If there's not enough time in the day to get to the gym or the money in your budget to invest in big ticket exercise equipment, it might be a good idea to design a home dumbbell workout. When done correctly, a dumbbell workout can be a simple and cheaper way to meet your fitness goals quickly and for the long haul.

So, how can you create the optimal at-home dumbbell workout routine for your needs? Keep the following ideas in mind:

For starters, you're going to want to figure out what you want the end result of your dumbbell workout to be. Do you want rippling muscles or wear tank tops without embarrassment?

To the same end, you're going to need to ask yourself, or even ask a trainer, what you can get out of your routine. Some ladies can build their muscles to the same mass as a man can while some men struggle to achieve any additional muscle mass on their arms.

Once you've figured out the best results for you, you'll be ready to add a a dumbbell workout to your exercise regimen. Just like you would when starting any new workout, to lessen the risk of your getting hurt and get the best results you can, make sure you are trained on how to use the equipment beforehand. You can take a class with a trainer at your local gym, purchase an instructional DVD or or even view a how-to video online. Just make sure you take the time to workout using the proper form before you start doing them regularly. It's also important to make sure you check with your doctor to be certain you're in the clear.

Finally, in order to further minimize your risk of strain and your risk of getting discouraged and quitting for that matter, you need to take your time. Quality dumbbell workout programs are usually spread out over a period of at least 90 days and move up from beginner level exercises to intermediate to advanced and then to expert. You should begin by doing just a single set of each exercise with 10-15 reps. Over time, you'll be able to do 8 sets.