The weights room has a reputation for being a bit intimidating, but using barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells shouldn’t scare you. If you are nervous to lift at the gym, you can buy a couple of sets of weights to include in your home workouts – you’ll be able to build strength all the same.

Data from PureGym shows that a third of people think the most intimidating area of the gym is the squat rack, followed by the pull-up machine and then the bench press. On top of that, over 40% of people say they’re most nervous about looking like they don’t know what they’re doing. That’s a difficult conundrum: if you’re a beginner, you probably don’t know what you’re doing… and if that fear puts you off trying, you’ll always stay a beginner. 

The solution? Well, we suggest either buying a set of dumbbells to use at home or firing up a powerful playlist, sticking on your headphones and marching into the weights room with a plan of action. Check out the six fundamental dumbbell moves below – all of which are guaranteed to build strength in key areas, improve range of motion and build confidence to try other exercises in the future.