Advice on the basics for upper body dumbbell training

jayclock

I have lost a good amount of weight over the last 13 years, got very fit doing triathlons and plateaud at around 88kg (I am 177cm). Lower half is solid muscle upper half quite flabby and man booby! This year I am doing a half and full Ironman (this is 4th IM so I am doing something right) (see here but the "after" picture is flattering to my upper body! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1196706/40lbs-down-got-fit-got-healthy-with-pics#latest )

I already do tons of cardio (swim/bike/run) at about 10-15 hrs per week, plus one pilates class. I do not have the time or money to go to a gym for weights so am looking at dumbbells for upper body

The sites all seem to be aimed at people who understand the basics and do not mention for example what weights to use. I (genuinely) have no idea whether I should do 5 or 40kg and do not want to buy dozens of weights.

I do not have a bench so am looking for a suggestion of a simple program with some easily available dumbbells without a bench. So freestanding I assume

Anyone got any good ideas?

jemhh

I suggest getting dumbbell handles and plates. Your goal is to get stronger, which means upping the weight used on a regular basis. These are similar to what I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ZSS280O?psc=1

Two programs:

* Fierce 5 (note that there are several variations from beginner to advanced, 3-5 day, plus a dumbbell program) - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=162916931&p=1266578971&viewfull=1#post1266578971
* Full body dumbbell routine (note: women and men can use the same rep range.) - https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html

jayclock

Thanks for talking the time to reply. I still have no idea how much weight to start with. And also the suggested progamme is completely incomprehensible to me (ref my comment above about sites assuming people who understand the basics. Take this as an example

OHP 3x5
Flies 3x10
Pullups 3x8
Pendlay Rows 3x8
Face Pulls 3x12/Tricep pressdowns 3x10 Superset

Anyone got any help with something written for novices, no bench needed?

StealthHealth

I know you asked specifically for a dumbbell routine but you don't have to use weights at all, a progressive (*full body) body-weight exercise plan would be suitable.

Convict conditioning and You Are Your Own gym, are two books which provide detailed guidance on each exercise and suitable rep/set ranges for a variety of fitness levels. And, you would need very little equipment (I think a chin up bar is all that is required for YAYOG programs).

not_a_runner

No one can really give you specifics about how much weight you will need for certain exercises, it varies too much person to person.
DB OHP for example, I can use 40-45 lb DB's for sets of 10 or so, but I've been lifting for a while. Most females just starting out would not be able to press that much, so I can't really say "you'll need 40 lbs DB's for OHP." Men can usually use much heavier weights than women, but again it depends on current strength.
Certain upper body exercises I need much lighter weight, sometimes 10-15 lbs.
Best answer I could give is that I use a variety of weights (10-60 lbs DB's) on a regular basis, and most exercises you really just have to try a weight to know what's right for you.

jemhh

jayclock wrote: »

Thanks for talking the time to reply. I still have no idea how much weight to start with. And also the suggested progamme is completely incomprehensible to me (ref my comment above about sites assuming people who understand the basics. Take this as an example

OHP 3x5
Flies 3x10
Pullups 3x8
Pendlay Rows 3x8
Face Pulls 3x12/Tricep pressdowns 3x10 Superset

Anyone got any help with something written for novices, no bench needed?

Read through this: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/how-much-weight-should-you-lift-and-use/

OHP 3 x 5 means that you are doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions (reps.) That means you do 5 reps (do the exercise 5 times), rest, and then do it 5 times, rest, and then do it again 5 times. Then move onto the flies and do 3 sets of 10 reps.

A superset means that you alternate exercises--do 12 face pulls, do 10 pressdowns, do 12 face pulls, etc. I either pause for about 60 seconds after doing one set of each exercise and then repeat or I pause about 45 seconds between each exercise.

If you have time, I would suggest reading more about lifting in general. I really like this site. You read for each page and he links you to the next topic.

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-ultimate-weight-training-workout-routine/

If you have other specific questions, post them. Or just go to Google and type it in. If you type "how much weight should i lift" into Google, you get:

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+much+weight+should+i+lift