BubbleBoy
Thu, January 29th, 2009, 09:03 PM
I do a few exercises with 30kg (66lb) adjustable dumbbells. This is the heaviest practical weight I can put on these particular dumbbells.
To advance (grow) am I better off buying a heavier set of dumbbells, or would constantly increasing my reps with the existing weights achieve the same goal?
Cheers
BB
artizzztik
Fri, January 30th, 2009, 09:52 AM
I do a few exercises with 30kg (66lb) adjustable dumbbells. This is the heaviest practical weight I can put on these particular dumbbells.
To advance (grow) am I better off buying a heavier set of dumbbells, or would constantly increasing my reps with the existing weights achieve the same goal?
Cheers
BB
If you're looking to grow you're going to want to get heavier weights to use. It's a classic progressive overload issue.
Say I'm doing shoulder presses, 3 sets of ten reps, with a 25-pound dumbbell in each hand. If I try to use 30-pounders next workout and can't do it, I might instead use the 25 pounders and try to shoot for 12 reps, but eventually I'm going to want to use the heavier ones. You get bigger when you have to lift heavier things. That's how it works.
Imagine the absurd conclusion: you'll eventually be using those dumbells for sets with three hundred reps.
So yeah, it sounds like it's time for heavier dumbbells. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - I'm sure there are plenty of things you haven't tried that you'd HAVE to use the lighter dumbbells for. Think of it as expanding your arsenal.
BubbleBoy
Thu, February 5th, 2009, 07:18 PM
Thanks artizzztik!
What you say makes complete sense, 300 reps doesn't sound like much fun :bang:
I'm not sure I'll be able to get dumbells heavier than 30kg here? My variable ones are maxed out at 30.
I guess I'll have to change up to barbell when the time comes to go heavier.
Cheers
BB
rtestes
Thu, February 5th, 2009, 08:34 PM
I guess I'll have to change up to barbell when the time comes to go heavier.
Cheers
BB
Sounds good, time should be real soon. You are much stonger than you think.
zenpharaohs
Fri, February 13th, 2009, 12:30 PM
What you say makes complete sense, 300 reps doesn't sound like much fun :bang:
What doesn't sound fun about 300 reps?
Azure
Sat, February 14th, 2009, 11:04 PM
Doing weight work for endurance certainly is fun, and there IS a place for it, both physically and metabolically.
But, you're only going to get so strong by doing high rep work. Real strength work is in heavy compound lifts.
That being said, I love the high rep work. Nothing like knowing you can crank out 20X10X100# clean and presses.