Posted: 12/22/2007 3:56:41 PM EDT
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I'm planning to purchase a set of dumbbells and would like some advice on a good exercise routine. My objective is to gain muscle mass (bulk up). I have a Bowflex that I use every other day, and have gotten results, but I feel like I need to add some free weights to take it to the next step. Hence the dumbbells. On days that I don't use my Bowflex, I usually ride my bike, so I don't have much spare time for another elaborate workout routine. What would be a good workout routine for dumbbells? Should I do moderate exercises every other day? Or hit it hard 1 or 2 days a week? Thanks. |
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I try to dumbell bench press at least once every other week. I do dumbell curls every time I work my bicepts and dumbell military press every time I work shoulders. I usually do 2 sets of 10 and 1 set of 8. All that being said, what works for me (or anyone else) has little to do with what will work for you. I get good bulk and definition from working with dumbells; but I can't stress enough how important it is for you to come up with your own routine. If you are not getting the bulk you want, you'll need to consider cutting back on the bike riding. If you want to get more cut, consider increasing your number of reps and/or sets with the dumbells. Overall, I thinking adding dumbells to your work out routine is a great idea. Good luck! |
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A pretty good source of information for various routines is here: www.ironaddicts.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=60. Given your schedule, you might want to look into something like IA's two day/week 'hardgainer' low volume/low intensity split. Here's the program: Day One: Dips or Bench Press 2 x 6-8 Incline Press, or incline Fly 2 x 10-12 Military Press, Or Hammer Shoulder Press 2 x 6-8 Tricep (skull crushers) Extensions or Tricep Pushdowns 2 x 10-12 Heavy Abs 3 x 10 Day Two: Pull-Up 3 sets to failure Barbell Row 2 x 8 EZ-Bar Or Dumbell Curl 1 x 10 Squats 2 x 10 Deadlifts, or Stiff-Legged Deadlift 1 x 10 There are dumbbell equivalents for all the lifts above, but you might want to add an e-z curl bar to your dumbbell set. It's won't take up much space and allows you to add variations of things like skullcrushers, rows, straight-legged deadlifts, etc. For squats with dumbbells, I always liked the Bulgarian Split Squat, which is essentially a one-legged squat. You can also substitute with reverse lunges or step-ups. Bear in mind that the above routine displays working sets only - you still need to do your warm-up sets. |