The One Mistake Women Make with Dumbbells

 

If you’ve been showing up consistently but not seeing the strength or definition you want, this episode might just reveal why. The most common mistake I see women make with dumbbells? Going too light,  for too long.

We’ve been told that heavier weights make women “bulky,” that lighter ones are for “toning,” or that cardio is the safer path to fitness. But those myths are holding you back from building the strong, confident body you actually want.

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly why lifting too light stalls your progress and what to do instead so you can finally start seeing real change.

Here’s what we’re diving into:

  • Why light weights don’t trigger the muscle or metabolism changes you’re working for

  • The science of progressive overload and how to apply it to your workouts

  • How to know if your dumbbells are actually heavy enough

  • The difference between training for endurance vs. building strength and muscle

  • How to safely level up your lifts without fear of injury or “bulking up”

  • The role structure plays in ensuring you keep progressing month after month

If you’ve been stuck in the “light weights only” cycle, this episode will give you the clarity, confidence, and strategy to finally level up, without overcomplicating it.

🎧 Want more? Check out these episodes:

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

00:00

Hey, hey, beautiful human, Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace your Real podcast.

00:36

Today we're diving into something that I see all the time and maybe you're doing it right now without even realizing it. Can you guess? Okay, here it is the biggest mistake that women make with dumbbells. Spoiler alert it's picking up weights that are way too light. Now, before you feel called out, let me just say I get it Like.

00:58

We've been told for decades that heavy weights are going to make us bulky, those pink five pound dumbbells are for toning, or that cardio is the safer way to get fit. And listen those myths. They run deep, but the truth is that using weights that are too light is one of the biggest reasons that women spin their wheels in the gym. They never see progress that they deserve or build the body that they want. So that's why, in today's episode, I'm going to be breaking it down for you. I'm going to be breaking down why lifting light all the time won't change your body the way that you want, the science of progressive overload and why it matters for women, how to know if your dumbbells are actually heavy enough, the difference between training for endurance versus training for strength and muscle and, of course, how to safely level up without fear of injury or bulking. By the end of this episode, hopefully, you will have clarity on how to finally stop wasting time with too light of weights and how to start building the strong, confident body that we've been working for.

01:59

But first I want to dive into this review because it was so nice. It came from Black Unicorn 1974. That's a unique name. Love it so much. She gave a five-star review and said just what I need.

02:13

I don't know how Julie does it, but she always seems to cover topics and I listen to them just at the right time. From how to lose weight properly to how to lift weight properly, to how to just feel better about yourself. In general, julie covers it. I've also been following her workouts on her Movement With Julie app, and I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger every week. Thank you, julie, for what you do. I really appreciate it. Oh, my goodness, I love this so much.

02:36

First of all, I'm so grateful that these episodes are helping you. That is always. The goal is to create episodes that will help you, encourage you, educate you, motivate you. So I sincerely appreciate that. And also, just taking time out of your day. I know your guys' schedules are so busy and so the fact that you take a couple minutes out of your day to send in a review really does mean the world to me and our team Just kind of know how the podcast maybe a specific episode or just in general how it's helping you. So, specific episode or just in general how it's helping you. So thank you in advance for doing that. You can scooch over to Apple Podcasts, type in, embrace your Real First, make sure you subscribe so that you never miss an episode when they come out, and then you can also scroll all the way down and leave that writing interview.

03:13

All right, let's just dive right in. So number one why? Light weights don't cut it. So here's the thing your body only changes when it has a reason to. If you grab the same five pound dumbbells week after week, month after month, your body's going to adapt and have no reason to get stronger or build muscle or change shape. Muscle growth, by the way, muscle is what gives your body that sculpted tone look. And that happens through something called progressive overload, and this just means gradually increasing the stress placed on your muscles over time. So, whether that's by lifting heavier or doing more reps or slowing down your tempo, without that overload you're basically coasting. You're burning fewer calories, sure, but you're also not signaling to your body to build or protect muscle. And muscle is what drives your metabolism. It keeps your joints stable, it helps you age with strength and independence. So if you've been lifting weights and wondering why you're not seeing definition or strength gains, that's probably why.

04:12

Number two, the science of progressive overload. I want to break this down without the confusing science-y jargon. Trust me, I get it. We got to keep things simple to understand it. I want you to think of your muscles like students in school. If you keep handing them first grade math problems, they're going to ace them, sure, but they'll never move past first grade. They need harder problems to actually grow smarter, and that's exactly how your muscles work. They need progressively harder challenges if you want them to grow stronger, and that's what progressive overload means in real life. It doesn't have to be complicated, it's things like lifting weight that actually challenges you. So by the last two to three reps of your set you should feel like you're working, not collapsing, but not brazing through them either.

04:54

If you could keep repping it forever, that weight is absolutely too light. Tracking what you do, so whether that's in an app, a notebook, your phone notes writing down your sets and reps, is going to give you proof of progress. You cannot improve what you don't measure. And really tracking does keep you honest in this. Lastly, gradually leveling up. So maybe this month you press 10-pound dumbbells. Maybe next month you press 10 pound dumbbells. Maybe next month you move to 12 pound Eventually. Maybe in a few months you're pressing 15 pounds. Those small jumps add up to huge strength gains over time.

05:26

And here's a fun fact that most women underestimate how strong they actually are, especially in their lower body. Your legs and your glutes can actually handle way more than you think Like if you get past your mindset. Your legs and your glutes can actually handle way more than you think Like if you get past your mindset. Your legs, and your glutes in particular, are so strong, and that's why you might find yourself doing these endless squats with body weight or tiny dumbbells but not actually seeing changes in your glutes or legs. The muscle isn't being asked to grow and the bottom line is challenge is what creates change? Right? Your body adapts to whatever that you are asking of it. So if you're asking it to stay comfortable, it's going to stay comfortable. If you ask it to get stronger, it will rise to the challenge and get stronger.

06:06

Number three is how to know if your weights are heavy enough. Here's a reality check If you can breeze past those 12 reps without breaking a sweat, losing focus or the last two reps feeling fairly easy, your weights are probably too light and by the end of your set, you should be feeling like you could maybe crank out one or two more reps max with solid form, but definitely not five or 10 more. And that's what we call training close to failure, and it's where the real progress happens. Another way to test yourself is to pay attention to your progress over time. So if you've been using the same weights for months, but your strength or your energy or your muscle definition just hasn't changed. That's a sign that it's time to go heavier. Your body is likely adapted and, without upping the challenge, it has no reason to keep changing.

06:51

And here's something that most women don't realize you don't need a giant rack of dumbbells or a commercial gym to make progress. Even the smallest jump, like moving from eight pounds to 10 pounds or 12 pounds, that's going to give your body a fresh signal to grow, and those little increases compound over time into real transformation. I actually have an episode on this, and I will go ahead and link it in the show notes that you can go check it out, but it's really how to include progressive overload into your workouts if you don't have heavier weights. So, again, I will go ahead and link that in the show notes so that you can check that out. With that being said, though, this is why I love the programming inside my Movement With Julie app, because inside the app, you have the ability to progress in your workouts, because you're tracking all of your weights and your sets and your reps. So when you see that same movement next time, you can say, okay, last time did I do 10 reps of 10 pounds, this time it's asking for 12 reps Do I still want to stay at that 10 pounds or do I want to up it to 12 pounds? And you're really able to make those decisions for yourself and you can have that progression built into those workouts by making that decision. And so this app is really going to help you to lift safely but also consistently heavier over time. And when you do have the ability to track and look back on your progress like look back on your history of what you logged you will have the consistency in lifting heavier over time, and that's how you're going to keep building muscle and strength and confidence without plateauing.

08:25

Number four is endurance versus strength and muscles. So here's where the nuance really matters. Lightweights and high reps are not bad. They build muscular endurance, which is your ability to keep going for a longer period of time. I want you to think about holding a plank or banging out 20 plus body weight squats or carrying grocery bags to the car. That's endurance at work. It's useful, especially for daily life, but endurance training does not send the same signal to your body as strength training. So if your goal is to build lean muscle, boost your metabolism and change the way that your body looks and how you feel, then you're gonna need to challenge your muscles with more load. And that's where heavier dumbbells and that progressive overload can come in. And here's where the science is made simple right. Endurance work teaches your muscle fibers to last longer, while strength work recruits the bigger, stronger fibers that actually grow in size and shape, and those fibers are the ones that are going to sculpt that definition, improve your bone density and raise your resting metabolism.

09:28

So the real question isn't are lightweights bad?

09:32

It's. Are lightweights enough for the results that I want? And if you're chasing a leaner, stronger, more defined body, the answer is probably no. Heavier weights heavy for you, not compared to anybody else. That's the non-negotiable Number five how to safely level up.

09:49

Now I know some of you guys might feel nervous about lifting heavier. Maybe you've had injuries in the past, maybe you've been told that your form isn't perfect, or maybe even you're afraid of bulking up. Here is the reframe. Heavier does not mean reckless. Heavier means challenging for you. Here's some proven strategies to do it safely and effectively. So number one is use the last two rules. So pick up a weight where by the last two reps of your set, you are challenged but you are still able to maintain good form If you could crank out five to six more without struggling, that weight is too light for that lift. If you can't even hit your target reps with control and you're not able to perform it with the correct form, that weight is too heavy.

10:32

Progress in small increments Most women think that they have to jump from 10 pounds to 20 pounds. That is not true. Even a two to five pound increase signals your body to adapt. So those micro progressions, those add up to big changes over weeks and months. And lastly, prioritizing form under fatigue. So science shows that the slow, controlled reps with good mechanics, that's gonna recruit more muscle fibers than fast, sloppy ones. So if you feel your form breaking down, stop the set right there. Quality over quantity every single time.

11:08

And if you want to check out, I have an episode, it's kind of an OG episode, episode 13,. How much weight should I be lifting? That is a super in-depth kind of playbook on increasing your weight and how. So I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below so that you can go check that one out as well. But here's some peace of mind as women we don't have the testosterone levels to suddenly bulk up. So what we build instead is lean, defined muscle that makes us look sculpted, strong and powerful.

11:35

Now, if all of this really does sound overwhelming tracking reps, figuring out when to increase the weight, mixing rep ranges I have an app for you Inside my Movement. With Julie app, you are going to have all of your workouts already laid out for you and you are able to track all of your weights and then you can look back when you see that program or when you see that movement programmed again. You're able to look back at the history and be like okay, last time I can't remember what I lifted, oh good, I tracked it in the app and I'm able to look at my history so that you can implement that progressive overload. There's no second guessing, no wondering if you're lifting it up. You're literally just opening up the app and you're following it and knowing that you're getting the right balance of challenge and progression to keep you building that strong, confident body that you want.

12:21

Number six is where structure comes in right. So here's the reality. If you're just swinging it with dumbbells, it's way too easy to grab the same weights, do the same reps and stay in the same place month after month after month. That's why so many women feel like they're putting in the effort but not actually seeing the change because their body has already adapted. That's another reason why I created the movement with Julie app. So every workout inside that app is going to literally have a plan that will tell you how to do the movement and then you'll be able again to open up that history app and see what weight you lifted. So you can push yourself harder and when you recover, your body's actually responding, because you're pushing yourself hard in your workouts but you're also giving yourself time to recover. So whether you're at home with a few pair of dumbbells or you love working out at a gym, you will always know that you're moving forward instead of just spinning your wheels. No more guessing, no more random workouts a step-by-step path to real strength, muscle and confidence. So there you have it. The one mistake that women make with dumbbells is just going too light for too long. Remember that light weights don't force change.

13:25

Progressive overload is the key to muscle metabolism and results. Heavy enough means challenging by the last few reps, not breezing through them. Endurance has its place, but strength and muscle require more load. And, last but not least, structure keeps you accountable and ensures that you're progressing instead of plateauing. Again, I will link in the show notes below what women get most wrong about progressive overload episode 566. And then also episode 13, how much weight should I be lifting? So I will go ahead and link those in the show notes that you can easily go check those out. And I also have another episode that I will link. I cannot remember it for the life of me, the number of it, but it's also how to progressive overload when you don't have access to heavier weight. So I will go ahead and link that one as well. So you'll have three episodes to listen to after this.

14:17

I hope that this was helpful for you. I love you so dang much. I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace a real, because you're worth it.

 
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