Are dumbells worth it?

[Gavin]

I was thinking of buying a pair of 15 lb dumbell's to work on my biceps. I don't really have the structures or equipment handy to make my own inclined pullup thingy to isolate my biceps.

Would they even be worth it? I've heard a lot of talk about how if you work your back, your biceps automatically grow to compensate or something, and that "isolation excersizes suck" and make you out of proportion.

But I've really been thinking about it. Would they be worth it?

[Drunken Panda]

You can do a lot more with dumbells than merely work your biceps: triceps, chest, shoulders, back and even legs can be worked. You can go for maximal strength (by loading them up really heavy), strength endurance (light/moderate weight and lots of reps) or explosive strength (snatches and the like).

However, you can also target all those areas and strength attributes with purely bodyweight exercises, as this forum demonstrates. Further, bodyweight exercises are free!

It's up to you. I have a pair of dumbells I use for various work, but I don't use them exclusively. There's certainly nothing wrong with getting them - variation is a great tool, and can shock the body into greater gains. Don't get them if you just want to get 'huge biceps', though. There's so much more you can do with them.

Finally, don't get hung up on the tool (dumbells vs. bodyweight exercises), focus on your goals. If you want to use dumbell to help achieve those goals, and you feel comfortable using them, then go for it!

[Gavin]

What are snatches and how do I do them?

And what are flies and how do I do them?

[koltz]

Buy an abjuctible dumbell , the 15 lb fixed ones end up lying around and good for nothing.

but if you want to work your biceps in isolation you can always do rope curls.

[Drunken Panda]

To understand the snatch it is best to first understand the...

Dumbbell Swing:

Hold a dumbbell in both hands. Keep the arms relaxed and straight at all times. Squat time, allowing the weight to hang between your legs. From this position, ascend (squat upwards) explosively and powerfully, driving the heels into the ground and swinging the dumbbell up and out in front of you. The momentum of your body rising up should bring the dumbbell to swing (hence the name) above your head. Hold it there for a moment, before slowly (with control) alllowing it the swing back as you squat back down.

It is important that the motion is caused by your explosively squat lift: you should not be using you arms to press the weight above you (only to control it at the zenith).


Now that we have the Swing, let us move to...

The One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch:

Again, start in a squat, holding the dumbbell in one hand, palm facing between your legs to point behind you. You can place your non-working hand on the knee at the same side for support.

Explode upwards again, keeping the arm straight and relaxed at all times. As you do so, raise up onto your toes, extend the hips forward and shrug the shoulder with the dumbbell. This should cause the dumbbell to raise in front of you. (Keep the arm relaxed, so that you are not pushing the weight up with your arm)

As the weight reaches a point between your sternum and shoulder (the arm should start to 'flop' down'), quickly squat down again, so that you take your body and head beneath where the dumbbell is. Keep your arm straight. You should now be in a squat position with the dumbbell extended above you in a straight arm.

From here, squat up, hold the position, and slowly return the weight back to the ground.


The Dumbbell Snatch is difficult to explain in words. I advise looking on Google or YouTube for a video demonstration (or even better, find someone who can teach you in person). It's quite a technical movement - not necessarily difficult, but understanding the technique will help immensly.

As for Dumbbell Flies, just use the exercise search engine at bodybuilding.com. No need for me to repeat it here. Besides, this is a bodyweight forum!

[zenman]

When I was in Hawaii, I saw a guy almost every day walking with two dumbbells, pressing them one at a time. I never saw him rest. Plus I saw him at the top of a hill one day so I guess he also went up and down it. My teacher wife said some of her kids said he used to be a lard bucket but he was getting more and more ripped every week. My arms would give out doing presses for the distance he walked!

[Moonduck]

Dumbbells are quite wort it, but 15lb DB's won't last long. You can find inexpensive adjustab;e sets out there, and they'll serve you much better. I use mine anywhere from 25lbs up to 80lb+ depending on the muscle group I'm working and the difficulty of the movement.

[bklynfirefighter]

For anyone who is into weights, dumbbells are the best workouts you can do......
No comparison between lifting with a bar and dumbbells.
Yo can do a great total body workout with dumbbells.

[koltz]

dumbells and kettlebells are very good for weighting down dips and pullups , paltes are too messy.


I got two 33lb dbs (at the moment one is 44lbs and the other is 22)