limitation of dumbells

[abobo]

Right now I'm pretty much doing all of my free weight exercises with dumbells - presses, rows, and curls.

Originally the advantages seemed obvious - a better stretch, wrists not fixed, more stabilizer involvement, more symmetry, no lopping off of heads...

But you run into some problems when you realize that there are no five pound increases (at least not at my gym). I suppose I need some adjustable dumbells? Nobody has those. Ever. I mean, I could sweat it out and grab the next set for a ten pound increase, but that's not exactly sustainable progression. But it's either that every two weeks or so or get back under the bar.

[rubthebuddha]

about the only way i've found to get more out of my dumbbells was to get more out of my lift -- by making sure i lift properly, and varying up the exercise.

the biggest mistake i, and i think other people, make when we're lifting is using the body to move the weight. think of the difference between a typical curl and a concentration curl, and how focusing just on the specific muscle in the latter makes a difference by taking motion out of the shoulder and putting it square on the bicep.

methinks it's good to vary up how you lift the stuff, too. instead of a plain-jane bicep curl, do some hammers, reverse, zottman, etc. to mix things up.

and a personal suggestion and this is more just for variety and for the shock it puts to your system -- do a set of centuries every now and then. i don't think focusing on them is good, but as a breakout from your normal routine, they can be handy.

then when your form is perfect and you've exhausted your options, go buy a darn bar. :)

[Mr. Bao]

abdobo:

There is a principle which Charles Poliquin strength coach taught called Kaizen. Which is a japanese term which me little progress over time.

There a magnets that weight to 0.5 lb to 5 lb that you attached you your iron dumbells. These minor 0.5 magnets can mean a great different over time my friend. You can get these magnets at www.performbetter.com.

Good luck,

Bao

[abobo]

Plate mates aren't cheap. I've been holding off from buying them for a while (I've been calling my gym's bluff to follow through with my thick dumbbell handle and fractional plate request). That doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon. Since I've taken to doing side presses in PtP, I need fractional plates. I guess it took months to overcome the tightness of my wallet in order to buy them.

[IronFist]

I didn't look at that site, but if they're anything like fractional plates they will be very expensive.

So, just tie like a small bean bag to your dumbell. That's about 0.5lbs, and about $0.50.

IronFist

[DuLayLoMo]

I can understand the economical wisdom of Iron Fist's suggestion. However, personally if you are a serious student
of strength conditioning for life. Then you should invest in yourself in something that will last for lifetime. I would get those magentic plates which Mr. Bao recommended and I do own a couple of magentic plates myself and they have helped me alot in my developing my load. I would also recommend that you can also use rubber tubbing to increase resistence inaddition to your conventional strength training. The people at westside gym have benefited from such techniques. The limitations of dumbbells are really the one who is using them really. Be creative and apply the advices given here.

[Suntzu]

why not just take the 10 increase… do less reps and add a set or 2…

[abobo]

No increases of 10 because I can't add that much weight every day of a given cycle, which is how the program is written.

And I'm not going to buy anything until I find out how my gym is responding to my steady stream of comment cards asking for this stuff. If I were intent on doing presses I would buy them, but I know that I could always do dips instead, so the fractional plates aren't urgent. But I'm talking in circles...

[Knifefighter]

abo:
Does each dumbell go up in increments of #10? Most dumbells increase in #5 increments for each dumbell.

Here are a couple of ways in which might help you to work your cycles into the correct ranges of reps without having to use smaller increments:

1- Pause for your last few reps. If you are having trouble getting into your lower rep range, set the weights down for a quick pause of about 1 second. This should allow you to crank out a couple more reps. Obviously, on some lifts you will be unable to do this.

2- Go to failure, if you are not already doing so. This will also allow for another rep or two if you have not been doing this already.

3- Slow your lifting speed down for your last rep or two. Slower speed = increased force production = another rep or two.

4- Assisted lifts. Have a partner assist you in lift the weight for the last couple of reps.