Lifting dumbell weights

SPM1959

I'm quite fit (as I run a few times a week) however I have a thin build and physically not very strong.

Looking to improve on this in the coming months and as a start I have bought a set of dumbell weights.

Can anyone give some advice to someone starting off? I have started lifting them most evenings but looking for some ideas how long I should be doing it for, what are the best excercises etc.

Any advice very welcome as I am a complete novice.

jc4517

I'd leave the dumbbells for a while, start off with the most basic body weight movements i.e. pushups, chinups, dips, body weight squats, core exercises etc. and build up your strength from that. Check bodybuilding.com for videos on form, it's a great site

SPM1959

How long should I leave the dumbells before I start lifting them on a regular basis?

Blacktie.

jc4517 wrote: »

I'd leave the dumbbells for a while, start off with the most basic body weight movements i.e. pushups, chinups, dips, body weight squats, core exercises etc. and build up your strength from that. Check bodybuilding.com for videos on form, it's a great site

Why?

runawaybishop

SPM1959 wrote: »

I'm quite fit (as I run a few times a week) however I have a thin build and physically not very strong.

Looking to improve on this in the coming months and as a start I have bought a set of dumbell weights.

Can anyone give some advice to someone starting off? I have started lifting them most evenings but looking for some ideas how long I should be doing it for, what are the best excercises etc.

Any advice very welcome as I am a complete novice.

To bulk up and get stronger you'll need to eat more and lift heavy stuff. Can you post up roughly what your diet is now?

Typically most people undereat protein and overeat carbs. You'll need to look at eating more protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy etc. Anything from 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight should see your body supplied with plenty to help you progress. If you are looking to bulk up you need to eat at a surplus, 300 to 500 calories more that you need to maintain your weight. Diet is very important, get it right and things will fall into place. Consider using an app, like myfitnesspal, to track what you are eating.

To get stronger you need to lift weights that challenge you. Lifting the same weight over and over will make you stronger up to a certain point but after that you will just be building endurance.A good beginner program will be one that increases the weight you lift regularly and uses compound exercises - that is exercises that work several muscles at the same time. These would be bench press, overhead press, rows (or pull ups), squats and deadlifts.

With the equipment you have you can do dumbbell versions of many of these exercises, such as dumbbell floor press, dumbbell squat as well as bodyweight exercises like push ups. Get a pull up bar also, they are cheap and pull ups are very good exercises. You may find it useful to buy a bench and barbell - the dumbbells wont be able to fit much weight onto them.

Once you find that the weight is such that you can do 5 sets of 5 reps you should increase it. You can buy plates in argos for about 2 euro a kg or pick up some stuff on done deal or adverts.

http://simplesciencefitness.com/ <-- this website has a ton of information to help you. Ask away if you have questions.

micko4

Exactly what runawaybishop said,look up 5x5strong lifts to start off..change the exercises to ones that use dumb bells if that's all you have,but if you could get to a gym compound exercises like bench press,squatting,dead lifting and overhead press are more effective I find.

RidleyRider

If you're not willing to go to a gym I'd recommend shamrock gym. It's great for BW stuff.

JJayoo

Ok so the OP has a set of Dumbbells so lets come up with a workout he/she can do with just the DBs

Chest = Pushups are excellent as you can scale them up or down based on your current ability level.
Dumbbell floor press you can do these one hand at a time if you wish.
Dips These are another excellent exercise but they are tougher and much harder to scale down, so you won't be doing . these at the moment but they will be an exercise you can work up to

Back
Dumbbell rows you can do these one hand at a time and you can use a chair to brace yourself.

Reverse flys light weight and high reps

Chinups/pullups are excellent but they are very hard when you are a beginner and you also may not have a suitable place in your house, so like dips they can be put off for a while as we want to concentrate on the things you can do currently.

Shrugs DB shrugs

Legs
Air squats and Lunges this will be more than enough to hit your legs and by doing these exercises you will improve your overall mobility, must be noted that you might be very stiff/sore after you do these for the first time. This is perfectly normal and don't let it put you off.

Shoulders
Single arm DB overhead press, I like these as they will also work your core.

Side raises low weight, high reps.

Core

Many of the above exercises will work your core so i don't think you need to dedicate time to ab work. A nice way to hit your abs is after each set of pushups go straight into a plank position and hold it.

Arms
DB curls these can be done at the end of your session. At the beginning you don't really need isolation work for your triceps as they will get hit hard with the chest and shoulder movements.

All the above exercises are suitable for a beginner and you only need a pair of DBs to do them. If you are going to workout from home then a chinup bar would be a good purchase but for the moment you will get a decent workout with the above.

thegreatiam

JJayoo wrote: »

Dips These are another excellent exercise but they are tougher and much harder to scale down, so you won't be doing . these at the moment but they will be an exercise you can work up to

You can do them off the edge of the bed or the sofa/bath tub etc. Much easier to do then between two bars.

Not exactly a linear progression but you ll strengthen the muscles you need for a full dip.

Legs straight out in front support your weight on the arms, bend til your butt touches the floor or you're at full range with your elbows behind you and then press back up, lift using the arms.

Start with a low step, then a low sofa/bed then a bathtub, then the front of a kitchen chair by then you should be strong enough to use a station.

runawaybishop

thegreatiam wrote: »

You can do them off the edge of the bed or the sofa/bath tub etc. Much easier to do then between two bars.

Not exactly a linear progression but you ll strengthen the muscles you need for a full dip.

Legs straight out in front support your weight on the arms, bend til your butt touches the floor or you're at full range with your elbows behind you and then press back up, lift using the arms.

Start with a low step, then a low sofa/bed then a bathtub, then the front of a kitchen chair by then you should be strong enough to use a station.

They can be lethal on the shoulders, i would avoid them personally.

JJayoo

thegreatiam wrote: »

You can do them off the edge of the bed or the sofa/bath tub etc. Much easier to do then between two bars.

Not exactly a linear progression but you ll strengthen the muscles you need for a full dip.

Legs straight out in front support your weight on the arms, bend til your butt touches the floor or you're at full range with your elbows behind you and then press back up, lift using the arms.

Start with a low step, then a low sofa/bed then a bathtub, then the front of a kitchen chair by then you should be strong enough to use a station.

Yes dips are great but this person has never lifted weights before so I think it would be best to leave them to one side for the moment.

The way you describe them does make them easier but they are nasty on the shoulders.

thegreatiam

JJayoo wrote: »

Yes dips are great but this person has never lifted weights before so I think it would be best to leave them to one side for the moment.

The way you describe them does make them easier but they are nasty on the shoulders.

They arent that nasty on the shoulders, its within normal ranges.

this style is used by most boxing gyms ive been in as well as the military. More than acceptable way of scaling a dip or as a bodyweight exercise on their own.

I personally don't like them, but they are a reasonable exercise.

Keep the abs tight, keep the butt tight and rotate the shoulder within proper motion, keep the chest up and shoulders back and youre risk free.

The reason they are bad for your shoulder is that people collapse their form using the incorrect muscles and straining their chest.

But the same can be said for press ups, an exercise that probably 70+% of people do incorrectly.

Nothing wrong with dips like this, especially as the majority of the load is help on the legs.


Edit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/you-can-do-dips-your-guide-to-this-upper-body-blaster.html

JJayoo

My shoulders are sore just looking at that pic

thegreatiam

JJayoo wrote: »

My shoulders are sore just looking at that pic

lol, then youre doing it wrong.

Point being, dips are scalable. up to you if you do them or not.

jc4517

Blacktie. wrote: »

Why?

My gym coach in school used to say don't lift weights until you can lift yourself. Anyone who started coming down to the gym had to do a 3 week bodyweight programme before they got near the bench. He wasn't just your average PE teacher either, this guy knew his ****. Ex cage fighter and if you ever had a niggling injury or sore muscle he was the first person anyone in the school went to.

Colonialboy

SPM1959 wrote: »

I'm quite fit (as I run a few times a week) however I have a thin build and physically not very strong.

Looking to improve on this in the coming months and as a start I have bought a set of dumbell weights.

Can anyone give some advice to someone starting off? I have started lifting them most evenings but looking for some ideas how long I should be doing it for, what are the best excercises etc.

Any advice very welcome as I am a complete novice.

OP , theres already been great advice provided.
Everyone has a diff approach and will have different targets, so take what works for you and drop anything that doesnt.

If your already running alot , then 3 Times a week is plenty. 25mins-30 a session.
If you want to really bulk up, then heavier weights , with lower repetitions, lots of programmes out there.
If you want general strength then higher reps, building up slowly.
Find a good mix of mix of dumbbell weights exercises and non-weights strength and conditioning.
If your running alot you want to develop core strength, too so alot of planks and other exercises you will find on web.
Matt Roberts (do a search) does some nice programmes where he mixes DB exercises and non-weights stuff.
Have a look in bookshops, on the shelves , just browsing throught the exercise books will give you some ideas.
Having the DBs at home is a good idea,
Dont worry too much if you have a thin build and your not progressing as much as you want.
Dont confuse strength with bulk... they are two different things.
Remember your in it for the long haul, months, years, decades so build up over a longer period of time and you will get sorted.

nice_guy80

few options open to you...

1. listen to advice of random strangers online
   
2. look up weights routines online, many of which won't really be suitable for you.
   
3. join a weightlifting club to learn how to lift properly - olympic lifts and proper form for the major lifts
   
4. or go to a S&C coach and get a program done based on what you will realistically be able to do....

I know which one I'd do...

JJayoo

nice_guy80 wrote: »

few options open to you...

1. listen to advice of random strangers online
   
2. look up weights routines online, many of which won't really be suitable for you.
   
3. join a weightlifting club to learn how to lift properly - olympic lifts and proper form for the major lifts
   
4. or go to a S&C coach and get a program done based on what you will realistically be able to do....

I know which one I'd do...

Strangers on line sounds good to me..........

WrigleysExtra

No reason to avoid dumbells as someone above said. Being new to lifting weights you will make some good progress in your first 6 months regardless of your diet although eating more protein is a good idea. You will make progress on any weightlifting plan as long as you are consistent. Get strong at the compound movements such as bench squat deadlift and shoulder press and you will see good results.

runawaybishop

jc4517 wrote: »

My gym coach in school used to say don't lift weights until you can lift yourself. Anyone who started coming down to the gym had to do a 3 week bodyweight programme before they got near the bench. He wasn't just your average PE teacher either, this guy knew his ****. Ex cage fighter and if you ever had a niggling injury or sore muscle he was the first person anyone in the school went to.

There's no reason you need to limit yourself like that. Doesn't matter how swole your coach was.

nice_guy80

runawaybishop wrote: »

There's no reason you need to limit yourself like that. Doesn't matter how swole your coach was.

I'd say the opposite
he was trying to get people to leave their ego at the door until they could do the basic bodyweight stuff

runawaybishop

nice_guy80 wrote: »

I'd say the opposite
he was trying to get people to leave their ego at the door until they could do the basic bodyweight stuff

Then its just arbitrary and still serves no purpose. Not everyone has an ego problem.