Best dumbbell sets for sculpting and gains in your home gym, per celebrity trainers

Lifting weights is not dumb.Dumbbell workouts have long been misunderstood: how many times have you heard strength training can make you bulky? Or that working out with heavy free weights make you gain weight? Those are both myths that runners and hybrid athletes like myself have struggled to accept for years.According to a study published by Harvard Health, strength training not only helps to “build and maintain muscle mass and strength,” but it also leads to strong bones.This can minimize injury risk due to osteoporosis and prevent sarcopenia.Strength coach Alex Silver-Fagan actively teaches her clients the importance of training with weights.“Lifting won’t make you bulky.

It’ll make you lean,” she told the Post.“Muscle takes up less space than fat, so building it makes you tighter, not bigger.

And more muscle means your body burns more at rest.That’s not bulky.

That’s efficient.”While jumping into farmer carries or dumbbell thrusters may seem intimidating at first, weights are actually suitable and customizable to all ages.“When we’re young, dumbbell exercise builds strength, grows muscle mass and increases joint stability, which lends to injury prevention during daily life tasks and sports participation,” said James Higgins, DPT, OCS, physical therapist at Integrative Physical Therapy of NYC.“As we get older, dumbbell exercise reduces fall risk, preserves muscle mass and improves bone density.

Since dumbbells require your body to provide stability, they excel as equipment that trains patients for functional activities such as carrying groceries, climbing a flight of stairs or getting up from a chair,” he continued.Feeling motivated but don’t know where to start? Try beginning with celebrity trainers’ favorite dumbbell sets for your home gym — whether adjustable, on a rack or specifically catered to beginners.The shape of your dumbbells matters more than you think.According to Dr.

Higgins, a hex shape “keeps the dumbbel...