New to Lifting: Deadlift Question

maQmIgh

Hi All,

I've decided now is the time to start lifting to help with definition.

Ive read up on deadlifting and would like to give this a go... Problem is, I quit my gym membership 2 months ago due to not being able to afford it (Ive always been in debt and due to shiftwork had not used my gym membership in 4 months, so decided to quit the membership and send the money towards clearing the debt once and for all)

I am unable to buy a Barbell due to lack of space for use (I live with the boyfriend and his family (parents and brother), Space is at a premium.

I do, however, own a set of Dumbells (Heaviest being 2x 4.5Kg) I have read that I am able to dead press these instead and have the same effect.


My Question(s)

Do I need to apprach the deadlift differently due to using dumbells?
are the 4.5Kg dumbells heavy enough for a noobie?
and
Could someone suggest a good number of Sets and Reps to start off with?

Many Thanks in advance to all

xxx

fireytiger

I started out using dumbbells when I started doing strength training, simply because I was not strong enough to lift a barbell yet. But honestly, if you want to really make progress with deadlifts, you NEED access to a barbell in my experience. It is much harder to do deadlifts with dumbbells, and not having that single stable bar to lift makes it harder to handle. Once I gave up on the dumbbells and was able to move on to the barbell, it was SO much better. See if you can find a low cost gym near you, I go to my local community center, they have a great weight room and I only spend 20 a month for myself.

deksgrl

You need to be able to increase weight. Do you have adjustable dumbbells with a variety of weights? You could start with that but you would quickly grow out of it. Most people starting with a barbell are starting with the weight of the bar (typically about 44 pounds) and then are adding 5 pounds each time they lift.

richardheath

You can deal lift with dumbbells, but 9 kg is not going to cut it for long. As others have said, you want to adding weight each time, and many newbies end up pulling their own body weight pretty quickly.

A typical program for gaining strength will have you doing 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps (with a weight as heavy as you can handle to do those sets with good form). If you are up in the 20+ rep range, it's cardio, not strength training.

You might want to consider other options if getting a bar (or at least a heavier set of dumbbells) is out of the question for now.

maQmIgh

Thanks guys

Ive taken on board all of your comments... And it looks like ill be squirming my way back to my gym for another membership lol.

I have just found out that I have a friend who is also a member of my local gym and he is currently lifting, so hes willing to help me as well.

All your comments are much apreciated

deksgrl

Look at Strong Lifts 5 x 5 as a free program to start with, it is for beginners.