getting results from their dumbbell training.

But first, let me give you an example of what I mean about a "typical" dumbbell program:

Dumbbell Squats 3 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Incline Press 3 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3 sets of 10 reps

The 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.

Look familiar?

To set the record straight, there is nothing wrong with those dumbbell exercises or the program itself. It is just that this type of workout doesn't take advantage of the tremendous fitness, fat loss and muscle building power of dumbbells.

Let go over some ways to get extraordinary results from your dumbbell workouts:

Change Your Mentality:

The first thing you need to do is change your mentality about dumbbells. Stop thinking of them as some secondary exercise to hit small muscles and awkward movement patterns. Start thinking of dumbbells as the best workout tool for full body strength, coordination, power, fat loss and muscle building.

After all, dumbbells can be used simultaneously with both limbs, with one limb only and in an alternating fashion. These weighted movements better train you for the REAL movements you encounter OUTSIDE the gym when facing the challenges of sport, work and life!

Pick Better Dumbbell Exercise And Program Design:

Choose exercises that target large muscle groups and use the heaviest dumbbells you can. Forget about kickbacks and do 3 sets of dumbbell squat and presses combos with a decent weight dumbbell. Which do you think is going to change the way your body performs and looks the most?

There are great ways to combine dumbbells into full body workouts that improve fitness, blast off fat and build muscle. Find them and use them!

For The Best Results: Rotate Your Dumbbell Workouts:

There is not ONE, best dumbbell workout. (For that matter there is no best workout regardless of equipment used.) So, choose different workouts with different goals and then rotate between them every 4 weeks of so.

For example, pick a dumbbell workout targeted to fitness, one for fat loss and one for building strong muscles. Then do each one for 4 weeks.

Here's the trick: Make sure each workout targets the specific result you want, but does not sabotage your other goals. For example, when training for fat loss, don't hinder your fitness and muscle building goals. This way you keep moving toward your ultimate goal of a fit, lean, muscular body!

As you can see, there are many ways to design a dumbbell workout besides the "typical" way you normally see. And if you want extraordinary results, serious dumbbell training is your ticked to a high level of fitness, massive fat loss and the building of strong lean muscles. Sounds like dumbbells are worth another look, don't you think?