I hope women realize this is a starting point and you should gradually move up from this. I mean 5 pounders for bicep curls?! I think I could lift that with my pinky. lol

I agree... I even started out at 8 lbs as a beginner and now do 12 for bicep curls...I think women are afraid of getting "bulky" which is such a myth, because I lift weights between 10-15 lbs 3x a week and still look like a waif...

I agree with Philly.. I'm actually way past all those ranges.. with 20's for biceps, 15-25 for shoulders and like +225lb for squats... I lift heavy...

While the chart is a nice guideline, you should lift enough weight so that you can just eek out the last couple reps, and of course that could be a lot different for each person.

I agree with Sinnamon and hope ladies out there are not afraid to lift heavy. Of course safety is important so you should gradually work your way up but I think we are all stronger than we know! I focus on being able to do 8-10 reps with the last rep being pretty difficult. Goals are important to factor in to rep ranges, certain goals (endurance = higher reps, muscle building = mid range rep like 8-10, strength = lower reps typically 6 or under).

This is definitely a starting point. I lift heavy weight as well-doing 25 on biceps, 15-20lbs on triceps, 40-50 lbs for shoulders, 100lbs for squats, just to name a few. But of course, I have increased my levels over time. Certainly, do not want an injury.

Zigggy, you are right that the right amount of weight differs from person to person. The key is to lift enough weight that you keep good form and your muscles reach exhaustion by the last rep. Even for some women who are just starting out, that could be more weight than what's on this chart.

Are you kidding? This is the bare minimum starting point. I can curl 25s, lateral raise 20s, upright rows with a 30 bar, shoulder press 50(bar), chest press 100 (bar), tricep kickback 25s, and squat 115 (bar). And I am by no means abnormally strong or bulky in any way, shape or form. Women often fall guilty of not challenging themselves enough with weight lifting. You'll never improve if you don't move beyond your comfort zone and curling 5lbs is not a workout.

I wish women didn't think that lifting heavy weights (more than 5-10 pounds) will make them bulky and all muscled. This is not true. Women do not possess the amount of testosterone to make that happen.

I agree that you should use those weights as starting points and not be afraid of increasing the weights. Two pounds is barely anything...the absolute lightest weights I own are 5 lbs and I don't use them much. I did start with them, but I progressed to heavier weights quickly. Lifting heavy weights doesn't make your muscles huge and you will see fantastic changes in your body.

Also, if you have access to an assisted pull-up machine, I highly recommend it for building upper body strength. You can adjust how much of an assist you need based on your arm strength and your body weight. I started with 50% and now I can do it with only 10% assistance.

I agree -- I think these are good starting weights. Also, I think it's important to do the exercises with PROPER form and posture. Otherwise, one would risk injury, and/or under-condition the targeted muscles.

Personally, I use 12-15 lbs for all my upper-body work. The only exception is when I work my deltoids (the shoulder cap muscle). I use 5 lbs weight to target that muscle. When I use heavier weights, my other muscles kick-in, and my deltoids are subordinated.

No, I am NOT bulky. I'm quite lean and sculpted. I'm actually considering raising my weights to 15 lbs for ALL my exercises (with the exception of the deltoid exercises, as explained).

The weight of the dumbbell depends on the muscle group. Legs, Back and Chest are huge muscle groups so you definitely go heavier. Bicep, tricep, and shoulder is small so 5-20 lbs should be good, and they are being used when you train chest and back. Be careful with shoulder and do not overload with them until you are ready.

Guys, guys, guys! The chart does say, "Recommended dumbbell amount TO START WITH," and the post also says, "Once your body becomes stronger, you can choose to gradually increase the amount." I think if we read the post well, we would be as quick to say, "Are you kidding me?" Just sayin'...

I think if we read the post well, we would *NOT* be as quick to say, "Are you kidding me?"

Those weights sound exactly like what I started with. If you've been exercising for a while, you know where you're at, and you should increase every two weeks. However, when you're starting out, many people have no idea what weights are appropriate. I've seen many chest exercises being done with five pound weights, which does NOTHING. This is an article you forward to your friend who is starting out, not for those who've been exercising for years.

I've been weight training three days a week, for 40 minutes to an hour for two years now and I don't lift heavy weight, not because I'm afraid of bulking up, I just can't. I'm very tiny and very weak. I can do plenty of pushups and other exercises that use my own body weight, I look very toned, but 15 pounds is about the heaviest I can go with weights, for my upper body anyway. No matter how many lateral raises I do a week, I can't seem to go past five pounds. It's really difficult for me.

I'm so impressed with you heavy lifters- good for you!

I will add this though, a lot of the women are saying they lift heavy and women cannot get bulky from lifting heavy. I do happen to get bulky fairly quickly. I already have broad shoulders and if I get into a groove where I start lifting seriously again, my shoulders and arms get bigger and I get that "triangle neck" .. and it doesn't look good in a dress.. lol.

I think it all comes down to knowing your body and how it reacts to exercise.

Wow, sounds like we have some strong ladies here! I only use 5 and 8 pound dumbells, but you all are making me want to work harder so I can step it up!

Actually Triceps are twice as large and twice as strong as biceps in a normal person, not the other way around. There are other problems with this article as some have mentioned. The gluteus are the largest and strongest muscles in the body, 45 pounds is nothing. I have female students who squat 225 - 380 and deadlift 170 - 250. I know one tiny woman who does kettlebell swings with 106 lbs. This is the range we should be looking at. This article is also stuck in the very limited and limiting bodybuilding-centric view of fitness. This inefficient and not-very-healthy view sees the body as a collection of parts to be trained in isolation. The body is actually a system of synchronized movement, so a better way to look at exercise would be to break your training down into basic movements such as: hip extension, leg extension, overhead lifting, etc. Lateral raises and upright rows are unnatural and dangerous, don't do them.