Though I briefly covered the aspect of weight-training in my previous article “Battle Royale: Bodyweight VS Weight-Training”, the issue of actually implementing an effective functional weight-training protocol have remained uncovered here on APK. Being that the issue surrounding the bodyweight and weight-training comparison can be found in the previous article, I won’t go into detail here. Suffice it to say that effective training requires an open mind about the tools that you choose to implement for said training. (All exercise links are videos compressed via DivX. Free download HERE)
Both bodyweight movements and weighted movements are effective additions to any program, so there is no reason to get stuck on one or the other as being “most beneficial.” If they are incorporated correctly, they can both be used to reach multiple goals, and I would go so far as to say that any program that focuses solely on one at the expense of the other is doing so at a reduction of the overall fitness that it elicits. Being that I have created so many bodyweight-only programs here, that should come across as objectively as possible. You can get very strong and very fit with only your bodyweight, but you can get stronger and more-fit if you use all of the tools at your disposal. With that being said, let’s get on to the basics of dumbbell training.
Dumbbells are the perfect transition tool for working weight-training into any dedicated fitness regimen. With their low-cost, ease of use, small space-requirements and versatility, they are one of the most useful pieces of equipment any dedicated athlete can find. The added benefits gained from incorporating dumbbell training into your existing bodyweight routine are huge. Increased coordination, agility, balance and strength are just a few of the more-obvious gains to be had.
 
Unlike many other pieces of fitness equipment, dumbbells are very cheap, ranging from pennies-per-pound for plate-loaded handles, to near a dollar-a-pound for pimpin’ rubber-covered hex dumbbells. Buying used from a store like play it again sports gets you even more of a discount, and fitness-type plate weights (with the 1” hole) can be found in every wal-mart that I’ve ever seen. To top all of this off, I picked up an even handier tip from Ross Enamait’s writing. You can find 1” galvanized pipe (1” outside diameter, which might actually be 3/4” diameter pipe, measured on the inside) and pick up a few hose clamps to work as inside and outside collars. Now the most expensive piece of the dumbbell puzzle has become the cheapest, with an entire handle costing you a couple of bucks, and the versatility going up another notch by allowing you to hand-pick the length, whereas manufacture-made long dumbbell handles are extremely expensive.
Between hex-dumbbells and plate-loaded dumbbells are some obvious benefits and downsides. Hex-type have the benefit of a more solid construction, which makes overhead work a bit more stable, as well as giving you the option of tossing the dumbbells around (outside, of course). Plate-loaded dumbbells are much less expensive overall and obviously more versatile, being that you can adjust the weight up or down, whereas with the hexes you’d have to buy a new dumbbell when it’s time to increase or decrease weight. For these reasons, plate-loaded dumbbells make the most sense for the home-gym, and they also carry the added benefit of taking up much less space, which is a definite factor to consider when you’re cramped basement apartment is your workout room for months out of the year!
So once you’ve procured your equipment of choice, it’s time to get to some functional exercises with dumbbells that will add that extra spice to your bodyweight-only routine and increase your overall athleticism. With that in mind, we’ll start with swiss-ball curls, as we know that HUGE guns and short-shorts are the true base of elite performance…
Ok, now that I got your attention, I want to point out the fact that most people in commercial gyms avoid dumbbells for all but the most-useless movements, saving that huge dumbbell rack for 15lb lateral raises and preacher-curls while they wait on the elliptical trainer or pec-deck. That’s not how we roll! I’m going to show you the basics of some very impressive dumbbell movements that will improve all aspects of fitness and can even improve those guns…if that’s really what you’re after!
Dumbbells are the perfect intro for the Olympic lifts and their derivatives, as the time required to master the barbell versions might not be worth the effort for many athletes. With that in mind, the most important movements for the dedicated Traceur (as well as most other athletes) are the explosive Olympic lifts:
1. Dumbbell Clean and the Dumbbell Jerk- The clean takes the weight from the ground, propels it upward through a jumping movement to be caught in the “rack” at shoulder-level in a full-squat (video coming soon!). A clean caught in a half-squat is a power-clean , and a clean that starts from thigh level is a hang-clean . A jerk takes the dumbbell from the rack at shoulder-level and propels it overhead by dipping into a partial squat, driving the weight upwards via-thigh and hip power, then dipping under the weight to catch it with fully-extended arms. A push jerk accomplishes this with your feet remaining side-by-side, while a split-jerk finishes in a split-lunge position. All of these aspects of the clean and the jerk are hugely beneficial to strength, speed and power as they use the hip extensors to explode a load through a jump into a dynamic catch. All of the above can be performed unilaterally (with one arm) to further challenge balance and coordination.
2. Dumbbell Snatch - This movement starts from the same position as the clean, but you jump forcefully enough to catch the dumbbell completely overhead with a fully extended arm, in a full squat, to stand up with the dumbbell extended overhead. A snatch caught in a partial-squat is a power snatch , while a snatch that starts from the hang is (drum roll…) a hang snatch ! This is the world’s fastest lift, and as such, it challenges coordination and balance to an extent that no other lift can manage. The snatch is especially well-suited to unilateral work, and besides the obvious power increase, there is a huge core-strength benefit to catching a single dumbbell overhead in a full squat after jumping it into some useful elevation. It’s also a great way to impress your neighbors and friends…
3. Dumbbell Front-Squat - A derivative of the clean, the front squat starts with one or two dumbbells held in the rack position at shoulder-level. From this point, squat down to a full bottom position, stand up, repeat. This is one of the most effective ways to train squat strength with dumbbells, though you will need to be able to clean the given weight at least once to get it into rack position…as if you needed another reason to do more cleans!
4. Dumbbell Overhead-Squat - A derivative of the snatch, put one or two dumbbells overhead (most-likely by push-pressing) and hold in a full locked-out position while squatting to full depth, stand up and repeat. This is a movement that challenges balance and core-stability like few others. Like the snatch, this movement is perhaps most-useful performed with one dumbbell, preferably for high reps right before a sprint, which will make you wonder who replaced your legs with jello…
After working these great movements into your routine, you can also begin to explore the strength and stability exercise that are slightly more-common, yet not quite common enough in the strength and conditioning world:
1. Overhead Press - Hold a dumbbell in rack position at shoulder level, press overhead, repeat. Pretty easy, huh? This is a great exercise for general shoulder strength and stability as well as core-strength as you are forced to support the load isometrically against some pretty serious leverage at the top of the lift. There are a couple of movements related to the press, such as the Push-Press, where you dip and then drive the weight up with assistance from the legs, and the Push-Jerk, that we discussed earlier. Like every other dumbbell exercise, these are great with one arm. One other benefit of the overhead press is its ability to work as a transition movement for the handstand push-up. Though not directly correlative, it helps to build the entire shoulder girdle in a similar manner, thus transferring nicely.
2. Dumbbell Swing - A cousin of the snatch, this movement is perfect for high-rep efforts, where your heart-rate will be screaming by the end of a workout. Grab a dumbbell in one or both hands, squat down with your back in a neutral position, allowing the weight to hang from straight arms between your legs. Stand up and extend your hips forcefully while swinging the weight overhead. Immediately reverse the motion, allowing the weight to swing between your legs and rebound into the next rep. Be sure to keep your spine neutral through the entire movement, as the tendency is to allow your upper-back to round at the bottom of the movement, thus putting you at risk of spinal injury.
3. Lunges, Bulgarian Split-Squats and Overhead Lunges- (video coming soon!) A great lower-body exercise, the lunge is the same as the regular bodyweight lunge, just holding dumbbells in both hands by your sides. A Bulgarian split-squat is performed with one foot behind you on a bench in lunge position. Squat down with two dumbbells by your side. The overhead version of the lunge is an excellent test of balance and coordination. Hold a dumbbell or two overhead, and lunge, repeat. Lunges can be performed to any direction, so don’t forget lateral lunges, with dumbbells hanging in front of your body, or “around the world” lunges, where you lunge to different points along an arch with one foot, then repeat with the other. These work hip adductors and abductors nicely.
4. The Turkish Getup - A fun and funky old-school exercise, the Turkish getup is a great core workout all by itself. Lie on the ground holding a dumbbell on outstretched arm. Begin to sit up with the aid of your free arm, adjusting the position of the dumbbell to keep it vertical throughout the movement. Transition from a seated position to one knee, in a slight lunge, keeping the dumbbell overhead, and then stand up keeping the dumbbell elevated the entire time. Reverse, and then repeat. Besides the obvious core-stability carryover, this movement is useful if you wake up with a gun to your head with the demand that you immediately serve a tray of drinks to an angry bunch of gangsters…it could happen!
5. The Thruster - The name is a Crossfit original, but the exercise is a deadly mix of a front-squat and a push-press. Seemingly innocuous, this exercise is a killer when performed with moderate loads for high reps. If you think you have endurance, combine a few sets of 20 into a circuit with a bodyweight movement and a sprint, then get back to me once you wake up…Stand with two dumbbells at rack position at shoulder level. Perform a front squat to full-depth, explode up and press the dumbbells overhead at the top of the squat, making it one smooth transition. Allow the dumbbells to return to shoulder-level, squat, and repeat. Mixed with pull-ups for 21-15-9, you get “Fran ,” a hellish Crossfit benchmark workout. Tread lightly, though the prescribed barbell weight at 95lb is pretty light, blasting through this workout will leave you hurting. You have been warned.
So there you have it, an absolutely exhaustive and all-encompassing list of dumbbell exercises, along with every conceivable reason to ever use them compiled into one spot. Ok, so perhaps that’s an overstatement, but I hope this gives you some basic ideas as to the benefits of beginning to incorporate dumbbell training into your quest for total fitness. On that note, I will add these few dumbbell exercises to our exercise description page, as well begin to offer a mixed-mode workout that includes dumbbell training alongside bodyweight movements for another step in the direction of ultimate preparedness. I hope this can usher in a more-educated approach to full-throttle fitness amongst our community.
For more great information on some innovative dumbbell training methodologies and movements, be sure to check out Ross Enamait’s book “Infinite Intensity”, as well as my upcoming “Primal Fitness Manifesto”. Until then, keep up the hard work!
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