Using Dumbells Exclusively?
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shellfly
Posts: 186
Has anyone read this book: Ultimate Dumbbell Exercise (http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Ultimate-Dumbbell-Guide/dp/159486487X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367715845&sr=8-1&keywords=ultimate+dumbbell+guide)? My husband recently bought it on Kindle. We've been talking a lot about what we want to do going forward to progress with our strength training, and he thinks that maybe we should just stick to using dumbells.
I've been doing a combination of bodyweight and dumbell exercises for a few months now via Nike+Kinect. He's recently started using his dumbells again for various exercises, and he feels like he needs to go heavier than what we have. For me right now, I'm still progressing with the dumbells we have, but I know I'll need to go heavier too at some point. I would be fine with going to the gym to utilize their free weights, but my husband really doesn't want to do that (prefers to workout privately). We really don't have room in our house for big equipment like a squat cage, although I think maybe if we really went through our garage and got rid of some stuff, we could put something in there.
From what this book has said though, he thinks we can make all the progress we need to with dumbells alone, and he's inclined to go with an Ironmaster, as it doesn't take up much space and can accomodate a lot of weight without being as awkwardly sized as some of the other options. I don't doubt that a man can go a very long distance with dumbells, but I'm just wondering if it's the same for a woman.
One thing I've noticed as I start lifting heavier dumbells is that my grip may become an issue. It seems like it's not keeping up with my ability to lift - like I will notice the dumbell slipping around a bit in my hand which makes it more difficult to hold it properly for the lift. Will my grip eventually catch up, or can I train it to catch up? Or am I eventually going to hit a wall where I won't be able to handle the dumbells with proper form and should be using a barbell instead? Are there any other issues or concerns when it comes to women using dumbells (or anyone using dumbells for that matter) as their primary weight lifting option?
I've been doing a combination of bodyweight and dumbell exercises for a few months now via Nike+Kinect. He's recently started using his dumbells again for various exercises, and he feels like he needs to go heavier than what we have. For me right now, I'm still progressing with the dumbells we have, but I know I'll need to go heavier too at some point. I would be fine with going to the gym to utilize their free weights, but my husband really doesn't want to do that (prefers to workout privately). We really don't have room in our house for big equipment like a squat cage, although I think maybe if we really went through our garage and got rid of some stuff, we could put something in there.
From what this book has said though, he thinks we can make all the progress we need to with dumbells alone, and he's inclined to go with an Ironmaster, as it doesn't take up much space and can accomodate a lot of weight without being as awkwardly sized as some of the other options. I don't doubt that a man can go a very long distance with dumbells, but I'm just wondering if it's the same for a woman.
One thing I've noticed as I start lifting heavier dumbells is that my grip may become an issue. It seems like it's not keeping up with my ability to lift - like I will notice the dumbell slipping around a bit in my hand which makes it more difficult to hold it properly for the lift. Will my grip eventually catch up, or can I train it to catch up? Or am I eventually going to hit a wall where I won't be able to handle the dumbells with proper form and should be using a barbell instead? Are there any other issues or concerns when it comes to women using dumbells (or anyone using dumbells for that matter) as their primary weight lifting option?
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Replies
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I love working with dumbells and I use gloves to keep my grip. Just watch your form more than the weight and you will see progress. When we lift to heavy or too many reps. we can lose form. Hope this helps. Feel free to FR me if you wish, :-)0
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I love working with free weights. I also have run into problems with keeping my grip long enough to finish my reps when I start using heavier weights. I use gloves to keep my hands from getting tender from the grip, but I have some straps I bought for helping me hold heavier weights longer. You can find them at any fitness store or online. They are pretty cheap and easy to use once you figure out how to do it properly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPLEloCs8sI he explains how to put them on properly on your wrist and around the dumbbell. 0 -
I use straps for heavy DB/BB workouts. They help a lot, although some types are awkward to use. Free weights are my preference for workouts, and that is what I have at home (generic bowflex DB set to save space and a 5' BB set). When I do go to the gym I use machines a lot of time just to change things up from what I have at home, though.0
