Busy Gym - Swap barbells for dumbbells

[Rob Barrett]

Hi guys,

I introduced myself here a while ago, and though I've been quiet since then, I've been getting on with my workouts. I'm now going through the Barbell Battalion plan, and I'm at the point where I need to increase my weights beyond the fixed barbells.

Now, although today was quiet (FA Cup Final day is a great time to hit the gym!), if I go after work, the weights section can be fairly busy. There are only a couple of weight-adjustable barbells available, but plenty of dumbbells. If, on any particular day, it looked like it'd be a long wait for the barbells, does anyone know of any reasons why I might not want to swap over to the dumbbells instead?

This workout plan (for the bits using weights) is just Push Press, Deadlift and Squat. I assume the first two would be no problem changing over, but with squats, what would be best - sitting the dumbbells on top of my shoulders? That's the one I really need advice on most, as without a rack, I'm going to be held back - I can squat more than I can push press, so getting a heavier bar onto my shoulders is going to be a problem soon!

Thanks,

Rob

[andygates]

The main difference is that dumbbells need to be individually stabilised, so you expend effort keeping them steady (and working stabiliser muscles) that you otherwise use for the main exercise: on average expect maybe 80% of your barbell weight in dumbbells.

Push press maps pretty well.

Deadlift, there often aren't heavy enough dumbbells and they'd have my legs off. A suitcase deadlift (pretend you're a hotel bus boy) is fun, but the barbell deadlift is the heaviest thing you're ever likely to move and a lot of its value is in that. It's also an excuse to get the real meathead dumbbells out from under the rack.

Squat you could try a goblet squat: hold one big dumbbell against your chest, axis vertical.

You're right though, without a rack, you are going to be held back.

[Rob Barrett]

Thanks, Andy, that's helpful. I did figure that stability would be an issue, but I didn't consider the energy loss that would be associated with it.

As for the dumbbells being heavy enough, there's enough weight available to keep me going for a while, if I double up. I'll see how I get on, otherwise it's another reason to start and finish work earlier, so I can get to the gym before it's too busy!

[Rob Barrett]

Man, you're not wrong with the energy loss - I had to do a couple of the warm-up sets for my push presses with dumbbells earlier, and they were almost as hard as my proper weight sets with the bar.

I also definitely confirmed that I need the rack for squats now... I had to use a non-fixed-weight bar today, and forgot to take the weight of the bar itself into account. Well, that ended with me dropping it from shoulder height onto my water bottle - needless to say, I need a new one now! A silly mistake (and a lucky outcome, considering), but not one I'll be repeating.

[Pat G]

I learned to count the bar the hard way too. Good to see you progressing Rob.

If you can wrangle the squat rack for just that exercise you'll bonus big time as you've seen.