Need help for a bulking cycle.

[Massicio]

I am not a beginner when it comes to lifting. I have been lifting for about a year and a half but I have learned almost always the hard way about everything. I have gone through the "biecps and abs phase" and I started out by going in and doing whatever fit my fancy pretty much. Now I have set muscles on set days and I usually do about the same workouts and sets. I stay around 6-8 reps. My diet is very clean but if anything might not be enough. My diet revolvs around: grilled or baked chicken breasts, turkey and chicken wraps (whole wheat), tuna, baked fish (not salmon) syntha-6 shakes lol, protein smoothies (strawberries, fat free cotage cheese, egg whites, skim milk) and kashi go lean crisp cereal. I used to be fat and lazy and I am scared to eat almost anything bad for fear of gaining weight. I lift 6 days a week for about an hour and a half a day. I have 2 questions

1. I rarely use the bar for bench and incline (rarely have a spotter) what are the benefits or downsideds of using dumbbells for my chest workout.

and

2. I definantly could use a workout plan that is directed towards size. No doubt im all for strength but I dont play sports so I go for both size and strength. does anyone know of some workouts focused on size?

any help would be great. I was getting pretty good gains but I seem to have hit a plateau and idk I just feel smaller lately. maybe I am.

[jake1224]

your jersey shore tan is epic.

1) Dumbbells definitely provide variation and eliminates some possible cheating because your dominant arm will not "carry" your other arm; this is because energy can be transferred across the bar from your dominant to your weak arm and imbalance the lift. Obviously, DB's don't have this problem.

2) Go to the Workout Programs forum? I hear they have good stuff over there.

[Massicio]

your jersey shore tan is epic.

1) Dumbbells definitely provide variation and eliminates some possible cheating because your dominant arm will not "carry" your other arm; this is because energy can be transferred across the bar from your dominant to your weak arm and imbalance the lift. Obviously, DB's don't have this problem.

2) Go to the Workout Programs forum? I hear they have good stuff over there.

I did go there. I saw a few I was just wondering if anyone had tried them out and which one was pretty good.