12 T-nation experts talk about dumbbell exercises.
1. Goblet Squat
Dr. John Racine, Strength and Conditioning Coach
For some reason, the goblet squat is considered a preventative and rehabilitation exercise, which is prescribed only to the elderly and injured. Of course, it can be performed for these purposes, but if you take heavy weight, this squat variation turns into one of the most effective exercises for increasing leg strength and mass.
Why don't lifters do it? Some try to quickly forget about the injury and shameful movements that they practiced in the exercise therapy room. And others are simply unaware of its power potential. Goblet Squats useful not only for the development of lower muscles, but also strengthen cardiovascular system and increase endurance. Holding the weight in front of you during the set requires significant stability. shoulder girdle and spine.
Do you think that if the barbell is much heavier, then the squat with it is better in every way? Find the biggest dumbbell in the gym and try to do as many reps as possible with it. The next day you will feel how much your legs have worked, and you will probably want to include a goblet squat in your program. And after a while you will find that even in a regular squat with a barbell, the weights begin to increase.
The only warning: if you are lucky enough to find a giant dumbbell, do not pick it up from the floor, but pick it up from a bench or box, like a barbell from a rack.
2. Dumbbell press with rotation
Nick Tumminello – trainer and writer
I included this exercise in my book, Your Workout Perfected. In addition to pumping up the deltoids, it works the muscles that rotate the body and improves the mobility of the pelvic girdle. Very useful for athletes who need to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body: boxers, strikers, throwers, etc.
Here's how to do it:
- Stand straight with dumbbells raised to your shoulders.
- Squeeze the dumbbell with your right hand and turn to the left.
- To better rotate your pelvis, lift your right leg onto your toes.
- Smoothly lower the dumbbell, turning around starting position.
- Then repeat the same on the other side.
After strict presses, you can add pushes using your legs (see video). This is even more useful for boxers and hand-to-hand fighters.
Once you are comfortable with alternating presses, you can try pushes with both hands at the same time; or work with only one hand - this will add power to the blow and further strengthen the body stabilizers.
3. Pullover with arm curls (PJR pullover)
Akash Vaghela - powerlifting and bodybuilding coach:
A couple of years ago, the triceps were a lagging group for me. I constantly tried different exercises and techniques until I learned this movement from Paul Carter. And since then I have been doing it every week. It has two huge advantages: 1) it works the long head of the triceps better than any other movement, 2) it spares the elbows - unlike many triceps exercises.
A regular pullover is performed in two versions - with straight or bent arms, but here you bend your arms while lowering the dumbbell behind your head (the triceps are fully stretched), then, lifting the weight back, straighten your arms. The result is a cross between a pullover and a French press (arm extension).
Add 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps at the end of each upper workout.
4. Triple Press
Tom Morrison, weightlifting, martial arts and CrossFit coach:
This is a megaset for bulking and building endurance: you alternate between three pressing movements, stretching the set. Of course, you need to be able to perform all these exercises correctly; practice them first with light weights.
Strict press: lifting the dumbbells to your shoulders and fixing the position of your body, squeeze the shells using only the triceps and deltoids. Do not help with your body and legs.
Push press: sit down a little and, straightening your legs, push the dumbbells at the beginning of the movement, then press with your hands. (in TA it is called “shvung press” - translator’s note)
Half squat push: push the dumbbells up first, and then squat down a second time, straightening your arms. Then rise from a half squat with the dumbbells overhead. In weightlifting, the exercise is called the “shvung push.”
Try to increase the weight or add reps to your total each workout.
But don't limit yourself to the same range for each movement - do as many technical reps as possible before you have to switch to the next variation.
5. Burpee + lunge
Eirik Sandvik, Sports Training Specialist
If you have to rest for a long time between exercises with a basic barbell (and physical fitness leaves much to be desired), try this superset:
- Lower yourself into a lying position, leaning on dumbbells, and do a push-up.
- Jump your legs towards your hands, taking a seated position, and stand up.
- Do a reverse lunge on each leg.
An easy option is when you do lunges with dumbbells in your arms, but you can make it more difficult - lift the dumbbells above your head.
Increase speed and add reps (performing max 30, 45, 60 seconds) without increasing the weight. This is an exercise for endurance, not strength. It is best to place it at the end of the workout as a finisher. Once you get the hang of it, you can alternate with supersets for other muscle groups to create a circuit block for 3-5 minutes.
6. Push Press with Slow Lowering
Joel Seedman, Ph.D., strength coach, athletic training specialist
Standing press – great exercise to develop strength; the leg push press adds power; The one-handed version connects multiple stabilizers and improves coordination. Add a slow descent to increase the load on the working muscles.
As a result, you will not only work your deltoids and triceps, but strengthen your shoulders, spine, core muscles (and improve your posture), which will contribute to progress in other exercises.
Working with one hand and focusing on the negative will help correct imbalances in muscle development. If you've always pressed with only two hands, this variation will be a little challenging at first, but will be very rewarding over time.
It can be performed not only according to the power scheme, but also to develop endurance; add repetitions - and just one set will exhaust you like a sprint with maximum acceleration.
7. Goblet Squat with Jump
Calvin Huynh, strength coach
Jump squats are very effective for developing speed and power (and activating the maximum number of fibers), but doing them with a barbell is somewhat awkward and not very good for the spine and knees. Even a technical landing with a barbell on your shoulders can overload your joints.
The option with dumbbells on the sides is better, but also not ideal: you subconsciously try to bring your knees together so as not to hit the projectiles on your thighs.
But the goblet squat allows you to give all your best, working freely with your legs, and also relieves the spine. Try adding 3 sets of 5 reps to your next leg workout.
8. Side swing
Tim Arndt, strength coach
Dynamic lateral raises used to be popular, but today few people do them - and in vain, they add strength and power to the deltoids and trapezius.
Unlike strict lateral raises, the swing is performed with acceleration, and only with one hand. To do this, of course, you will need reliable support - a power frame or other exercise machine. And, of course, you should wave without fanaticism, without breaking your hand out of shoulder joint. As the dumbbell stops rising and begins to fall, consciously slow down. Fast concentric and slow eccentric is the best combination for power and hypertrophy.
9. Squat with a dumbbell between your legs
Bret Contreras, strength and conditioning specialist
This is my favorite glute exercise my client Tawna Eubanks McCoy, a competitive fitness professional. Although gym bros consider it “girly” and don’t even try it, believe me, 3 sets of 20 repetitions with a dumbbell of 50 kilograms will convince the quads and glutes of any doubter.
Stand on the steps or plinths to lower the dumbbell between them until your legs are fully bent and the working muscles are stretched. Perform 3-4 sets of 8-20 repetitions. Are quads still lagging behind? Place pancakes under your heels so that the load is not removed at the top point. And to develop your glutes, alternate this squat with a bridge.
10. French press of two dumbbells with a neutral grip
Mark Dugdale, professional bodybuilder IFBB
Although a common option is curved neck or with one dumbbell, I suggest trying with two. This method has a number of advantages:
- a neutral grip (palms facing each other) removes the load from the pecs, which are included in the version with a barbell,
- separate work with both hands activates the triceps more,
- after strict repetitions, you can change the inclination of your arms and continue the approach (see video), which cannot be repeated with one dumbbell,
- this option is much easier on the elbows and wrists.
11. Bench Dumbbell Compression Press
Tony Gentilcore, Strength and Conditioning Specialist
This is one of the best movements for those looking to build prominent pecs. The barbell is good (you can use more weight), but dumbbells in the bench press are always better for developing pecs. The range of motion of the barbell is limited by the bar, plus you are only doing the lift, but with dumbbells the range is greater, and you can add a curl by pressing the dumbbells together throughout the entire approach.
I do as an auxiliary after the regular bench press:
- Bench press - add weight to heavy sets of three reps,
- I unload by 10-15% and do another 3-4 sets of 3
- I finish with this “squeezing” dumbbell press in 3-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- And I regularly change the inclination: head up, horizontal bench, head down. Give it a try and soon your pecs will start cutting through your T-shirt.
12. Spider curl
Michael Warren - strength and conditioning coach
An excellent exercise for working the short biceps. Usually the biceps are targeted on a music stand, but spider curls are better because they keep the muscles under load at the top of the movement.
One Bitz Hack – Press the dumbbells together throughout the movement and pause at the top, then slowly lower. When you reach failure, move your elbows back a little (shortening the range of motion) and perform a few extra reps.
Hammer curls are one of the classical exercises for the development of biceps and shoulder muscles. It helps to make the biceps voluminous and prominent, as well as increase the width of the forearm in a short time. The exercise is also known as hammer or mallet.
Features of the exercise
With dumbbells neutral grip or hammers are trained:
- biceps;
- brachialis (brachial muscle);
- brachioradialis (brachioradialis muscle);
- pronator teres.
One exercise helps develop a number of small muscles. Some trainers classify the hammer as a basic exercise, but this is not entirely true. The muscle groups being developed are too small. Moreover, the movement is carried out due to the work of one joint. For these reasons, it is more correct to consider it isolated.
The main advantage of this type of bending is that it allows you to increase the overall muscle mass hands Muscle development occurs in a complex manner, and you will definitely be pleased with the end result.
The grip you use directly affects which muscles receive the most stress. Before you start training, pay attention to the following nuances:
- The more the palm looks down, the greater the load on the brachialis.
- The more the palm is turned upward, the greater the load on the biceps.
- A neutral grip, with your palms facing each other, targets both of these muscles evenly.
When choosing which grip to hold the dumbbells in, think about which muscles you want to develop first.
Execution technique
How to do the exercise correctly? First you need to choose the appropriate dumbbell weight. It is generally recommended to work with a weight that allows you to complete 8-10 repetitions.
If you are an experienced athlete, then you can choose a super heavy weight for 4-6 repetitions, and perform the last lifts, supporting yourself with your core. But this practice requires perfectly honed movement technique. You need to break this very technique skillfully, understanding the process of muscle work. Otherwise, there is a big risk of getting grass.
Technique for performing hammers while standing and sitting. Proper execution hammer bends looks like this:
- After you decide on the load, take the starting position. Stand straight and place your feet shoulder-width apart. A slight natural arch should form in the lower back. Make sure your posture is comfortable and stable.
- Fix your elbows on the sides of your body. Make sure that they do not move forward or backward during the exercise.
- Take dumbbells with a neutral grip. A neutral grip means that the palms of the dumbbells face each other.
- As you exhale, lift your arms almost to shoulder level. Achieve peak muscle contraction. It is important to say that the peak contraction of the biceps occurs somewhat earlier than the hand touches the shoulder. By bringing your forearm to a vertical position, you remove the load from the biceps and transfer it to the tendons. Therefore, you need to raise your arms without bringing your forearms to a vertical position. Try to concentrate on doing the exercise and be aware of the muscles working. This is a very useful skill for an athlete. Hold at the top peak point for a few seconds.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down, returning to the starting position. Without pausing, lift your arms again.
- Repeat the required number of times (8-12), rest and perform another 2-3 approaches.
The hammer can be done sitting or standing, lifting dumbbells simultaneously or alternately. It all depends on your physical fitness.
If the above exercise seems too difficult for you, you can simplify it a little. First, change your starting position. Sit on a bench, spread your legs wide and straighten your back. Next, try lifting the dumbbells one at a time and at the same time. Typically, lifting dumbbells at the same time is easier because it makes it easier to coordinate the movements.
Hand exercises will be most effective if you follow a number of simple rules when performing them. To improve your training results, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Start each session with a warm-up. Rotational movements in the joints and vigorous warming up of the arm muscles will make further lifting of dumbbells less traumatic.
- Make sure that during the approach the position of the dumbbells in your palms does not change, and each subsequent lift is performed with the same grip. It is the grip that influences the distribution of load across the biceps and brachialis.
- Avoid unnecessary movements during the exercise. Body tilt and elbow instability significantly reduce the load on the biceps, thereby making the exercise less effective.
- Train at a moderate pace and do not take unnecessary breaks. Finish the session by stretching the target muscles.
When mastering the hammer, it is better not to fully extend your arms at the lowest point. This way the muscles will maintain tension throughout the exercise.
Hammers are an exercise that increases the volume of the biceps and gives them definition in the shortest possible time. By combining it with other arm exercises, you can achieve amazing results.
Suppose you are unable to go to gym, but you have dumbbells at home. Most of the exercises presented here can be done at home. All you need is a pair of dumbbells. The bench can be safely replaced with a regular chair or stool.
Keep in mind: with a conscientious approach to business, the result will be no worse than what you would achieve in the gym. Combine strength training with cardio exercises and training to develop flexibility, and then success will be guaranteed to you.
Breast
Strengthening the pectoral muscle requires 3 things: concentration, control and contraction. You need to concentrate and know which muscles work in the exercise. Control means that you monitor the movements and speed of the exercises. The slower you perform them, the more you load the muscle fibers. A slow pace also reduces the risk of injury. When you focus your attention on the muscles being trained, the effectiveness of the exercise increases.
A great exercise for chest training. It can be performed on horizontal bench, incline, or negative incline bench. This way you can shift the load to the middle, top, or bottom pectoral muscles. Try to lower the weight slowly so that you feel the same muscle tension as when lifting the weight. If you lift dumbbells too quickly, you risk shoulder injury. It is also important to choose the appropriate dumbbell weight. The resistance should be enough so that you can feel your pectoral muscles working.
An excellent exercise for developing the pectoral muscles. Its value lies in the fact that it makes it possible to exclude all auxiliary muscles from work and the load on the chest will be concentrated. Dumbbell curls can be performed on a horizontal bench, an incline bench, or a bench with a negative incline. This will allow you to better work on different areas of the chest. To perform the exercise, take dumbbells and lie down on a bench. The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other. As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows. As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.
With this exercise you can increase the volume of the chest. To perform it, lie with your back on a bench. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold the dumbbell in front of you with your arms outstretched. As you inhale, lower the dumbbell behind your head (at the final phase of the movement, you can bend your elbows slightly). As you exhale, return to the starting position.
Back
IN everyday life We use the muscles in the front of the body more, so the back muscles are often underdeveloped, which leads to slouching. Your goal is to develop your entire body evenly. The exercises we offer with dumbbells will help you with this.
Bent-over dumbbell row - excellent basic exercise for the development of the central and upper back. When performing this exercise, a special stand is used, which makes it possible to completely turn off the lower back from work to avoid injury. The value of the exercise is that it can help correct back imbalances. To perform it, do the following: place your left knee on the bench. Then bend over and place your hand on it. The body is almost parallel to the floor. There is a deflection in the lower back. The right foot is on the floor. With your right hand, hold the dumbbell with a neutral grip. As you exhale, pull the dumbbell to your lower abdomen by contracting your back muscles. As you inhale, slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat the exercise on the other side.
This is an exercise to work your back muscles. The main load here is received latissimus muscles. The main advantage of this exercise is that when performing it, the load is removed from the lower back. Therefore this exercise will do people who should not put stress on their lower back. To perform it, take the weights and lie face down on an incline bench. Hold dumbbells with a neutral grip, with your arms straight at the sides of the bench. As you exhale, lift the dumbbells by bending your elbows. As you inhale, lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Shrugs are an exercise that is aimed at training the trapezius muscle. Shrugs are performed with both dumbbells and a barbell. The advantage of dumbbells is that the movement of the exercise becomes more natural and the amplitude of the exercise increases. To perform it, take dumbbells in your hands and stand straight. Stretch your arms at your sides. As you exhale, pull your shoulders up as high as you can. Hold this position for a second and return to the starting position.
Legs and buttocks
Although exercises with a barbell are considered the most effective for the muscles of the legs and buttocks (due to the possibility of using large scales), nevertheless, with the help of dumbbells you can also work out these muscle groups quite well. To achieve what you want, the main thing is to do the exercises correctly. All movements must be clear and precise. And as a result, in addition to impressive external results, you will receive strong legs and buttocks, which will allow you to noticeably improve your performance in other sports, such as running and jumping.
1. Straight-legged row with dumbbells
IN this exercise The muscles of the buttocks receive the greatest load, back surface hips and lower back. During dumbbell rows, the hands are in a more comfortable position than a fixed barbell. Thanks to this position of the hands, you can shift the center of gravity, due to which the load on the back extensors is reduced and the load on the back of the thigh is more concentrated. To perform this exercise, grab dumbbells and stand straight. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. As you inhale, moving your pelvis back and leaning forward, smoothly lower the dumbbells down. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
Squats are a basic exercise for strengthening the muscles of the front and back of the thighs and buttocks. By doing it, you also use the muscles of the internal and external surfaces hips To perform this exercise, hold dumbbells in your hands and stand straight. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed to the sides. Hands with dumbbells are lowered along the body, palms facing inward. Keeping your pelvis in a neutral position, straighten chest. Inhale, hold your breath and draw in your stomach. Do a squat as if you want to sit on the edge of a chair. Don't lift your heels off the floor. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position. At the moment of maximum effort, exhale.
Lunges with dumbbells are one of the best exercises for training your legs and buttocks. In this exercise, the maximum load is placed on the hamstrings and gluteal muscles. To perform it, take dumbbells in your hands and stand straight. Feet shoulder width apart. Bring your shoulder blades together, lower your shoulders, tighten your abs. Hands with dumbbells are lowered along the body, palms facing inward. Take a long step forward with your left foot and lower into a lunge so that your left knee is over your ankle and your right knee is pointing toward the floor. The right leg rests on the toe. Straighten your legs and take a step forward and lunge with right leg. Continue alternating legs as many times as necessary.
Biceps
As with any strength exercises, when training biceps with dumbbells are very important correct technique and concentration. Also try to avoid typical mistakes doing exercises for the biceps muscles. For example, many people do not fix their shoulders and body in a stationary position, which takes some of the load off the biceps. Only the supporting muscles should work elbow joint, and the shoulders, wrists and body remain motionless.
1. Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell curls are one of the best exercises to train your biceps. The advantage of dumbbells over a barbell is the increased amplitude of wrist rotation, which provides better training of the biceps muscle. This exercise can be performed standing or sitting on a vertical or incline bench. To perform it, take dumbbells and stand straight (or sit on a bench). The elbows are pressed to the sides of the body and remain motionless throughout the entire movement. As you exhale, bend your elbows. As you inhale, straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
2. Hammer Grip Dumbbell Curls
Hammer - an isolating exercise aimed at development brachialis muscle(brachialis), a muscle that is located under the biceps and which gives it such a desired peak for all athletes. Perform the exercise standing or sitting on a bench. To do this, take dumbbells with a neutral grip and stand straight or sit on a bench. The arms are extended to the sides of the body. As you exhale, lift the dumbbells to shoulder level. As you inhale, lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
The peculiarity of this exercise is the large range of motion and powerful peak contraction at the top point. The biceps receive the maximum load in this exercise. For correct execution exercises, sit on a bench and place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Take a dumbbell, bend over slightly and rest your right elbow on inner part right leg. As you exhale, lift the dumbbell to your upper chest. As you inhale, return to the starting position. Perform the required number of times and repeat the exercise for the other hand.
4. Curls with dumbbells on a Scott bench
The Scott Bench Dumbbell Curl is an exercise for targeted biceps training. The advantage of this exercise is that it eliminates the use of cheating, so the biceps brachii muscle receives maximum load. To perform it, sit on a Scott bench and hold dumbbells in both hands, palms facing up. You can also hold dumbbells with a hammer grip (palms facing each other) to work the brachialis muscle. As you exhale, straining your biceps, bend your arms as much as possible, raising the dumbbells to your shoulder. As you inhale, lower the dumbbells.
Triceps
When you train triceps, like any other muscle group, you need to use a variety of equipment, including dumbbells, to vary the load as much as possible. Try to feel the triceps working and always pay attention to your technique. Don't forget that when you focus on how your muscles are working during a workout, you will use more muscle fibers. Therefore, each repetition and approach is more effective, and you get the desired results much faster.
French press is unique exercise for triceps training. This exercise allows you to work the triceps along its entire length. When performing this exercise, the emphasis is on the load on the long head of the triceps. This exercise can be performed lying down or sitting. We suggest considering the option French press lying down. Lie down on a bench and grab dumbbells with your palms facing each other. As you inhale, bend your arms and lower the dumbbells to your ears. As you exhale, extend your arms at the elbows, returning to the starting position.
Another exercise with dumbbells to pump up the triceps. This exercise cannot be called the best for training the triceps, but doing it will diversify your arm training, which will undoubtedly benefit you. It is performed as follows: take in right hand dumbbell and rest your left knee on the bench seat. Also rest your left hand on the back or seat of the bench. Bend your working arm at a right angle - this will be your starting position. Now straighten your arm at the elbow until it is completely straight, hold for a split second and return to the starting position. Perform the required number of times and repeat the exercise for the second hand.
Shoulders
In most exercises for deltoid muscles you hold the dumbbells at a significant distance from your body, so they seem heavier than the barbell. Therefore, in order to properly work out your muscles, start training with not very heavy dumbbells. The exercises below will improve your shoulder shape by developing and strengthening your deltoid muscles.
This exercise strengthens the middle and anterior deltoid muscles. To perform this, set the back of the bench at a right angle. Take dumbbells and sit down. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Bend your arms at a 90-degree angle and spread them out to the sides so that your shoulders are parallel to the floor. Palms face forward. Tighten your abs. The back is straight, the lower back is pressed tightly against the back of the bench. Maintaining your torso position, raise your arms with the dumbbells above your head. Slowly return to the starting position.
The Arnold press is a basic exercise for developing the deltoid muscles. This exercise uses all three bundles, but the main emphasis is on the middle and anterior bundle. Due to the rotation of the arms, the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder are also included in the work: coracobrachialis, supraspinatus and infraspinatus. The technique for performing this exercise is as follows: stand up straight or sit on a bench. Take dumbbells in both hands and fix them at neck level, with your palms facing you. Inhale and, holding your breath, press the dumbbells upward while rotating your arms at the wrists. At the end of the movement, exhale. Inhale and lower the dumbbells along the same path.
Bent-over dumbbell flyes are the most effective exercise for the posterior bundle of the deltoid muscle. This exercise is the only one that allows you to qualitatively work out the rear head of the delta. To perform it, take dumbbells and lean forward, bending your knees slightly. Hands with dumbbells are lowered down. As you exhale, simultaneously spread your arms to the sides. As you inhale, lower your arms to the starting position.
4. Dumbbell lateral raises
This is an isolation exercise for working the middle fascicles of the deltoid muscles. You can do it standing or sitting on a bench. To do this, hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip, palms facing each other. Stand up straight or sit on a bench. The arms are slightly bent at the elbows. As you exhale, spread the dumbbells to the sides without changing the angle of your elbows. As you inhale, lower your arms to the starting position.
Exists large number various exercises, many nuances and subtleties in the technique of their implementation. One of these nuances is the type of grip that is used when performing a particular exercise. And really, how to grip the bar correctly, how to place your palm on the horizontal bar, from below or from above, and at what width should you keep your hands on the bar?
Why are different grips used?
Different grips are used to pump muscles from different angles, more concentratedly affecting one or another area muscle group. By changing your grip, you change the groups of muscles being worked.
Thus, it turns out that there is no universal answer to the question: Which grip will be correct or which grip will be more effective. In most cases, the choice of grip will depend on the specific exercise and the goals you set for yourself when performing it.
Types of grips.
So, what types of grips are there? Depending on how your palm holds the bar or bar, there are three types of grip:
Straight or overhand grip.
Also called a pronated grip, from the word pronation, which means an inward rotational movement. In a position where the arms are down, with this grip the palms will look back.
Neutral or parallel.
In a position where the arms are lowered down, with this grip both palms are facing the body and looking at each other. A neutral grip is also called a grip on the horizontal bar when the palms face in opposite directions.
Reverse or underhand grip.
The so-called supinated grip, from the word supination, which means an outward rotational movement. In a position where the arms are down, with this grip the palms will face forward.
When performing exercises, the distance of the hands from each other is of great importance, therefore, depending on the width of the hands, grips are also divided into three types.
Narrow grip.
With this grip, you should place your hands narrower than shoulder width. The amplitude of movement with a narrow grip is the maximum, which has a beneficial effect on the result. However, using narrow grip, you often do not connect target muscles, for example triceps, which take part of the load on themselves and the effect of the exercise decreases.
Medium grip.
With this grip, your hands are shoulder-width apart. Medium grip is the most common, considered classic and often serves for complex training of the muscles involved in the exercise. Ideal for beginner athletes.
Wide grip.
A wide grip is a grip when your hands are positioned wider than your shoulders. With this grip, you can focus on the target muscle. However, this grip often reduces the effectiveness of the exercise, since it significantly reduces the range of motion.
According to the position of the thumb when gripping, grips differ into closed and open, or safe and dangerous, respectively.
Closed grip.
In this variant, four fingers hold the bar or crossbar on one side, and the thumb holds it on the other side, as if wrapping it in a ring. When performing exercises with a barbell, this type of grip is usually used, since it allows you to safely hold the apparatus. When performing exercises on the horizontal bar, it allows you to hold onto the bar more tenaciously.
Open grip (monkey, military).
This grip option is that the bar or crossbar is grasped not with four fingers, but with all five. Thumb in this case it does not hold, but simply touches the projectile. This grip is believed to help you press more weight. However, since the projectile can come off your hand, it should be used with great care. In exercises with dumbbells, such a grip is generally not recommended. When doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar, quite a lot of people use this grip; on this apparatus, this grip is also called a monkey grip or a military grip.
So let's take a look at what grips are used on different equipment.
Grips when training with a barbell.
When performing exercises with a barbell, a closed grip is often used, which allows you to clearly fix the projectile in your hands. But there are still athletes who find it more convenient to hold the barbell with an open grip. This mainly applies to barbell exercises on the back and presses, especially the bench press, but since it is not safe, it will be better to use a closed grip.
Select direct or reverse grip is often determined by the exercise itself, but different grip widths are often used when exercising with a barbell. All kinds of presses and rows are often recommended to be performed with different grip widths, which helps to more fully work out the target muscles.
Grips when training with dumbbells.
Dumbbells should always be held with a closed grip. Unlike the barbell, in exercises with dumbbells it is possible to change the grip directly during the exercise; this is often used. Holding the projectile at the starting point with one grip, we change it to another at the end point.
An example of changing a direct, neutral or reverse grip would be the Arnold press or dumbbell lateral raises, when we supinate or pronate the dumbbells when pressing to the top point. In exercises with dumbbells, the width of the grip is the distance between the hands, which is also customary to change in some exercises, bringing the hands together at the top point and spreading them out at the bottom, for example when bench pressing dumbbells.
The ability to use these techniques gives dumbbells an advantage over the barbell, which allows for a more diverse impact on the muscles and, ultimately, a beneficial effect on their development.
Grips for pull-ups on the horizontal bar.
This is where all sorts of different grips are used, namely when doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar. What you get as a result depends on exactly how you grab the crossbar. Different grips will help athletes with different levels of training achieve the desired result.
Using a reverse grip helps beginners master pull-ups, as it makes it easier to perform the exercise due to the fact that stronger biceps are involved in the work and removes some of the stress from the back. The width of the grip helps the experienced athlete concentrate the load on individual areas of the back and work the target muscles.
As you can see, different grip types are an important part training process, so it is recommended that you take the time to learn how to use them in different situations. Knowledge of subtleties and features various types grip, applying them in practice will help diversify and improve your training, which in turn will help you achieve the result you want.
