Dumbell exercises

[Llamageddon]

So my gym at uni is a bit crap in the fact we have a 'health suite' with machines and bikes/rowers etc (big on rowing at Brookes...), and a free weights room separately. If I wanted to use both I'd have to pay twice, so I only use the health suite. The good news is that they've recently put some dumbells in there, up to 10kg each. Yeah, not fantastic, but better than nothing.

So does anyone have any decent exercises to do? So far I've been doing flys and the like, but would like to know some more.

cheers!

[Frodocious]

10kgs is really light and probably won't offer much of a challenge for very long, but you could do things like 1 arm benching, push presses, cleans, overhead squats, 1 legged deadlifts etc. In fact most of the exercises you can do with a barbell can be done with dumbells. You can also incorporate dumbell use into your conditioning routine, doing exercises such as dumbell swings and burpees. Have a look at Ross Enamait's site for some ideas on using dumbells for conditioning:

http://www.rosstraining.com/

[Moi]

Is this site any good? I know zip about lifting

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dumbbellexercises.html

[Llamageddon]

10kgs is really light and probably won't offer much of a challenge for very long, but you could do things like 1 arm benching, push presses, cleans, overhead squats, 1 legged deadlifts etc. In fact most of the exercises you can do with a barbell can be done with dumbells. You can also incorporate dumbell use into your conditioning routine, doing exercises such as dumbell swings and burpees. Have a look at Ross Enamait's site for some ideas on using dumbells for conditioning:

http://www.rosstraining.com/

Yeah it's crap I know. We have benchpress machines and what not which I'd use for anything like that. At the moment, I'm just doing simple things like holding them out at arms length. fun

[Frodocious]

Is this site any good? I know zip about lifting

http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dumbbellexercises.html

The exercises seem ok, I'm not sure about the way some of the animations portray them though.

For some good advice try:
http://www.exrx.net/

Yeah it's crap I know. We have benchpress machines and what not which I'd use for anything like that. At the moment, I'm just doing simple things like holding them out at arms length. fun

You could do things like turkish get ups and other exercises that can be done with kettle bells, or use the dumbells to add weight to pullups and dips.

[d0ugbug]

10kg ok not the best but try...

50 jabs, 50 hooks and 50 upper cuts really hard and slow movements.

then do something like

3x5 or 3x10 sets of

front raises and lateral raises to get the arms working.

Do weights before any cardio workout

[Doublejab]

Gotta disagree with what d0ugbug said. Personally I wouldn't simulate punching with them, the muscles you'll be working will be the wrong ones for increasing punching power. You'll be working on keeping the weights up rather than pushing them out, doing 50 of each different type of punch with them is a terrible idea.

In terms of what you can do with 10kg weights, pretty much the standard dumbell exercises, your gym should have a chart. However given how light they are the benifits will obviously be limited. I like to 'shrug' with a 10 kg weight in each hand and you can try benching them using fast but controlled explosive movement.

Also don't do weights before cardio if you're trying to increase overall strengh. I do a smallish cardio workout and then weights, then have my rest day the following day to ensure total muscle recovery. I only do one strength workout a week but I've found I've been getting MUCH stronger my structuring my workouts like that.

[TheCount]

If you live in Britain - go to Argos and get yourself a decent dumbell set - they are really quite affordable and reasonable so long as you aren't moving a collosal mass.

The Best thing is the York sets come with the York exercise chart or else you can get one off their site which if I recall isn't half bad!

[d0ugbug]

Gotta disagree with what d0ugbug said. Personally I wouldn't simulate punching with them, the muscles you'll be working will be the wrong ones for increasing punching power. You'll be working on keeping the weights up rather than pushing them out, doing 50 of each different type of punch with them is a terrible idea.

Im not saying to do a full fast punch but if you simulate doing a jab or hook focusing on technique and using the weights as resitance you will work on your arms and forearms helping develope muscle and punching power.

Have you tried to hold a small weight up in the air for as long as possible? You telling me that aint a work out?

If you only have a small weight to work with you should do more reps than for example a 3 or 5 reps on 50kg

Not looking to argue just voice my point a bit more ;)

[TheCount]

Im not saying to do a full fast punch but if you simulate doing a jab or hook focusing on technique and using the weights as resitance you will work on your arms and forearms helping develope muscle and punching power.

Have you tried to hold a small weight up in the air for as long as possible? You telling me that aint a work out?

If you only have a small weight to work with you should do more reps than for example a 3 or 5 reps on 50kg

Not looking to argue just voice my point a bit more ;)

It is a workout, but not the right type for building strength or muscle mass - ditto with doing more reps with less weights.

Punching with weights has numerous drawbacks and pretty much no advantages which are effectively covered in another thread.

[g-bells]

what are you looking to work on?

[Custom Volusia]

Join a different gym.

Had to look up how much 10kg is.....that's really light.

There are so many different DB exercises out there, and they are so much better in the long run then using a machine, that I seriously suggest joining a different gym or going to the other part that has more DB's in it. Machines have there place but you would be happier with DB's overall, no matter what your goals are.

[Stuart H]

Okay, you're a novice weightlifter who wants to get strong. You have two options:

1. Join a gym with Olympic barbells, lots of weight, a cage or squat rack for squats and a flat bench with uprights (or just a flat bench if they have a cage), and an appropriate surface for deadlifts and power cleans (rubber bumper plates are excellent but not essential).
2. Buy all this stuff yourself.

In both cases, buy Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and educate yourself how to train properly.