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

First, it's important to decide on the results you're looking to achieve with your dumbbell workout. Do you want huge, muscular arms or feel more comfortable wearing sleeveless dresses again?

At the same time, you should ask yourself, or consider asking for guidance from a professional trainer, what your arms are capable of achieving. A good number of women can build their muscles to the same mass as a man can while some men can't do reps with a dumbbell that weighs more than ten pounds.

Once you've decided how and what you're going to achieve, you can start a dumbbell workout to your workout routine. As you would when starting any other new exercise routine, to lessen the risk of your getting hurt and get maximum results, it's best that you learn how to properly use the equipment first. You can take a class with a trainer at your local gym, go out and buy a how-to DVD or or even download a podcast on iTunes. No matter what, you need to set time aside to learn how to do the exercises properly before you start doing them regularly. It's also important to make sure you check with your doctor to avoid any potential health risks you might not be aware of.

Finally, in order to further minimize your risk of strain and your risk of getting discouraged and quitting for that matter, it's important to start slow. The best dumbbell workout programs take at least 3 months to achieve an advanced level of exercise. To begin with, you should only be doing one set of every exercise with 10-15 reps. It won't take long before, you'll build your stamina to achieve up to 8 sets of each exercise.