Is it possible to pump up with dumbbells - I only have two prefabricated dumbbells

How to pump up with dumbbells yourself at home?

Dumbbells are a powerful tool for gaining muscle mass. They also have a shaping effect on the muscles. For sports training, the best choice would be collapsible dumbbells, with which you can control the weight of the weight.

Questions about how to pump up with dumbbells and which equipment is best suited for achieving sculpted muscles concern many novice athletes. Experience shows that a training program with dumbbells allows you to achieve the desired result faster than exercises with other types of exercise equipment. This happens due to the high level of neuromuscular stimulation that is provided by training with dumbbells. At the same time, during exercise, much more muscle fibers are used.

In order to pump up the pectoral muscles, exercises with dumbbell flyes lying on the floor or dumbbell bench press are suitable. To train your back, you need to use a variety of dumbbell rows, while using a neutral, forward and reverse grip. The seated dumbbell press, as well as the lateral and lateral dumbbell raises while bending over in front of you, help train the shoulder muscles.

The biceps and triceps are pumped through dumbbell curls, hammer grip curls, bent over arm extensions, concentrated biceps curls, as well as the French press with dumbbells while lying and sitting.

In order to load the hamstrings, you need to perform lunges and leg curls while lying down, with a dumbbell held between your feet. The calf muscle can be pumped up by doing calf raises with dumbbells on one or both legs. How to pump up with dumbbells - we present to your attention a set of basic exercises:

Is it possible to pump up with dumbbells alone?

Want to know how to effectively train at home with dumbbells? Then read the article “Is it possible to pump up with dumbbells alone?”...

For some reason, many athletes believe that training with dumbbells is less effective than training with a barbell.
In my opinion, it is completely misleading. Because training with dumbbells is just as effective as training with a barbell, in some cases it is even more effective than training with a barbell. Dumbbells, in theory, are the same copy of a barbell, only several times smaller. Although, when working with the same dumbbells, you don’t even need a power rack. In this case, you won’t even have to worry about being crushed during some exercise.

And this is not the most important thing, because the most important thing is probably that almost all existing muscles can be easily worked with just dumbbells.

In this case, the dumbbells, as well as the barbell, must be assembled. This is very important, because if you work out with the same weights, then you most likely will not be able to properly pump up your muscles, which means you simply will not be able to progress.

The likelihood that you will be able to build muscle mass at all will be equal to zero.

You will be surprised, but with the help of dumbbells alone you can also progress in muscle mass very quickly and effectively, just like working out with a barbell, and sometimes even faster and more effectively.

I'll tell you an interesting story...

An old friend of mine didn’t go to the gym for almost two years, because... I simply didn’t have time for the gym. After he got married and had a son, he simply had no time for it.

But I was always surprised when I came to visit him, even after two years he looked like he was constantly visiting the gym. When I asked how he manages to keep such excellent shape, he replied that he works out at home with dumbbells.

Calling me into another room and taking out two huge collapsible dumbbells from the closet and showing me a couple of exercises, he put them back in the closet.

I involuntarily noticed that there were additional dumbbell plates in the closet, then I asked what the maximum weight could be put on each of these dumbbells.

He said that he was able to load each dumbbell up to almost 80 kg, which makes the total of the two dumbbells almost 160 kg. But he says he hasn’t reached such scales yet; the maximum weights he’s worked with are about 60-70 kg on each dumbbell.

But soon I still managed to convince him to find a couple of hours a week to go to the gym. He was so afraid of embarrassing himself in the gym that at first he didn’t want to go, he was still afraid that he would be there as a beginner working with children’s scales.

But still, I was able to convince him to do at least one workout in the gym. A couple of days later, he and I came to the gym and didn’t have to explain to him what to do, because... He previously worked out in the gym for a long time and achieved very decent results.

Watching him in the gym at our first training session after such a long rest, I was amazed how, even after a two-year break from the barbell, he was able to easily lift it in the bench press with a weight of 70 kg for 6-8 repetitions, and in the same press lying down like this, he generally lifted 100 kg in 5-6 repetitions.

Moreover, I repeat, this was his first training after a 2-year break.

And this was after two years of training at home with only dumbbells, but despite this, in just a couple of months he was able to increase all his previous results by almost 15%-20% percent of his previous strength records.

And if we judge by his muscle mass, then in two years of home training he not only did not decrease in muscle mass, but on the contrary, he added about 8 kg of dry muscle mass, and this was after infrequent and not very regular home training with dumbbells.

Can you imagine? I am fascinated by the fact that during the two years he was at home, this man not only did not lose muscle mass, but even gained a little.

He himself admitted that if he had trained regularly over these two years and used a cyclic approach to his training, then over these two years he would have gained at least 1.5-2 times more than what he has now.

And this is an increase of almost 12-16 kg of pure muscle mass!

I think that even those athletes who train in the gym using not only dumbbells, but also all the exercise equipment available to them would also be happy if they could add as much as he added at home.

At the same time, he trained only with dumbbells. While exercising on average 2-3 times a week and eating completely normally without any special diets or diets.

As you can see, you can gain muscle mass not only in the gym, but even at home, while having only two dumbbells in your arsenal.

Before you start your training, I recommend that you also acquire additional sports equipment:

Dumbbells (2 pieces)
A large number of dumbbell plates
Back weight (backpack, bag)
Weightlifting belt
Wrist straps
Wrist bandages

Basically, you will need a backpack for exercises such as squats with dumbbells, weighted pull-ups, dips, etc.

This small set will be more than enough for you to start training at home today.

Seated dumbbell raise

The exercise loads the biceps and is one of the main ones for the development of this muscle.

In the starting position, your arms should be slightly bent and your hands should be facing your body. In the first part of the exercise, take a deep breath, tighten your biceps and begin to bend your arm. At the level of the hips, you need to start turning your hands up. At the top point, you need to take a short pause and tighten your biceps a little more. At the end of the exercise, exhale and lower the dumbbell. After one hand, the exercise must be done with the second. At the end of the set, do not forget to pause before the next exercise.

How to train at home: explanations

Pay special attention to carefully keeping a training diary. Record the weight used in the exercises and the number of repetitions performed. Once you can repeat the exercise to the maximum specified limit (i.e., 10, 12, or 15 repetitions), increase the weight of the dumbbells while decreasing the number of repetitions.

Stretch your abs and core muscles either at the end of your workout or on rest days. As a program, we recommend a set of abdominal exercises for a beginner, as the most effective program for working out the abdominal muscles at home, which can show results after just a few weeks of regular implementation.

Pectoral muscles at home

The exercises in our home workout program are grouped so that antagonist muscle groups are worked alternately - the pectoral muscles and latissimus dorsi, biceps and triceps. In addition, the order of exercises is designed to first “exhaust” the muscle with a light exercise (push-ups), and then load it with additional weight (dumbbell bench press).

Separately, we note the main mistake of those who train at home - meaninglessly performing a huge number of repetitions of exercises (for example, 50-70 push-ups at a time). Remember that this approach “burns” muscles rather than provokes their growth. In order for muscles to increase, a low to moderate number of repetitions with serious weight is necessary.

Extension of one arm with a dumbbell from behind the head.

The exercise perfectly loads the triceps and is quite popular among bodybuilders and beginner athletes.

Starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, arm with dumbbell straight and pointing upward. As you inhale, the arm with the dumbbell bends at the elbow and lowers behind your head. Then you should straighten your arm again as you exhale and repeat the exercise several times, after which you should rest and do the same exercise with the other arm.

The optimal number of repetitions of each exercise is 6-7 times per set, while the number of repetitions can be increased to 10-11 if your goal is not to gain muscle mass, but to work on relief.

bicepsDumbbellsTriceps

How to pump up at home?

Motivation and a set of collapsible dumbbells are the two main conditions for effective muscle training at home. At the same time, the desire to achieve results in the form of an athletic body plays a decisive role - otherwise, you simply will not be able to force yourself to train regularly in conditions where everything around is more likely to distract than help build muscles.

Essentially, you have to genuinely enjoy a home strength training program—if you don't enjoy doing specific exercises, you'll simply stop working out, no matter how “correct” those exercises are. On the other hand, the workout should not be too easy, since the muscles simply will not receive the stimulus to grow.

Basic exercises at home

The workout program below is based on the principles of a basic muscle building program. This program involves working all muscle groups in one session through the use of variations of basic exercises with dumbbells. The program also includes pull-ups - without them, unfortunately, it is impossible to pump up your back at home. Fitseven talked earlier about how to learn to do pull-ups.

The number of repetitions in the proposed exercises is higher than in the classic basic program, but this is due solely to the fact that trainees often only have collapsible dumbbells at their disposal. If you can afford to train at home with a real barbell, this will significantly increase the final effect of your training.

Isolated exercises

Isolated loads allow you to work one specific muscle. There are a lot of such exercises for different groups, and they are constantly being modernized and supplemented, so it would take a long time to list all the possible options. When creating a training program, you should be guided by a number of rules:

beginners should perform 1-2 exercises for different muscles;
people with an average level of physical fitness should be guided by the principle of “one workout – one muscle group”;
isolated loads are shown at the end of the workout to “finish off” the targeted zone;
select the weight so that you can do 8-12 repetitions.

The following exercises are performed after the basic ones. You can combine and change them at your discretion.

For biceps

All men are concerned about the volume of their biceps, so the following exercises, if performed regularly, will help, if not achieve the ideal, then get as close to it as possible. Arm work can be combined with chest, back, or shoulder work, depending on the training plan you choose.

The biceps works by flexion, so all exercises are performed according to the same principle.

Sitting on a bench. Helps you focus only on the work of your biceps, without worrying about the correct body position. Sit down, feet firmly on the floor, shoulder blades pressed to the back. Take the shells with a normal grip, relax your arms and extend them along your body. As you exhale, bend your elbow, drawing the dumbbell to your shoulder and turning your hand, then lower it, stretching the biceps as much as possible. It can be done with both hands at the same time, or alternately - whichever is more convenient for you.
"Hammer". Take the weight with a hammer grip and close your fingers. Bend your arms without turning your hands in the upper position. Performed sitting or standing, with both hands simultaneously or alternately.
Sitting at an angle. Set the back of the bench at an angle of 50-600, sit down and press your shoulder blades against it. Bend your arms as described in the first exercise. This technique allows you to diversify your training plan and is suitable if your biceps are accustomed to standard curls. A more complex option, which is recommended for advanced athletes, but not for beginners.
Over the knee. Sit on a bench, spread your legs, rest your hand with a dumbbell on your elbow. As you inhale, bend the elbow joint, drawing the projectile to your chest; as you exhale, fully extend and relax your arm.

The listed techniques help develop the biceps, but quickly clog the forearm. There is no point in using too much weight; 5-7 kg is enough.

For triceps

The triceps are small in size, so they do not need heavy loads. To work out this zone, it is enough to use 5-6 kg dumbbells. Weight is selected individually and depends on physical performance and training experience.

French press. Take 1 dumbbell (for men - 7-8 kg, for women - 4-5 kg) with both hands, place your hands under the back of your head. The weight is located at the level of the cervical vertebrae, the grip is with the thumb and forefinger of both hands, grasping the dumbbell bar in a triangle. Straighten your back, straighten your elbows, and during execution they are turned exactly to the sides. Inhale, as you exhale, straighten your arms, raising the apparatus as high as possible, then bend your elbows. The head remains motionless, the gaze is directed ahead. You can do it with one hand, this will increase the load if you use the same weight.
Extension. Stand up straight, holding a weight in your hands. Tilt your body, knees bent. Pull your arms to chest level, and then bend and straighten, forcing the targeted muscle to work.
Bench press. Lie on a bench, stretch your arms above your chest with weights. Bend them towards you so that the projectiles go below the line of the bench, approximately near the ear.

Only the triceps are involved in the execution, the body is motionless.

Pectoral muscles

The chest works mainly in basic multi-joint exercises - these are presses and push-ups. An isolated load can be provided in just one way. To do this, lie down on a bench, pick up dumbbells and stretch them above your chest. Then spread your arms to the sides, lowering your elbow at the lowest point and stretching your pectoral muscles more strongly. This is an effective exercise for those who want voluminous and sculpted breasts, as it well stretches the targeted area, making it more resilient and susceptible to other loads. When training the chest on one day, it is recommended to leave the arm raises for last in order to “finish off” this area.

Back and shoulders

To form a sculpted shoulder girdle and upper back, you need to perform various shrugs and swings with dumbbells in your hands.

Shrugs for the back and shoulders. Stand up straight, take dumbbells in your hands. Lower your arms along your body, fix your body and neck in one position. Raise your shoulders, squeezing your shoulder blades, and then relax. Despite the simplicity of execution, it works the upper back very effectively.
Swing to the sides. The starting position is as in the first technique described. As you exhale, spread your arms to the sides, raising them as high as possible. You don’t have to return to the starting position, but lower your arms to waist level and immediately swing to the sides again. This technique of execution loads the middle delta. To focus on the work of the rear delta, you need to tilt your back forward and swing to the sides while tilted.

The peculiarity of the listed back exercises is their simple technique. The main rule is not to swing your body, but to work only with your shoulders and back.

For shins

It's very easy to pump up your shins. To do this, you need to stand with your toes on any stand so that your heel remains suspended. Take dumbbells in your hands and lower them along your body. Raise your toes as high as possible, and then lower your heels as low as possible, stretching and forcing your lower legs to work.

Basic rules for a good arm workout with dumbbells

Muscles begin to grow exclusively under stress. It is necessary to shock the muscles, but only in such a way that the exercises are as safe as possible. If precautions are not taken, there is a risk of injury. To avoid such adverse consequences, you must adhere to the following rules:

Always start your workout with a warm-up. Stretching increases muscle elasticity and reduces the likelihood of injury. In addition, it is recommended to do the first approach after warming up not with full working weights, but with half
Exercise at the correct frequency. To avoid overtraining, it should be borne in mind that the biceps and triceps are also involved in other exercises for the shoulder girdle, chest and back. The optimal frequency for muscle training is once every 4-7 days. If you exercise more often, your muscles will become overworked. The number of approaches should vary from 3 to 4 times with 8-12 repetitions in each.
Do basic exercises. You need to start pumping up your arm muscles with dumbbells by mastering and performing basic movements. This is especially true for the first months of training.
Carry out the training technically correctly. If you do not follow the correct movements, it is impossible to achieve muscle contraction and stretching. Without this aspect, muscles do not develop and are not pumped.
Dedicate a separate day to manual training. This will allow your biceps and triceps to grow much faster and more intensely. Splits into opposite muscles (biceps-triceps) allow you to get the effect of stretching and contracting. This training method is the most effective.

On the topic: The corrugator muscle is located.
Having familiarized yourself with the main rules, you can proceed directly to the exercises.

Source

How to properly pump your arms with dumbbells

Many beginners are sure that home workouts do not allow them to pump up their arms, that is, they consider visiting the gym mandatory. This misconception is due to insufficient awareness of working with sports equipment such as dumbbells. A properly designed program allows you to pump up your biceps well without going to the gym. The main thing is to approach the issue competently.

Dumbbells are a basic multifunctional equipment that is immediately ready for use, does not take up much space and does not require any additional settings. This sports equipment allows you to pump up almost all muscle groups, including your arms, and you can exercise with it not only in the gym, but also at home.

The biceps is a biceps muscle responsible for rotating the wrist and flexing the arms. The triceps is a triceps muscle that is responsible for extending the upper limbs. Visually, the volume of the arms depends 70% on the triceps and 30% on the biceps. To pump up these muscle groups, it is enough to understand the basic principles of training them and what exercises help you achieve your goal. This will help you create the right training program.

Building muscles with dumbbells at home and in the gym? Basic info!

Good day everyone, friends! I am glad to communicate with you on the pages of the Voskresinfo.ru website! In this post, I will provide you with information on how to build muscle with dumbbells and get a beautiful, toned body. I won’t bore you my friend, read the information.

And so, a huge number of beginners, before going to the gym, want to strengthen their muscles at home, some people want to strengthen their body, without having the opportunity to regularly visit the “rocking chair”, but some people just want to tone themselves up and find an effective remedy , which will complement their running, fitness and gymnastics activities at home.

For all of these categories of people, training with dumbbells would be an excellent solution, since they are the most effective means of strength training that anyone can have at home. In addition, exercises with dumbbells are a necessary part of strength training itself, without which it is almost impossible to pump up your body, even with regular visits to the gym.

Considering this fact, today we will talk about how to build a strong and beautiful physique with dumbbells, and whether it is possible!

Muscle training with dumbbells. Know this!

Every beginner should know that training with dumbbells is a very effective activity that can significantly change your body for the better, but if your goal is to build up mass, you cannot do without exercise machines and barbells.

Based on these features, we should talk in more detail about what training program is suitable for people who want to pump up huge muscles and are ready to go to the gym, as well as about what training program is suitable for people who want to increase muscle volume, give them tone and fullness, but who don’t want to have a bodybuilder’s body and can’t go to the gym!

How to build muscles with dumbbells? For regular visits to the hall!

If you decide to achieve progress and good results, then you need comprehensive basic training, and in order to pump up your muscles with dumbbells, you should do barbell squats and deadlifts once a week.

On the subject: Incline push-ups, which muscles work?

The fact is that our body always strives to maintain proportions, this also applies to muscle mass. If you do only one type of strength exercise, the question of how to pump up muscles with dumbbells simply has no place to be, since this is impossible, for which there are 2 reasons, such as:

By doing only dumbbells, you will not be able to fully train your legs and back, which bear the largest muscle groups in the human body. Moreover, you will not be able to pump up even large arms, since lagging legs and a narrow back will not allow you to pump up your arms to the maximum possible size, due to the fact that your body will not allow this to be done in order to maintain proportions.
You will not build up outstanding muscles with dumbbells without training your legs and back, due to the fact that it is pumping the lower extremities that contributes to maximum testosterone production, without which it is simply impossible to build decent muscle mass. If you take exogenous testosterone and only train with dumbbells, it will not only be stupid, but it will simply disfigure your body, since you will eliminate the restraining factor of your body, and you will create a disproportionate, funny, and sometimes ugly figure.

The training program using dumbbells, with regular visits to the gym, consists of the following points

Go to the gym, preferably 3 times a week; Train all major muscle groups, focusing on basic exercises; During each lesson, train 1-2 muscle groups using dumbbells. For example, on Monday you train your legs, on Wednesday your shoulders and chest, and on Friday your back and arms.

By following these basic rules, while working with heavy weights, you will get the maximum benefit from dumbbell training and will be able to achieve very noticeable results in terms of muscle gain!

How to build muscles with dumbbells at home? I recommend!

The answer is simple, it is impossible to build muscles at home. The maximum you can do is increase the volume of your biceps by 1, maximum 2 cm, at which point the progress will stop.

Moreover, strength training involves increasing the load, and you won’t buy a new dumbbell every month in order to gradually add those treasured kilograms.

Train at home with dumbbells only if you want to give your upper body tone, fit, and at least slightly increase your strength, which is important for beginners who are overly thin.

Training program using dumbbells, with regular exercise at home

You can exercise dumbbells at home 3-4 times a week; Pump up your legs on the first day - squats with dumbbells on your shoulders, on the second day your chest, on the third day your back, and on the fourth day your shoulders; you can pump up your arms on the day of working on the chest and back.

Effective exercises with dumbbells. For newbies.

The list of these exercises is suitable both for a complex lesson in a “rocking chair” and for practicing at home, with the only difference being that in the first case you will achieve a much more pronounced effect than in the second.

Squats with dumbbells on the shoulders. This exercise must be performed to increase the production of your own testosterone. I also recommend supplementing the legs with squats and lunges with dumbbells in order to properly work out the legs.

Bent-over row of dumbbells to the waist. Correct execution of this exercise will allow your figure to acquire the coveted shape of an inverted triangle, which is the calling card of not only a bodybuilder, but simply a real man.

Dumbbell bench press. An effective exercise, the correct execution of which can replace a barbell for beginners, and also prepare the torso for the beach season, especially with proper nutrition. Raises with dumbbells are also very effective.

Lifting dumbbells for biceps both sitting and standing. The most famous exercise associated with bodybuilding. Perform this exercise once a week after working out your back, 3-4 sets until your muscles burn, and within a few months your friends will notice the increased volume of your arms.

Swing dumbbells from the sides while standing, you can do it with one hand. This exercise strengthens the shoulder muscles and tendons, in particular the middle deltoids, which will undoubtedly visually expand your shoulders.

French press with a dumbbell, both sitting and standing. With this exercise you will perfectly finish off your triceps after working your pectoral muscles.

Single leg calf raise with dumbbell. You can add this effective exercise to your leg work.

We draw a conclusion. The choice is always yours!

By fulfilling the list of requirements described, especially when working with a trainer, you will be able to transform your figure and gain several kg of muscle at home, up to 10-15 in the gym, subject to the correct regimen, and regular exercise for at least several years, with gradual changes training program.

Well, that's all, friends. I think this article has provided you with a detailed answer regarding the question of how to build muscles with dumbbells. I wish you all the best and progressive training!

My name is Alex, I am the author of this site, I have been involved in amateur bodybuilding since 1992. I will give anyone a FREE consultation and create a competent individual training program taking into account your body type, both a beginner and an intermediate level athlete. You can write to me on this page.