How To Build Muscle With 20 Pound Dumbbells
You don’t always need to lift heavy weights to make gains
A pair of 20 pound dumbbells might be your only piece of equipment at home. These are pretty light, yet with the right strategies, you can make a significant amount of gains.
Here is how to build muscle with 20 pound dumbbells.
Focus On Eccentric Contractions
Research shows eccentric contractions are crucial for building muscle and increasing strength. When you are using dumbbells that are not heavy, they are even more important.
An eccentric contraction is otherwise known as the lowering part of the movement. For example, when you descend during a squat or straighten your elbow after a bicep curl.
To reap the benefits, you need to slow the tempo. A simple way is to count three to five seconds. This will keep the muscle under greater time-under-tension.
Let’s use a bicep curl as an example. Curl the dumbbell as you would normally to your shoulders. Then lower it down and count at least three seconds before performing the next rep.
By manipulating eccentric contractions, you can make the weight feel much heavier.
