Squats with dumbells - Need advice! (SL 5x5) HELP!

my personal recommendation would be to switch to one dumbbell and do goblet squats. i don't know how heavy the weights in your gym go, but you're going to jack up your wrists with one in each hand like that and you're not distributing the weight over a central point like you would be with a bar. the goblet squat fixes those issues.

When I do squats with dumbbells I bring them up to my shoulders with a hammer curl then keep going and rest them on my shoulders in that direction. Really forces you to brace your core.

BUMPING this post because it addressed my initial questions, but I have more:

We have a set of the BowFlex Select Tech dumbbells at home so I have been squatting like the OP. (I've been using around 20lbs each.) The problem is because the dumbbells are adjustable from 5-50lbs, they're pretty cumbersome. So holding them to my sides to squat is hard. Cleaning them onto my shoulders isn't the easiest either, due to both their weight & size. I can, and really should, be squatting more weight but just can't work out the mechanics of how to do that with the equipment we have. But I can manage to do or modify the rest of my workout, so I don't want to (re)join the gym just for this. (Though I'm often tempted.) We had a membership but never went, and invested in this home equipment instead, but its in our guest room so we really have no room to add more right now.

In addition to @DopeItUp's suggested technique & goblet squats, what other ways can we DB squatters modify our moves?

-Bulgarian split squats with = or less weight?

-Can I add weight/balance to a goblet squat, via like, a backpack full of books or something? (I feel like this is just asking to hurt yourself though...)

-Just incorporate more variations?

You can do split squats with equal or more weight (or less weight.) That's really up to your own ability. There's no real correlation so I can't say "do split squats with 40% of the weight of goblet squats" or anything like that.

Are you using the 50 lbs for goblet squats? If you're having trouble lifting it up, you could stand it on its end on a bench, squat down, and start the lift from there.

I'm not sure about a weighted backpack for goblet squats. I would be a bit afraid of it shifting around and causing problems.

mamalovesdiamonds wrote: »

I started doing the Stronglifts 5x5 about 2 months ago. It's the first time in my life lifting weights. So far I have seen amazing progress! I have been reading a lot and watching videos to make sure I get my form correct.

So here's my question... I have access to the gym in my condo building and they have a full range of dumbbells. There are no other free weights or barbells. I also don't have the money to join another gym, so that's not an option. I seem to be able to modify all the SL5x5 lifts for dumbells except squats. Currently I do them like this - with the weights balancing on the edge of my shoulders. From an experienced weight lifter or a trainer or pro, can you please advise if this is the best way to do the squat with dumbells? I try to put the edge of the weight on my shoulders to simulate what the bar would feel like on my back. I see other people doing squats with dumbells all kinds of ways (weights totally on shoulders front to back, weights held down at sides). I'm wondering if I'm doing it right or wrong? I want to make the most of this lift. I'm currently squatting with 50 lbs (25 on each side). That probably doesn't seem like a lot, but it is a major victory for me!!

The way she is holding the weights in front of her is going to do a couple things:

1) Cause some serious rotor cuff problems the heavier you go
2) Cause wrist strain the heavier you go
3) Cause the weight to be centered at (or in front) of your toes instead of the middle of your foot like a proper squat, which loads your quads up instead of your glutes and also places a lot more stress on your knees

So I agree with everybody that you should do goblet squats for now and either ask the condo to give you a power rack, or scrounge a couple extra bucks a month and find a gym with a barbell.

These are the weights we have. They're compact to store which is nice. But to use they're just BIG (for me at least).
Whether I throw 25s on either shoulder, like the first photo, or use one set to 50 for goblet squats, I'm still basically maxing out at 50 which is kind of a bummer. I just add in plies, and split squats for now and see how that feels.

I hold the weights front to back, resting on shoulders, not side by side. I have a problem with one tendon on my right hand, and this is what comes naturally to me, I do nto know if it is true for everyone or not.