Db Weight

tulips_and_tea

sgt1372 wrote: »

Do you guys who take exception to my comment really believe you can build OVERALL muscle mass just using dumbbells?

If so, that's nonsense and you will be doing any beginner (like the OP) a disservice by telling him that he can do so.

Yeah, you can do bro-curls, flys, lunges and overhead presses w/dumbbells BUT have you ever seen anyone doing a deadlift or squat with them? NOT!

And have you ever tried to "bench" a pair of 100# dumbbells as opposed to a 45# barbell loaded w/155# of plates?

Pretty difficult for most people to bench a pair of 100#ers w/o spotters on each side to help get the dumbbells up to press position.

IMO, you can only build mass by (at a minimum) lifting the heavy weight -- a lot heavier than you can w/dumbbells -- (combined w/a caloric surplus) using barbells and plates (which is what I meant by "free weights) doing the basic time-tested heavy compound lifts -- most notably the DL, SQT and BP.

That's certainly all a beginner needs to do and the best route for such a person would be to just start w/a beginning barbell program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts (which only add OHP, Rows or PCs into the mix).

As an accessory lift, using dumbbells can be helpful to work develop specific body parts, like the arms, chest and maybe the calves and quads (or for Farmer's walks, suitcase or overhead carries) but for overall muscular development nothing is better IMO than a barbell and plates.

If you disagree, go for it but I still think you'll have a hard time developing any mass by using dumbbells alone and no beginner should be encouraged to attempt do so.

I do. All the time. I use dumbbells exclusively at home and the majority of the time at the gym. My muscle strength and definition is just fine and I can continue to progress.

lorrpb

stanmann571 wrote: »

sgt1372 wrote: »

Pretty difficult for most people to bench a pair of 100#ers w/o spotters on each side to help get the dumbbells up to press position.

TR0berts wrote: »

Yeah, but you'd work up that weight, so it likely wouldn't be nearly as much of a big deal. Additionally, one might not ever need to get to that weight anyway, since volume can be manipulated many other ways.

I don't know that it's any harder for someone who's been progressing appropriately to get 100# or 120 or 140's into position than to get 35s or 55s into position. Once you've learned the correct technique, it's just technique.

And the half deadlift necessary to get the hundo from the floor to the start position probably works a lot more useful and interesting accessory muscles than doing the 200 lb bar.

I bench with DB all the time and do struggle with getting into position. I didn't know there was a "correct" or preferred technique and have invented my own that I feel safe with. Can you describe the preferred technique or post a video? . TIA

jseams1234

This is the method I use. My gym frowns on dropping them - from any height.

https://youtu.be/1XDxtAOAIrQ

MegaMooseEsq

jseams1234 wrote: »

This is the method I use. My gym frowns on dropping them - from any height.

https://youtu.be/1XDxtAOAIrQ

This is what I’ve been doing as well, although I’m not using dumbbells quite that heavy. I’m not sure my powerblocks would stand up to being dropped from any real distance. Honestly, I feel like there must be some nuance to @sgt1372’s comment that I’m missing, because I know you’re a smart guy and you’ve given me good advice in the past. Dumbbells aren’t necessarily ideal for beginners across the board, but they certainly have use and you can absolutely build some strength and muscle with them. Isn’t the definition of “novice gains” that the untrained beginner can make gains with almost any halfway decent program?

I doubt that I’d have been able to lift a barbell when I started lifting (waaaaay back in the beginning of March), and since I work out at home, dumbbells made much more sense as a starting point. I’m not doing exactly the same exercise as a barbell squat, for example, but I’ve gained noticeable strength and definition moving from dumbbell squats to goblet and now rear foot elevated (my *kitten* is still killing me from my first go at those with weight the day before yesterday). Yeah, I spent maybe a month lifting quite small amounts of weight in absolute measures, but I consider it time well spent “building a base” as it were.

lorrpb

That’s pretty similar to how I start but the end is better.

stanmann571

Since I can't see the video,

1. Start from a seated position. NOT laying down. This is also the finish position
2. Bring the dumbells to your knees, either separately or individually.
3. As you lay back, use your knees and rotate/slide the bells into position. With heavier bells there may be somewhat of a kip involved.
4. Do your presses.
5. Bring your knees back up. so that the bells are in contact with your thighs
6. Rotate the bells as you sit up, don't try to lift the bells so much as rotate them on their axis towards your knees. Again with heavier bells there may be a small kip. When you find the appropriate intersection of sitting and rotating, you'll actually find it easier to sit up than if you didn't have the weights(they'll sort of pull you along).


I prefer to pull the bells up rather than trying to curl them, sort of a half row/deadlift.