Dumbbell Weight Training

mrnedburns

Hello,

I'm on week 8 of a dumbbell workout routine from building-muscle101.com and all is going well. I've lost enough weight to be within a healthy BMI and am currently more interested in getting stronger rather than losing weight. I've moved up considerably in most exercises to the point where my 50lb dumbbells don't seem to be enough. The routine calls for 3 sets of 8 - 12 reps depending on the exercise. One I can easily do all sets/reps with the 50 pounders, is it still benefiting me to keep doing it? I've added a few sets to make it more like 5 sets of 12 to get to the point where I'm at my limit.

I guess my question is... can I build muscle by increasing the count of what I'm doing rather than increasing the amount of weight I'm lifting? These dumbbells are getting awfully expensive (about $1 per pound) and I've already got increments of 5 from 5 to 50.

Also... I tried the adjustable dumbbells at the sporting goods store and found them to be too awkward. I'm liking the hex weights I have.

Thanks for any replies, and good luck in your own fitness plan!

Martoch

Don't add sets...add reps. Your last few reps should be "felt" if you know what I mean. Do 15-18 if needed to feel the burn. I don't think you'll benefit nearly as much by adding sets because you're still not getting to a point where you're struggling to lift the weight on the last few reps.

Cyclink

I'll tell you a crazy thing that a coach once had me do:
For building endurance, there's no such thing as "too many reps" in a set. How many times do you step while running? Pedal while cycling?

He had me do leg presses at 40% of my best 5-rep weight (40% of 1000 pounds = 400 pounds) to exhaustion. I got to 75.... and then couldn't stand up for 5 minutes.

mrnedburns

But that would be harder

I'll bump up the reps and see how that goes. I know it's sure going to burn, but not as much as $120 for my next pair of dumbbells! Will this continually build muscle? (doing reps until near failure)

Thanks for the replies

heybales

Dittos.

Studies have shown it's the to failure part that counts, even if you have to get up to 20 reps.

Obviously at some point you are slightly training endurance type muscle, but not that much more.
Of course a difference of time too. 5 min of squats or a 4 hr run might leave the quads feeling the same way, but hard to fit in 4 hr every other day, and to recovery that quickly.

As long as you are sore the next day and do something else to allow those muscles to repair stronger, you got it.

Doing 1-legged squats yet with that 100 lbs?

Martoch

Will this continually build muscle? (doing reps until near failure)

Yes...it's what I do. Would you believe me if I said my highest dumbbell is only 40lbs by the way I look? It's true!

Yogi_Carl

Its really refreshing to read a post that is not rambling on about the heavy lifting 5 x 5 doctrine! I do a bodyweight program and at my stage I am still seeing progress in strength and weight loss. As you say - it is the last few reps that build the muscle and sets of 8 - 12 or more have to be safer and kinder on the joints than subjecting the body to extreme weights.

how long before THEY get wind of this and chime in!

AverageUkDude

Will this continually build muscle? (doing reps until near failure)

Yes...it's what I do. Would you believe me if I said my highest dumbbell is only 40lbs by the way I look? It's true!

Must say ive been having similar results doing the same, i dont like the feel of heavy weights so started to increase reps till it burns and in the last month ive shown good gains all round.

IronSmasher

I strap resistance bands to dumbbells that aren't heavy enough.

You'll hit a dead end eventually, unless endurance is your aim.

Farburnfred

OP can you link me to the workout? Please, I am only able to use dumbbells so interested to find different routines

mrnedburns

OP can you link me to the workout? Please, I am only able to use dumbbells so interested to find different routines

http://www.building-muscle101.com/dumbbell-workout-routine.html

I pretty much just google "building muscle 101 dumbbell workout" whenever I need to look at it again. I've made a spreadsheet I printout that tracks each exercises results per week. I printed a dozen sheets and keep them in a binder by my weight bench, which is just a simple weight bench (no rack for a bar).

heybales

Its really refreshing to read a post that is not rambling on about the heavy lifting 5 x 5 doctrine! I do a bodyweight program and at my stage I am still seeing progress in strength and weight loss. As you say - it is the last few reps that build the muscle and sets of 8 - 12 or more have to be safer and kinder on the joints than subjecting the body to extreme weights.

how long before THEY get wind of this and chime in!

Very true on return on investment when you start adding too much, plus more chance of injury.

This was interesting.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Research.html

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/LowVolumeTraining.html

literatelier

Saving for later...some links I want to read.

jaz050465

I THINK Chalean Extreme is just dumbells.

anemoneprose

I think you can achieve failure with a lot of reps, but *too* many also increases risk of injury, because of the repetitive movements. (I think it's fine to do 50-100 reps of something one day, but maybe not every day or every other day.)

I read somewhere (exrx maybe, or Lyle McDonald's blog) that 8-20 is a reasonable # of reps for a new lifter, or someone worried about injury - gives enough time to learn movements without overtaxing the connective tissues. Something to think about if you're older than 25.

Even with dumbbells, there are of course other ways to increase difficulty, as mentioned - single leg or dynamic, multi-movement exercises, playing with tempo (going more quickly or slowly), finishing a set with static holds - but it's not as easy to quantify progress, and take some coordination (not nec a lot, but not a little).

The big muscles (legs) might get used to things quickly.

I think you could get pretty far with the DBs for a few months, but may want a BB bar & plates eventually. Without a rack, you can do deadlifts, and at least front squats (up to a certain weight, but they're apparently harder to do than back squats [which I can't talk about bc I won't ever do bc of neck probs] so you can't take much with them anyway).

If you get into quite heavy lifting, you might want a gym for safety reasons - cage, maybe a spotter - & of course the cost of the weights.

I've been accumulating plates to use with my barbell on an as-needed basis, and can see this working for me for maybe a year or two. And I'm increasing load SLOWLY.

TavistockToad

bump for the link!

GuybrushThreepw00d

Increase the weight, buy new dumb bells... Or adapt the program and buy a barbell.

Marmitegeoff

es it is the exercise to failure that is good. On the last set just keep going to see how many more you can do, then up the reps in eash set to 75% of that and see where that gets you to.

snowbike

Bumped for later

Farburnfred

many Thanks. will give it a go!

happycauseIride

Bumping to read later when I have more time.

ATclassof2021

You can find cheap DB/BB on Craigslist......

JSheehy1965

Looked at the link - that looks pretty great for workouts

bokodasu

If you want to go heavier, just hang on for a couple more months - it's almost exercise-equipment-shopping-season on Craigslist! (Should hit around mid- to late- February, when everyone gives up on their resolutions and their SOs make them get rid of all that junk cluttering up the garage.)