Category: 2011

Building a bigger back is so important in bodybuilding competitions these days.  It is why bodybuilders like Dorian Yates, Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman were so dominate during their hey days on the Olympia stage-they were great everywhere, but when they turned around to the back (as Ronnie would say) it was lights out, game over baby!

As I have said before, a well-developed back will give you a thicker look from the side and back while the extra width will accentuate the x-frame look from both the front and back. My current back workout is based on increasing both back thickness and width.  Below is how I attack my back!

Back workout A (taken from training diary completed 31 March 2011:  Body weight= 71 kg)

1. Deadlifts                 60 kg x 5, 100 kg x 5, 140 kg x 5, 170 kg x 5
2. Weighted Chin ups 16 kg for 10, 6, 4 (rest pause)* + bodyweight for 4 reps (NA)**
3. Inverted rows Bodyweight for 10, 10, 9, 8  (4×10)***

In the past I have done partial deadlifts, however, deadlifting from the floor has thickened my back up a lot faster. Pulling my lats out during the concentric part of the deadlift allows me to get a far better pump in my lats too.

Chins have always been a mainstay in my workouts. At present I perform them with either a wide or palms facing narrow grip.

Inverted rows have become a favourite exercise as it hits my upper back muscles better than any other exercise I have tried over the years. (I set the smith machine up so my body is on a small incline with my feet either on the ground or on top of a bench. I then try and pull up so my chest hits the bar). You can increase the weight by wearing a weighted vest or putting a plate on your lower chest.

* (Rest pause) is using the same weight for all sets with 20-30 seconds rest in between each set.  When I reach 20 reps in total I add weight the next workout.

** (NA) or negative accentuated training is taking 1 second to complete the concentric part of the movement and 6 seconds to complete the eccentric (negative) part of the movement.  When I can complete 7 reps (which is 49 seconds of continuous tension) I add weight.

*** (4 x10) is picking a weight I can get 15-20 reps normally and complete 4 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest in between each set.  When all 4 sets are 10 reps I add weight.

Back workout B (7 April: BW= 71.2kg)

1. Machine Row (Hammer grip)   150 pd x 10, 195 pd x 10, 210 pd x 9, 225 pd 7
2. Machine Row (Wide grip)          150 pd x 10, 165 pd x 9, 180 pd 6
3. Chins (bodyweight)    25 (PB!), 9, 6, 4 (rest pause)

This workout allows me to hit my back muscles hard without stressing my nervous system too much.  I can easily over train with deadlifts if I try and perform them every back workout.  I will sometimes alternate Dumbbell rows for the Hammer grip machine row and Barbell rows for Wide grip machine row when I think I need a change.

Back workout C (15^th April:  BW= 71.6 kg)

1.  Deadlift 60 kg x 10, 100 kg x 10, 140 kg x 15
2. Inverted Row BW for 10, 10, 10, 10 (4 x10)
3. Chins BW for 10, 10, 5, 4. (4 x 10)

This workout is pretty much the same as workout A, but I mix it up with different rep ranges so the body has to continuously adapt to the new stress.

Although these workouts are very simple they are effective in meeting my goals of more back thickness and width.  So if you have neglected your back muscles or haven’t seen any growth for a while, attack your back with some of these ideas. You never know the next time you compete and hit a back pose they may be saying lights out, game

I have already talked about the benefits of dumbbell training in my last blog.  This time I am going to give you some food for thought in terms of how and why you should perform certain dumbbell exercises to increase your muscle gains.

Take dumbbell curls for a good example.  For years I started dumbbell curls with palms facing the body (semi-supinated when arms are fully extended down by my sides) then I would curl the weight making sure I supinated as I reached the top of the movement.  Don’t get me wrong, this still produced results, (it hits the biceps and brachialis really well) however, when I began the movement with palms facing forward (supinated) and attempted to make sure my little finger (or inside of my hand) was higher than my thumb side at the top, that’s when I started to see a lot more progress.

This got me interested and I began considering how I performed other dumbbell exercises.  I scoured the internet, magazines and books for ideas and found a gem of an article by Larry Scott (The first Mr Olympia).  He suggested that wrist position played a big part in the effectiveness of certain dumbbell exercises.  For Dumbbell presses and Bench presses he suggests that the little finger side of the dumbbell should be slightly higher than the thumb side.  In effect it transfers more of the tension to the side deltoids (if you don’t allow your elbows to travel forward when you press) and pectorals instead of the triceps during both Dumbbell presses and Bench presses.

On lateral raises and bent over laterals he recommends at the top of the movement to have the little finger to be slightly higher than the thumb side.  I do not advocate an exaggerated “pouring the jug” movement at the top of side laterals as this can be quite stressful on the shoulder joint.  I find if I lean forward slightly and have my little finger slightly higher from the start I have no problems and all the tension goes on my side deltoids.

For triceps kickbacks he also suggests tilting the little finger side of the hand towards the wrist instead of holding it straight for a stronger muscle contraction.

I have found when performing a number of dumbbell exercises that placing my hand differently on the dumbbell grip (changing my hand placement from middle of the dumbbell grip closer to either the inner or outer dumbbell plates) can produce the same effect as wrist position and improve my mind muscle connection with the muscles I am working.

Another great article I found in regards to dumbbell training was by Paul Burke who provided a solution for bodybuilders who have struggled to develop their chest.  Often trainers who have long arms and narrow shoulders are at a disadvantage when doing barbell bench presses.  His idea was to perform a decline dumbbell bench press as it limits shoulder involvement and shortens the range of motion for leverage disadvantaged trainers.  I found this to be especially good for my students at school as some had trouble making a mind muscle connection when they trained their chests.  After a few weeks of declines they were able to feel their chest working and see some much wanted progress. It also helped them to “feel” and use other dumbbell chest exercises better too.

So I hope you consider several things next time you use dumbbells.  Firstly, consider your wrist position and hand placement during dumbbell exercises; a subtle change could make all the difference for muscle gains.  Secondly, consider your unique structure and muscles and find alternative exercises; if the barbell version of an exercise isn’t working for you, try a modified dumbbell version instead.

Training at home is a preferred option for some and getting the right equipment is important in terms of cost, space and personal goals.  Dumbbells are a smart option and can definitely help you reach your goals of more strength and muscle.  Dumbbells can either be a set weight (what you normally get at gyms) or adjustable (either with traditional plates or custom designs that allow you to add and remove resistance easily).  These adjustable sets are perfect for home as they take up minimal space and cost a lot less than buying a whole set of dumbbells (Power block and Ironmaster quick lock dumbbells are two versions that appear to be good value).

Dumbbells have all the benefits of barbell training however they have one major advantage over a barbell. When you use a barbell the dominant side will usually do more work than the weaker side causing further imbalance in terms of strength and muscle gains. Dumbbells force both sides to work equally, creating a more balanced and symmetrical physique.  In some cases people are stronger using dumbbells than barbells.  One exercise that comes to mind is the one arm dumbbell row; most beginners’ can you use more weight in this exercise compared to the barbell row as there is less stress on the lower back.  Another great benefit with dumbbells is that they are far safer to use when you train by yourself at home (dumbbell bench press vs. barbell bench press is a good example).

So can you train the whole body with dumbbells?  Yes you can; here are some exercises you can use for the whole body.  These can all be seen on exrx.net.  The only other thing you need is an adjustable incline/decline bench and you’re away!

 Calves

DB*(dumbbell) Calf raises, one legged DB calf raises, DB seated calf raises (rest dumbbells on upper legs close to knee)

Hamstrings/ Glutes

DB leg curls (dumbbell goes between feet and can be done on a flat bench or an inclined slant board).  DB, “almost”, stiff legged deadlift.

Quads/ Hams/ Glutes

DB squat (different stances), DB one legged squat, DB Lunge, DB side lunge, DB walking lunge, DB step ups, DB sissy squat.

Abdominals  

Add a DB for extra resistance on crunches.  If you have plate adjustable dumbbells you can do an exercise I call roll outs (put 2 small plates on either side of the dumbbell and place hands on the remaining handle showing.  Get in a press up position on your knees, holding the dumbbell allow your arms to move forward (and dumbbell to roll forward) while you brace your abdominals and keep your body straight.  Once you have gone as far as you can go (without collapsing flat on the floor) return to the start position in a controlled fashion; repeat as many times as you can.

Back

One arm DB rows (different grips: palms forward, back and facing the body), two arm DB rows, DB Pullovers, DB bent over raise, DB deadlift.

Chest

DB bench press (Incline, flat, decline), DB fly (Incline, flat, decline).

Shoulders

DB press (one arm, two arm, alternating, Arnold press), DB side raise, DB front raise, DB upright row (one arm or two), DB bent over raise, DB shrug (standing or seated or done facing the pad of a bench set at an angle of around 60-70 degrees.

Triceps

One or two arm DB triceps extension (seated or done on an incline, flat or decline bench), DB pullover (with more emphasis on flexing at the elbow on shoulder flexion and extension at elbow during shoulder extension), DB kick back.

Biceps

DB curls (palms supinated (palms up), semi-supinated (hammer curl), pronated (reverse curl), DB concentration curl, DB preacher curl, DB spider curl (using the more vertical side of the preacher bench).  Incline DB curls.

Forearms

DB standing wrist curls which can be done with both arms at the same time.  From this position flex the wrist towards the forearm and repeat till failure (make sure you keep elbow extended throughout).   DB Bench wrist curl:  This is just like the traditional exercise where your forearm is on the bench except you do not perform the stretch position.  Your forearm and palm start off in line and you flex the hand towards the elbow joint and back to the start.  No going past parallel to the floor with your hand at the beginning and end of the movement.

Although this is not an exhaustive list of exercises you can see dumbbells are a smart tool for increasing muscle size and strength! They are safe, cost effective and space efficient.   So if you are thinking about training at home grab a set of dumbbells, set some goals and go for it!