Feather-light dumbbells get a pretty bad rap these days. With heavy weights becoming the norm for women everywhere—which, by the way, is so awesome—we sometimes scoff at the sight of teeny, tiny dumbbells.
On the one hand, I get it—and am totally guilty of it myself. I personally don’t think banging out biceps curls with something as light as a soup can is the most effective use of someone’s time, especially when their goal is building muscle or burning fat. But that’s not to say there’s never a time or place for going light. (Torch fat, get fit, and look and feel great with Women's Health's All in 18 DVD!)
RELATED: 'I Lifted Heavy with the Man Who Helps Victoria's Secret Models Get Toned'
Try this circuit once and you’ll see what I mean. The idea here is that by using lighter resistance (I opt for five-pounders), you can keep your tempo and intensity up while also increasing muscle activation in spots that would have been under-utilized in a bodyweight routine (think your shoulders, arms, and core).
That combo seriously drives up the metabolic effect of this workout. So grab those itty-bitty 'bells and get ready to blast some fat.
