Dumb weights question

alikat42
alikat42 Posts: 213 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, I feel like this is a dumb question, but I can't figure it out on my own. If I'm doing something like say... bicep curls, with a 10 lb weight in each hand am I lifting 10 lbs or 20 lbs?

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I'd call that 20lbs
  • DebHutton55
    DebHutton55 Posts: 48 Member
    That is 10 lbs. If you had both in one hand that's 20.
  • alikat42
    alikat42 Posts: 213 Member
    That is 10 lbs. If you had both in one hand that's 20.

    If I had both in one hand, I'd have some creepy monster hand. Lol, thanks!
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    it's 10 lbs per "muscle" you're working
    if it was on a bar and you were curling the bar you've got 10lbs per end plus the weight of the bar and that's what you're lifting.
  • hallelujah_here_she_comes
    hallelujah_here_she_comes Posts: 1
    you're lifting 10lbs per arm..so with both arms yes, 20lbs...if you wanted to curl 20lbs with one arm then you'd obviously get a 20lb dumbbell....I always do my curls an arm at a time, but you can also try a standing cable curl for which you use both arms.
  • bahacca
    bahacca Posts: 878 Member
    10 pounds. Your exertion you are putting forth on each MUSCLE is 10 pounds. If you are lifting a curl bar with BOTH hands, then the total weight, say 45 lbs is what you would use because that is the weight you are lifting because you are using a combination of BOTH biceps to get the total weight up.
  • carlie_carl
    carlie_carl Posts: 285
    if your lifting one at a time I would class it as 10lbs, but record it as double the reps if your doing one at a time or record each arm separately, if your doing it simultaniously I reckon you should class it as 20lbs and regular sets, thats just my way like, not nessicarily the right way but thats due to interpritation
  • olee67
    olee67 Posts: 208 Member
    I always catalog the total amount of weight being moved. If you are doing bicep curls with 10lb dumbbells, then it's a 20lb curl. If you use an EZ bar (both hands) wiith two 10lb plates, then it's 20lbs (plus the weight of the bar).

    Even further, a bench press with a 45lb bar and two 45lb plates, 135lbs, vs: two 65lb dumbbells, 130lbs.

    But, when you do a concentration bicep curl, ex: 10lb, then it's only 10lbs because you are only exercising one arm at a time.

    Same thing with rows. A one handed row with a 40lb dumbbell is 40lbs. But, a two handed row with 40lb dumbbells is 80lbs.

    I figure since it was a simple question, I'd give a complicated answer.

    All in all, it's all in how you want to catalog it.

    If you really wanted to get cheeky, you'd catalog it as % of MRP. MRP is Maximum Rep Performance, or, the heaviest you can puch in 1 rep performed. So, if you can curl a max of 40lb, then a 10lb curl would be 25%. But, that gets into heavy split workout routines. Those are usually broken up through a month where you concentrate on muscle building, endurance, toning, and strength routines... But, that's advanced kinda stuff.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Is it to record it somewhere, or do you need it for some other calculation?
  • alikat42
    alikat42 Posts: 213 Member
    Is it to record it somewhere, or do you need it for some other calculation?

    I'm using MyMobileFit at the Y. It spits out a workout for me whenever I log in. So when it tells me to do bicep curls @ 10 lbs, I just want to make sure I'm doing what it tells me.
  • olee67
    olee67 Posts: 208 Member
    Hmmm...

    I'd need more info. Feel free to message me if you'd like to give me some of that info and I can give you some suggestions...
  • Justjoshin
    Justjoshin Posts: 999 Member
    Is it to record it somewhere, or do you need it for some other calculation?

    I'm using MyMobileFit at the Y. It spits out a workout for me whenever I log in. So when it tells me to do bicep curls @ 10 lbs, I just want to make sure I'm doing what it tells me.

    If it means single arm bicep curls.. then 10lb dumbells per arm.
    If it means an ez curl bar for example.. it's only saying 10lbs total
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    generally it's per weight not per set.

    I.E. if I'm training a client, I would tell them to pick up "10 lb dumbbells" not "20 lbs of dumbbells"

    course if it was a barbell it would be 20.
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