dumbbells

You've stuck to your strength-training routine and have memorized every workout in your favorite exercise DVD. You've probably noticed changes in your body, including those uber-toned arms that you never thought you'd have. Now that you're getting stronger, here's a reminder that you may be ready to increase the weight of your dumbbells.

The right dumbbell weight for you will fatigue your muscles in eight to 12 reps — meaning you feel a burning sensation and feel like you can't lift your arm anymore. If you've been working out regularly, chances are your muscles have gotten stronger, so lifting the same weights that you used when you started strength training will be easier than it was when you started, and it will take longer for your muscles to fatigue.

So don't be afraid to step up your weights. You won't bulk up, but you will be able to work out more efficiently. If you're just starting out, here's a chart of typical dumbbell weights by exercise for beginners.

Dumbbells are one of the most widely used pieces of exercise equipment, and for good reason. They're affordable enough to have in a home gym, easy to handle, and can be used to strengthen every muscle in the body. The next time you pick up a pair, avoid these lifting mistakes.

Using the Same Pair For Every Move

Why it's bad: Not all muscles have the same strength. Lifting too light a weight isn't effective for strengthening the body, but even worse, a weight that's too heavy puts you at risk for a strained or torn muscle.
The fix: Use different weights to target muscles effectively. I keep a set of six-, eight-, and 10-pound weights on hand, and depending on the difficulty of the exercise and the strength of my muscles, I change up the weight. You'll know the dumbbell is the correct weight when your muscles fatigue after eight to 12 reps. Follow that rule when lifting, and you'll achieve quicker results.

Keep reading for more dumbbell mistakes and how to fix them.

Plenty of folks gripe about picking up dumbbells, but there's no need to fear free weights. A few pointers: It isn't necessary to overload on heavy weights right away; start with a pair of five- or eight-pound dumbbells. The last thing you want is improper form that can affect your body's mobility, or worse, lead to injury. Before you start pumping, make sure you know how to use dumbbells correctly. Now you're ready to try these simple exercises that will have you feeling like a pro in no time.

Overhead Press

For shapely shoulders and toned arms, try out the classic overhead press.

• Stand with your feet hip's distance apart.
• Hold the dumbbells so your palms are face down.
• Lift up the dumbbells until they reach your shoulders, palms facing forward, with elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Raise your arms until elbows are extended, moving weights until they almost touch above your head.
• Return back to the starting position, with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Repeat for eight to 12 reps!

Triceps Lift

To tone your triceps and upper back, go for the simple chest-opening triceps lift.

• Clasp either end of one dumbbell with both hands.
• Fold at your hips, engage your core, and keep the weight off your lower back.
• Lift the weight up toward the ceiling, holding for a second.
• Lower to the back to the starting position with the weight lifted off your lower back.
• Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps!

Keep reading for one more beginner-friendly dumbbell exercise.

The free weights section of the gym can be a bit daunting thanks to floor-to-ceiling mirrors, stacks of barbells and dumbbells, and a crowd of bodybuilding types. But the benefits of free weight exercises are great, so it's important to boost your dumbbell confidence. Here are five reasons you should take a break from the weight machines:

1. Your know more than you think you know. There aren't any black-and-white guidelines for using free weights, but that's no reason to walk away, since free weight exercises are based on the popular moves you already know, like squats, lunges, chest press, shoulder press, bicep, and triceps curls. Plus, any additional movements that you usually perform on weight machines can also be done with free weights — with the added physical benefit (and challenge) of maintaining your stability.
2. It's not all about the pounds. Balance is one of the biggest benefits of free weights, and you don't need to be lifting twenty pounds to see results. Grab light dumbbells and perform standard exercises on one foot to strengthen the stabilizing muscles that are often overlooked.

Keep reading for more reasons to use free weights.

If you're looking to tone up for bathing suit season, having your own set of dumbbells at home will motivate you to squeeze in reps whenever you have a few spare minutes. You can do all the strength training exercises you've learned here on FitSugar, moves from your personal trainer, and ones from fitness DVDs, but you'll quickly realize something — you'll zoom through 50 reps of easier moves like bicep curls, but may struggle to do eight reps of more challenging exercises like chest-opening triceps lifts.

When you're strength training, certain muscles are stronger than others, so that means modifying your routine with different weights in order to target your muscles effectively. I keep a set of six-, eight-, and 10-pound weights on hand, and depending on the difficulty of the exercise and the strength of my muscles, I change up the weight. You'll know the dumbbell is the correct weight when your muscles become fatigued after 10 to 12 reps. Follow that rule when lifting and you'll spend less time pumping iron, but will achieve quicker results.

Weight training is a slippery slope for a lot of women. Many are afraid of bulking up and skip it altogether, while others — including actress Kristen Bell — use lighter weights to avoid looking too muscular. The accepted logic is that heavier weights equal big muscles and using lighter weights is the best way to slim down and maintain "womanly" tone. Not so, says a recent article in the New York Times: using heavier weights is more slimming than you think.

First things first. The article challenges the notion that lifting big weights means you're going to get big muscles. There is a reason that bodybuilders are so fond of those mega-calorie extreme protein shakes; if you want to go big, you have to eat big. Those bulked up folks you see now and again are probably eating an excess of 2,000 calories a day.

To find out what weights you should be lifting to lose body fat, read more

Today's lesson: be careful when strength training. Research findings show that injuries related to weight training have increased by almost 50 percent between 1990 and 2007. During this period, US emergency rooms treated almost 100,000 weight-training injuries — about 6,000 per year. The good news for women is that men suffered the brunt of the injuries, making up 82 percent of the group. Individuals between the ages of 13 and 24 came in second, accounting for almost half of those injured.

The report, which was published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, says that almost all of the injuries were caused by people using free weights, and most often because the weights were dropped on someone. Luckily, the majority of the injuries weren't too serious — sprains and strains — but a sprain is serious enough to set your fitness regimen back a few weeks.

To avoid injury, consult a trainer on proper technique when using free weights. Also make sure you are lifting the right amount of weight when working out. If it isn't possible to consult a trainer, limit your chances of injury by using weight machines, resistance bands, or doing strengthening moves that require no equipment. If you do hurt yourself, make sure to take care of your sports injury in the best way possible.

Eva Mendes, to me, always looks great: a little bit curvy, nice tone, and always sexy. She also has arms to die for! Health magazine reveals the exercise Eva does for tank top worthy shoulders is punch-ups.

• Hold a weight in each hand with palms facing your cheeks.
• Keep your right fist by your cheek and raise your left fist towards the ceiling, then lower. As you lower your left fist, raise your right fist — essentially you are punching upwards towards the sky. That's one rep.
• Start off by doing 25 reps at a moderate pace. As you feel more comfortable, increase the pace and number of your reps by increments of 25.

Another great exercise to get a back and shoulders like Eva is our upright row with overhead shoulder press.