THE TOP 9 DUMBBELL EXERCISES FOR BUILDING MUSCLE MASS

There are few tools as effective as dumbbells for packing on slabs of muscle.

The key to gaining muscle mass is to emphasize training movements before muscles.  When you train with dumbbells you are not only creating a stimulus that produces muscle mass, but also creating functional strength because of the added need to stabilize the weight in multiple planes of movement.

So what are the best dumbbell exercises for mass? Here are my top nine of the best dumbbell movements for packing on muscle and developing usable strength.

1. CLEAN AND PRESS

There are few muscles that this movement doesn’t include.  You can perform it with one dumbbell or two based on your skill and strength levels. Perform them at the beginning of your workout with heavy weight after a proper warm up for 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps for a total of 25 or so reps to build a monstrous upper body. You can also perform them for higher reps as a finisher, but be warned, this is not for the faint of heart. Try performing 3 sets of 15-20 reps at the end of a workout. As a bonus you will get a little cardio workout too.

Perform it by starting with the dumbbells at your sides and then use your hips to generate some momentum (like you would with a cheat curl) and then clean the dumbbells up to your shoulders.  From the shoulders, ensure that your forearms are vertical and press the dumbbells overhead.

2. ARNOLD PRESS

When it comes to building massive shoulders, no one can argue with the Austrian Oak’s methods. The Arnold Press is great for building massive shoulders because it extends the range of motion of a conventional shoulder press. It also involves the posterior shoulder when you sweep the dumbbells from in front of your body out to the sides. Replace the traditional dumbbell press with the Arnold Press for at least four weeks to bring about new growth. Try alternating heavy days (3x6-8) with volume days (4x12-15).

To perform the Arnold press, start with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing your chest. Next, simultaneously sweep your elbows out to the sides while pressing the dumbbells overhead. Follow the same path on the way down.

3. ALTERNATING DB BENCH PRESS

In order to stimulate muscle hypertrophy it is necessary to increase the time under tension - the amount of time that a set lasts for an exercise. When you perform a Dumbbell Bench Press while alternating which arm is performing work you increase your time under tension and provide more of a stimulus for growth. As an added bonus you get a great core workout from having to resist trunk rotation while working one side at a time.

Place this exercise early in a workout while you are fresh. It is a skill intensive exercise and you need to be mindful while you are holding one dumbbell at lockout while the other is performing a repetition. Start with 3 sets of 8 to get a feel for how long a set is going to take you.

Perform this version of the bench press by starting with both dumbbells at lockout and then alternate which arm is performing a repetition and which one is at lockout.

4. SUMO DEADLIFT WITH DUMBELL

The sumo deadlift is a strength training exercise that works nearly every major muscle group in your body including buttocks, hamstrings, thighs and lower back. 

Its effectiveness to target multiple muscle groups at once got many fitness experts calling this exercise as the king of all exercises. 

How to Sumo Deadlift with Dumbbell:

1. Stand with your feet very wide, wider than shoulder width apart with a dumbbell in the middle of your feet. Make sure your toes point outwards. Bend at the hips to grab one end of a dumbbell with both hands, arms hanging in front of you.  
2. Tighten your abs and lift the dumbbell by straightening your legs and standing up straight. 
3. Keeping your chest and head up, lower your hips until the dumbbell passes through the knees. Make sure to keep your weight on the heels and bend through your hips and knees. 
4. Repeat to complete 10-12 repetitions for 2-3 sets.

5. REAR FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT

Don’t think you can build great legs without a barbell? I beg to differ. The Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat (RFESS) allows for you to load your legs with unbelievably larger loads than if you were performing a traditional back squat (provided you have the grip strength to hold 100 plus pound dumbbells in each hand).

The RFESS takes advantage of what well known and respected strength coach Mike Boyle calls the Bilateral Deficit. The bilateral deficit states that you are stronger on one leg than on two. In fact, most individuals will be able to perform well over half of their 1RM back squat with one leg. So if my back squat is 300 lbs and I were to grab 75lb dumbbells in each hand (total of 150 lbs), I will be able to perform multiple reps on one leg when the load on one leg is technically the same as my 1RM back squat!

Take advantage of the bilateral deficit and train your legs one at a time with heavier loads than you would have used with a barbell. Start with 3 sets of 10 and go from there. 

To perform the rear foot elevated split squat grab a heavy set of dumbbells and place one of your legs back on a bench. Next, ensure that your front foot is in a position where your knee will not travel past your toes when you start to descend into the bottom of your squat.

Your rear knee may or may not touch the ground depending on how tall you are. On the way up drive through your heel and try to stay as upright as possible. I would also recommend placing an Ab-mat or foam pad on the ground where your rear knee touches to give you a little cushioning and to adjust your range of motion if you are shorter or using a taller bench.

6. THREE POINT BENT-OVER ROW

There is no exercise like the row for getting a thick, dense back. The 3 point row allows for you to train heavy with a dumbbell. This position takes the stress off your lower back because you are bracing the bench with your non-working arm to keep you back angle consistent throughout the set.

My favorite way to perform dumbbell rows is to run the rack after you have worked up to a heavy set of 5. Use straps if your grip is failing, but be sure that you are still paying attention to training your grip as it is often overlooked and can cause heartache later on in your strength training career.

Stand in a staggered stance - if you are working the right arm, the right foot should be back. Next brace your opposite hand on a bench and ensure that you have a solid and flat back. Start with the dumbbell on the floor and pull it to your pocket, not towards your armpit.

7. RENEGADE ROW

There are few exercises that will challenge your core and back like the Renegade Row. I walk away humbled every time I perform it. I like to perform these on back day after I have performed weighted chins or pull-ups. Do 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps after a heavy pulling exercise, preferably a vertical pull like lat-pulldowns, weighted chins, or weighted pull-ups.

To perform the movement you begin in a modified push up position with your feet spread more widely than a push up (about shoulder width apart) and your hands placed under your chest inside your shoulders. With a pair of dumbbells in your hands, maintain the front lean and rest position while you alternate which arm performs a row and which arm keeps you from falling on your face!

Keep your abs and glutes braced the entire time and don’t allow your butt to shoot up or sag too low and keep your hips level the entire set. The only part of your body that should be moving is the arm performing the row.

8. DUMBELL BICEP CURL

The dumbbell bicep curl uses both arms at the same time to build stronger arms.

Steps :

1.) Start off standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, abs tight, knees slightly bent and a dumbbell in each hand holding in a palms up grip.

2.) While holding the dumbbells extend your arms at the side of your body, then slowly lift your arms up towards your chest until your forearms touch your biceps.

3.) Isolate the bicep and hold this position for a count.

4.) Return back to the starting position and repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.

Tips :

1.) Refrain from swinging your arms during this exercise.

9. STRAIGHT ARM SIT UP

To build a stand-out six pack, you need to build the rectus abdomis. In order to increase the muscle size on your abs, you need to train them like you would any other muscle: by using progressively heavier weights. If the muscle bellies on your abs are small then you must get your abs bigger by training them with weight. I like the straight arm sit up to load your abs and bring about growth. 3 sets of 15 with a weight that you can manage is perfect for ab development.

In the starting position (back on the ground with knees at 90 degrees with feet flat on the floor) press a heavy dumbbell towards the ceiling. Next, perform your sit up keeping your arms straight and making sure that the dumbbell is still pointing towards the ceiling. Slowly return to the starting position, always ensuring you are keeping the weight aimed at the ceiling with the arms locked out.

Read More

5 MOST EFFECTIVE EXERCISES FOR BUILDING YOUR BICEPS

Here’s the thing: When it comes to biceps training, you can pretty much only do one thing – curl. Boring, yes, but you still desire a nice set of guns.

Maybe you need to get more out of your biceps training. Maybe you need a few more tricks and techniques to get arm growth going again.

The 5 biceps exercises listed below are some of the most effective arm-builders around. At first glance these aren’t anything new, but let’s delve a little deeper and get creative to make these 5 traditional moves into some serious muscle gain-makers.

Try a few of these on for size (literally) and bigger guns will only be a curl away!

1. BARBELL CURL

It doesn’t get more basic than the barbell curl. Heavy, simple and to the point the barbell curl allows you to place the most amount of stress of all the biceps exercises.

Including some form of the barbell curl (be it standing, on the preacher bench, with a wide or narrow grip) is a necessity for anyone’s arsenal if bigger biceps is the goal.

The Twist: A simple yet highly effective version of the traditional barbell curl is the seated barbell curl. Yes, the shortened range of motion will have the illusion of seeming easier to perform, but the reality is quite the opposite. Sit straight up on the end of a bench with the barbell in your lap.

With an underhand grip curl up the weight toward your shoulders and lower under control. When the bar nears your legs only tap the bar and reverse direction. You will find you can lift more weight than the standing, full-range version but that’s not a green light to cheat the weight up. Always use proper, controlled technique.

2. INVERTED RACK CURL

A highly effective but little known biceps builder is the rack curl. If traditional curling has you bored out of your mind and you want to try something very different and a little more functional then give this a try.

Position yourself under a bar (either a locked Smith machine or a bar placed low on a squat rack) and grasp the bar with an underhand grip with your body straight, facing up and feet on the floor. You should be in a similar positon as a reverse-grip inverted row. Keeping your body straight, curl your body up to your hands while flexing your biceps hard.

Your abs, back, shoulders and legs will be under tension for support, but be sure the majority of the stress is to your biceps.

The Twist: After you’ve mastered the move from a moderate height with the bar it’s time to make things a little interesting. Try performing a rack curl ladder. Start with the bar in a low position (the most difficult) and perform your reps as normal. Once you reach failure, raise the bar to the next setting and perform more reps.

Continue to raise the bar to each new level after you reach muscular failure. Each new height will make the exercise angle a bit easier enabling you to keep working your fatigued biceps.

3. DUMBBELL CURL

The dumbbell curl is considered the barbell curl’s little brother, however, utilizing dumbbells allows you to supinate (rotate) the wrist.

Why is this worth mentioning? Because the biceps has two functions: To raise the arm and to rotate the forearm. This supinating action will ensure you are working both biceps heads and getting a complete, thorough workout.

The Twist: Instead of slogging through the normal cadence of “curl the left arm, then the right, then the left and so on” try completing half of your reps for one side then half for the other, then complete your reps in the same fashion.

This small, seemingly insignificant shift will enable you to better focus on the side being worked while reducing upper body sway and swing.

4. INCLINE DUMBBELL CURL

Piggybacking off of the dumbbell curl supinating advantage, the incline bench dumbbell curl is unlike any other exercise for the biceps.Not only will it force you to perform your reps in a strict manner it will also work the biceps in such a way as to increase that coveted peak you are looking to build.

Since this exercise puts you in a vulnerable position it is advisable to use light to moderate amounts of weight and focus on form and technique.

The Twist: Of course using proper form is paramount such as keeping not only your back against the bench but your shoulders as well. Also, let your arms hang down straight to the floor without swinging the dumbbells.

An intense little trick you can try is to lower the weight to a dead stop and pronate (twist) your wrists inward at the bottom of the movement. Twist them back to the supinated (curl) position and lift for your next rep. This will cause an intense stretch and burn. Again, use a lighter weight for these since the drastic stretch will call for more control.

5. REVERSE-GRIP BICEPS CHIN-UP

Another unsung hero of the biceps building world is the reverse-grip chin-up. Normally you would perform a traditional chin-up by pulling with your lats and elbows while arching and squeezing your back.

For the biceps version you will actually slightly round your back to engage your biceps more fully. Also, try more of a curling motion with your forearms instead of a straight pull as in a traditional chin-up.

The Twist: Can’t do too many chin-ups or none at all? You have options. Either have your training partner support your feet to lessen the amount of body weight lifted or loop a band under your feet or knees for the same support.

Another option would be to use a low-hanging bar and jump to the top/contracted position. Once in that position slowly lower your body under complete control for an intense negative (eccentric) fatigue affect. Once you build your strength you will be able to perform normal reps over time.

2 EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR BUILDING YOUR BICEPS:

Try each program once per week. For example, program A on Monday and program B on Thursday.

PROGRAM 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Seated Barbell Curl	3	10-12
Incline Dumbbell Curl (with a full wrist twist)	3	10-12
Seated Dumbbell Curl (one arm at a time)	3	8-10

PROGRAM 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Reverse-Grip Biceps Chin-Up	3	Max
Inverted Rack Curl Ladder	2-3	Max
Traditional Seated Dumbbell Curl	3	10-12

Read More