RING THE BELL BY ERIC BUTTERMAN Take a break from barbells with these dumbbell alternatives to your favourite exercises Nobody ever brags about his best dumbbell chest press or a dumbbell squat. And you certainly won’t see a dumbbell deadlift listed in the record books any time soon — but maybe you should. Fact is, dumbbell exercises force you to isolate your muscles more and use better form, so let’s take a look at the best exercises to, well, get dumb… UPPER BODY DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS This is probably the hardest movement to get lifters to do, but arguably the most advantageous. As much as it may hurt, let the bench collect cobwebs and instead collect your thoughts for a movement that requires extra stretching and deep concentration. Begin the exercise with the dumbbells together at the top. Next, lower the weights to your sides, actually getting slightly below pec level. Immediately you’ll notice the extra stretch and muscle fibres employed when there isn’t a bar stopping just at chest level. But don’t notice it too long, as it’s time to bring the weights back up to the top position. Make sure throughout the movement that the weights are controlled, and stretch your pecs out completely before beginning the exercise. Use a light weight to begin with, until your chest becomes used to the movement. DUMBBELL FLYE Lie down with your dumbbells in the same start position as the chest press. Lower your arms out to the sides in a half-circle motion, elbows slightly bent to protect the joints. Hold for the stretch at the bottom and slowly come back to the top. This is a strong finishing movement for chest. Flyes can add extra fullness to your chest along with flexibility. Note that it is extremely easy to tear your pec if you go too fast or use too heavy a weight, so go easy on this one. DUMBBELL INCLINE BICEPS CURL This movement is for results, not egos. Find a pair of light – yes, light – dumbbells and lie back on the nearest incline bench. For 10-15 reps, perform alternating reps that really focus on squeezing at the top. You may not have the heavy weight to brag about, but the biceps peak and definition you’ll achieve will speak for itself. For a variation, you can supinate your wrist with little fingers out at the top of each rep to further contract the muscle. DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS Begin with the dumbbells just outside and slightly in front of your shoulders, which is the muscle group you’ll be working. Press up just short of locking out your elbows and bring the dumbbells together. Do not clank the dumbbells hard at the top, as you’ll be using momentum to continue the movement rather than muscle, and you’ll be sure to annoy the gym member sitting next to you. Former Mr. America Dave Draper likes doing this exercise on an incline bench, varying from 45 to 75 degrees to “keep the muscles guessing”. The huge advantage of this exercise is how much lower you can get the dumbbells as compared to a barbell shoulder press. Start light, since damaging your rotator cuff is one of the most common and devastating of lifting injuries. ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW Lean over a flat bench with your left knee on the bench and the other foot on the ground. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand with that arm hanging straight towards the ground. Pull the dumbbell up to your side and squeeze your back muscles for a count, then lower the weight back down to the arm-extended position. The tendency here is to jerk the weight up, but only a controlled motion will keep the tension in your back muscles. If you want a variation, Dave Draper suggests performing the exercise in a tripod stance with a torso twist at the top of the movement. LOWER BODY DUMBBELL SQUAT With a pair of heavy dumbbells, squat as you normally would, keeping your back straight throughout the movement. The main advantages here are avoiding the neck damage that can occur over a lifetime of bar squats (even with a soft covering), not to mention the forearm development that can occur just from holding heavy weights throughout a long movement. If your arms give out from the heavy weight, consider using wrist straps so your legs can get the workout they deserve. DUMBBELL LUNGE Begin by standing straight with moderate-sized weights in your hands. Step forwards with one foot and lunge down towards the ground so that the thigh of the forward leg is parallel to the floor, at the same time bringing the rear knee down to just short of the ground. The key here is “just short” as you want your muscle to hold you up. Perform this movement at a decent pace, but not too fast: you’ll find many lifters falling over themselves due to lack of balance when they do “running lunges”. STANDING CALF RAISE Stand on either a block of wood or a balance beam, letting the back half of your foot extend off it. Holding a moderately sized weight in one hand, raise the heel of the foot on the same side. Go all the way up and down, holding at the bottom for an extra stretch of the muscle. High reps work great for calves and for some, it may be the only way to achieve any noticeable results. PLAYING BOTH SIDES With barbell movements, it’s easy to have a disproportionate body, because your stronger half can unknowingly force a weight up that your weaker one may not normally be able to handle. This isn’t a problem with dumbbell movements, since each half is concentrated on its own set, which, in time, can even out your musculature. For two-handed dumbbell movements, pay extra attention to your weaker side and end the movement once your form starts to lag. The temptation here is to keep going because the other side still can — don’t be tempted! After trying out these dumbbell exercises, hopefully you’ll find that hitting the bar movements every time is not the best way to achieve results. Finding a balance in your exercises will not only improve the look of your body, but will help you avoid the stagnation that results from always doing the same “glory lifts”. In other words, dumbbells are pretty smart. M&F