Hey guys, need opinion on this workout routine with just a pair of bells. Other equipments are not an option at the moment.

Monday - Chest and Triceps
Chest
wide form push ups - 3 sets 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Floor Press - 4 Sets 8-10 Reps
Dumbbell Flys - 3 Sets 8-10 Reps

Triceps
Tricep Push ups - 3 sets 8 reps
Overhead Triceps Dumbbell - 3 sets 8 reps
Dumbbell french press - 3 sets 8 reps

Tuesday - Rest Day = Basic cardio - Jump rope 500-1000

Wednesday - Legs and Shoulders

Quads
Dumbbell Lunge - 4 Sets 12,10,10,8 Reps
Dumbbell Squat - 4 Sets 12,10,10,8 Reps

Hamstrings
Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift - 4 Sets 12,10,10,8 Reps

Calves
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise - 2 Sets 15,12 Reps
Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise - 2 Sets 12,10 Reps

Shoulders
Seated Dumbbell Press - 4 Sets 12,10,10,8 Reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raise - 3 Sets 12,10,10 Reps
Dumbbell Shrug - 4 Sets 12,10,10,8 Reps

Thursday - Rest Day = Basic cardio - Jump rope 500-1000

Friday - back and Biceps

Back
One Arm Dumbbell Row - 4 Sets 8-10 Reps
wide grip pull ups - 5 Sets 12,10,10,8,6 Reps
Dumbbell floor Pullover - 2 Sets 8-10 Reps

Biceps
Concentrated bicep curl - 3 Sets 10 Reps
Standing Dumbbell Curl - 3 Sets 10 Reps
Cross Body Hammer Curl - 2 Sets 10 Reps

Saturday and Sunday - Rest Days

How's this?




This post has been edited by GameFr3ak: Oct 21 2012, 03:45 PM

Looks okay considering you only have dumbbells. But hey, if this routine giving you result, its good to go.

Alright.. I'll adapt this routine then

Aha..finally someone who does jump rope as well for cardio
Can I know the weights for the dumbbells that you're using?

seems good bro. i started last 2 years at home with a pair of dumbells too.

but then it become so easy since i cant find a heavier dumbell to progress.

get into the gym if u can. so much easier.

This post has been edited by jekwalid: Aug 26 2012, 01:32 PM

Yeah.. Jump rope seems very fun and it works the whole body as I read. The weight that I have at the moment are 10kg/bell and they're adjustable

Thanks man.. I might do so when I reach your level.. But for now.. I can only do around 5-8 reps

Monday 15 Oct

Chest
wide form push ups - 8,8,8
Dumbbell Floor Press - 8,8,7,6 (arms melted =,=)
Dumbbell Flys - 8,7,5 (arms melted =,=)

Triceps
Overhead Triceps Dumbbell - 8,8,8
Dumbbell french press - 8,8,8

If your arm 'melted' while doing the dumbbell floor press and flys, it means that you aren't using the intended muscle for that workout. Your mind-muscle connection is not good

Dude, there is a journal section.

I figured the same point too then when the doms kicked in.. it spread from the delt anterior head to the chest section.. I guess my arms gave up before my chest.. but ya... my mind-muscle connection needs fixing.. I'll try again with lighter weights

I guess my form wasn't correct as well, I'll have to refer more vids and photos



Add on : I felt the strain on my chest when I'm doing flys.. is fly a better workout for chest?

thanks!


Sorry I thought I'll be less spammy with lesser threads..I wont update this as a journal thread then

This post has been edited by GameFr3ak: Oct 17 2012, 09:11 AM

The figure above showing the upper body with arms at different angles is for targeting different almuscles during bench pressing movement..

If you're arms is winged 90 degree with respect to your torso, means you're utilizing shoulder muscles plus little triceps muscles during pressing movement, and due to flexibility issue, some people who did bench pressing this way may not be doing full range motion coz it can be bad for rotator cuffs..

If you're arms is closer to you torso, almost parallel, it targets triceps as in close grip bench press movements, by doing this you'll utilizing your triceps and less power coming from shoulder. By doing this you can do full range of motion as it doesn't involve rotator cuff problems..

Both ways can also target your chest muscle provided you go low enough to feel the stretch in your pectorials..

Personally, when bench pressing, my angle is at somewhere between 70-80 degree with respect to my torso, and I go as low as 2-3 inches above my chest before pressing up..and i I still feel great pump to my pectorials..

But normally, my triceps will failed first before my chest, well bcoz logically triceps is small muscle, and chest is big muscle, off course tricep will failed first, so to complete my sets, lets's say I'm doing 10 reps and my triceps failed at 6-7 reps, I asked someone to support me for last 3-4 reps at the top end of movement which involved triceps, this way I'll be able to exhaust my chest without worrying about my tricep failure..

Well, some people may like to separate out the movements in bench press, eg focus on bottom end for chest, and top end of triceps, i think this is just to help overcome the weak link but full range of motion is always the best..

This is from my experience 4 years in gym and some reading materials too

Ah.. great info there! I've read about the same about arms failing first..

"The chest muscles are much larger than the arm muscles so you're arm muscles are failing first."

Now that you mention triceps failure.. then it's pretty much exactly my case. From what you're saying, the pecs are worked out the most when the elbow goes below the chest with the raising/retracting movement? Hence, a bench is a must?

I'm actually doing everything on a floor, on a carpet. Hmm..

I dids't say the you must let the elbow go below the chest to feel the pump, but you must go LOW enough so that you'll feel the stretch in your pecs..the issue is only when you go low enough with this two different angles of arms with respect to your torso, it gives an impact to your rotator cuffs..hence, meaning you must adjust so that your angle is at somewhere between 70-80 degree for me, that I can go as low without having rotator cuff issues..

Pertaining to your exercise, which you're actually doing everything on a floor, doens't matter on carpet or hard cold floor, it only means one thing, your elbow WILL NOT go below parallel, means most probably it will not touch your chest unless you're having big chest which it already touches the chest when you go parallel..however, please do note that the exercise which you're currently doing is called a "FLOOR PRESS" and this exercise mainly focuses on top end of bench press movement, and most probably your chest is not being targeted as per what you wanted..

Hence, my suggestion is that, to counter this, either you do push ups and go LOW to stretch your pecs or do a bench press and go LOW enough so that you'll feel the stretch in your pecs..

One more thing, raising and retracting has nothing to do with the elbow angle, it just shows you how your pectorial is being work out and exhaustion process that takes place..

Good luck in trying and experimenting that!

Thank you I guess I have to lay my back on something to elevate myself a lil bit to go at least a lil bit below chest. I understood on what I'm doing is called floor press but if it ain't working my chest, I might need to change that.

I'll substitute the floor press for push ups instead then. As for fly, I think I'm doing okay, still I don't feel my chest being targeted as much given the limited movement on a floor. I guess I really need to be on something slightly elevated. It all makes sense now thanks to you.

Now, bench shopping........

Actually, you don't need to buy the fancy expensive bench which cost you a bundle, you can always look at some alternatives like floor surfaces with elevations so you can achieve that leverage you need..

But personally, I do have my own bench press equipment in my room..so whenever I feel like pumping my chest, I just sit on the bench and do it!

Later I showed you some of my bench press equipment and me doing some bench presses to you!

Ya.. I'm actually wanted to get a simple structure that's a lil bit elevated. Please do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr5_mpXspLg&feature=youtu.be

This is me doing 84kg (185lb) bench press, almost full range, keep it 2 inches above chest, no locking out..

You can see the bench press rack from here, it is actually a combination of curl machine bar at the front, and also can do seated shoulder press with this rack..

You can that there's a pin (not really a pin but more like a piece of metal sticking out at the bench structure) to place the barbell just in case you failed during bench press..

This is old video though..not I can do 94kg x 8 reps..

Locking out means you straighten out your elbow, allowing the joints and bone structure to take the load on top of the movement, therefore resting your target muscle grp, pecs in this case.

You locked out. Try going lower though, touch the solar plexus at the bottom of the movement. Don't bounce it you're worried about form.

Yes, during whole set, sometimes I do lock out when I feel like so.. If doing it strictly, no lockout means no lockout for the whole set. Last time I used to lock out all the time, then feel pain at joint, then now I started to practice not locking out all the time..it helps to reduce the joint pain..

To me, 2 inches is the lowest I can go without worrying about rotator cuff's problem.. but when I tested out my one rep max , I do touch my chest, I didn't pause, just touch.. The problem is only when you repeatedly do the movements that is causing the rotator cuff problem, but not for one rep max..

I tested out normally once a month..

I never bounce it if actually I didn't touch my chest? Its better for me, furthermore, I'm not entering some contest, especially in msia, nope..

Respect.. thanks

Thanks for the pointers. Now to find something elevated that I can lay on hmm