I know there are many many benfits to having barbells, machines or just a gym membership but i don't. i also know that dumbbells are still important when using all the above BUT if you only used dumbbells and a good diet...just how big could you get? im not trying to be huge by any means..just a happy medium. i guess what i really want to know is am i wasting my time trying to get any size at all using dumbbells?
Youll be fine as long as you good weights and intensity. If you have set of 2 20 lb dumbells and a flat bench thou, you gotta pick up a lot more. Its way less expensive to get a olympic bench set.
Yes, I concur. 90% of my workout is dumbbells also. In fact, dumbbells may even be better for you overall.
Take a bench press for example. With a bar, the stronger arm can assist the weaker arm with subconscience positioning, or just by taking more of the weight. With dumbbell bench presses, each arm/pec/lat works independant of the other. In essence, that weak left arm has to pull it's OWN weight and can't rely on the right arm.
Obviously the BEST routine is to switch them up every few months or so. After a grueling DB routine for a few months, start a bar routine; Using this method you will shock your muscles and they will begin to grow quicker.
But back to your question.. Put it this way.. I'd rather have a bunch of Dumbbells instead of a barbell and some weights.
I only can use barbells for squatting and deadlifting, cause of injuries...
And you know what, even if I could ise barbell for bench pressing I still would use dumbells!!!
I only use barbells now for the squat and deadlift (I wouldn't use dumbells for those, cause it's kind of weird), but for upperbody > dumbells all the way!
there are lots of different exercises using only dumbbells as long as you dont just do a few of them every day try to learn all the different kinds of exercises and make up a simple routine and remember to eat like a horse
you could do some side laterals ,front laterals overhead presses one day, then flat bench (providing you have a bench)dumbell presses, incline dumbbell presses another day and hammer curls, standing DB curls seated DB curls Not saying do this exactly but just an idea of all the different exercises with dumbells only
You get big by lifting heavy!, eating alot of Protein....+ DBs are far more favorable than machines. On machines... the resistance is already balanced for you, isolating only one muscle, moving thru one plane of motion. It can never duplicate the technical demands of DBs/free wts. Free wts require proper form, balance, control, coordination, etc. Like for eg:U can pronate/supinate the wrist/hand when doing DB curls(working both the brachialis + biceps brachii): for DB shoulder presses, dbs are excellent in terms of rounding the delts.. cause you get a larger range of motion, which causes deeper fiber stimulation... etc. I personally use 80-90 free wts. I agree w/ the others.
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