Squats Deadlifts & Lunges BUT no bar to use!!!

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BarbaraCarr1981
BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just wondering if Im still gonna benefit from doing those 3 exercises with no barbell being used???? All I have is two 25lb dumbells and they are heavy as hell to hold them both. All my other heavy lifting is done on my universal gym set and im just starting out. Doing 30lbs for some exercices and 40lbs for other exercises. Do I really need a bar bell with big weights on it to benefit from especially deadlifts???? I don't even think most people use weights to do squats or lunges - do they????

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  • kfdowley
    kfdowley Posts: 23 Member
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    You could hold just one dumbbell at your chest? It's still giving you the extra resistance?
  • BarbaraCarr1981
    BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
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    Thx I will try it!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    the trainer at my gym says he does squats holding a 75lb dumbell--that way his shoulder length hair doesn't get caught under a barbell:happy:
  • BarbaraCarr1981
    BarbaraCarr1981 Posts: 903 Member
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    I've also noticed that deadlifts "look" similar to squats BUT i wont be holding weights for squats and squats are more in the glutes/hamstrings. deadlifts seem to be more in the back.
  • Troublemonster
    Troublemonster Posts: 223 Member
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    One great way to do squats without extra weights would be to do jumping squats.

    Squat down with proper squat form, chest up and butt out at the same time. Concentrate on keeping your weight over your heels or at least on the back half of your feet. Then spring up and leave the ground while fully extending. As you land allow yourself to collapse back into the squat with proper form and repeat as many times as you can. You will feel this in your hamstrings just like a weighted squat. I do these as a warm up on my squat days in the gym. Even an empty bar will start to feel heavy at about rep 15.

    You could also go buy something like a bag of water softener salt or dog food etc and place that on your shoulders. Just try to get it centered so that you won't be favoring one particular side.

    You were right though, a dead lift is very similar to a squat except for where the weight is placed.

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