Thick Handled Dumbbells

[gollan]

What exercises do you do with thick handled dumbbells? What thickness are your handles? How did you choose the thickness of your handles?

I have a regular strength training routine, in addition to my grip and wrist workouts. I am considering adding thick-handled dumbbells to the mix but I'm not sure which exercises are good with thick-handled dumbbells. Thank you for sharing your experience with me.

Edited February 20, 2003 by gollan

[amaury]

Gollan,

i have an Ironmind 2.5" Handle Dumbbell. I chose 2.5" (they also sell a 2" as you probably know) because i have long hands: 8.3" . If i had shorter hands i may have chosen a 2". What is important IMO is to choose a handle with which you'll be able do do some movements with decent weights. I don't see the point of doing curls and presses with 20lbs because you can't handle more weights with a 4" handle, if you see what i mean

I used to do curls and presses and one hand deadlifts with my TB and i stopped because it was taxing my hands too much and my gripper training was suffering a lot. However, i think thick bar work is more functional. Thus when i'm certified on the #3 (or when i'm able to close it), i'll resume TB work

[OldGuy]

I use 2 3/8'' as the thickness because that is the diameter of a rolling thunder handle and the Inch dumbbell handle. I have only done deadlifts with one hand, and deadlift holds for time.

[KJM]

I have 3" dumbbells from PDA. I use them for presses, bench presses, hammer curls, shrugs and timed holds.

[underdawg]

i have a pair of 2" handles, and one 2 3/8" handle, all homemade. the 2 inchers i use in place of regular dumbells for everything you would usually use db's for. presses, deads, swings, snatches. the other i mainly use for one arm deads and timed holds, but i like to do swings with it every once in a while. gotta hold on tight for that one.

[supersqueeze]

Mine are 2.5" and I use them for one arm bent over DB rows.

Mike M.

[gazza]

I have just started to use thick bars and d/bells for all of my training

except squats,i was useing a 3.5"barbell for squiting but found it agrivated my shoulders due to the bar not bendind/giving like an

olympic bar.

I have 2",2.5",3"and 3.5"barbells as well as 2",2.3/8",2.5",3",and3.5"

D/Bells,I also have an Inch replica,a50lbs blob,a 102kilos anvil,

a2.3/8" rollin thunder with roller bearings inside,a 2.5" rolling thunder

and various strongman equipment But i am yet to become a strongman

Trouble with me is i like to train everthing so i no that it will take longer to get to certain targets,but i will trade this off for hopefully being more allrounded gripwise we shall see.

[The Gripster]

Gollan you should choose diameter depending on hand size and exercises you add to your program. I like to do holds and tosses and the occasional one armed rows and overhead presses. My hand length is only 7 3/16" long so I use 2" pvc pipe for tossing hand to hand. I have no set routine or weight, just what I feel like using. The dumbbells always have 56 pounds on them because that's what I use for wam-ups as I work up in weight on the holds, so that's all I use for the tosses. When I focus mainly on thick handled tosses I will probably increase weight every week or two.I know you'll benefit from timed holds or walking with thick handed dumbbells and you'll get great results from tosses from hand to hand.

Give it time with these and some other exercises and you'll know that popeyes are anotomically possible. Good luck.

Edited February 21, 2003 by The Gripster

[the swiss]

I like doing farmers walk, one hand deadlifts

and with my thick handled kettlebell:

windmills, bent presses, and turkish getups, which do not tax my hands to much but seem to work the wrist stabilizer muscles.

more grip oriented:

swings and snatches.

snatches are also hard on the wrists, with kettlebells.

train hard

david

Amaury, I agree on the effect of deadlift with a thick bar on grippers: for me, its either/or.

[gollan]

Thank you for the replies, gentlemen. Gazza, that is an enviable gym you have there!

I used to do curls and presses and one hand deadlifts with my TB and i stopped because it was taxing my hands too much and my gripper training was suffering a lot

Amaury, are you saying that TB exercises have a negative effect your gripper training? Is it just an overtraining issue where the TB and gripper are using the same muscles and you want to train on the gripper? I was thinking (perhaps wrongly) that TB training would improve overall grip strength. Edited February 22, 2003 by gollan

[amaury]

Hi Gollan,

Amaury, are you saying that TB exercises have a negative effect your gripper training?

yes, exactly !

Is it just an overtraining issue where the TB and gripper are using the same muscles and you want to train on the gripper? 

Yes it's just an overtraining issue: TB work is great but involves among others the same muscles as the grippers. I'll resume TB exercises when i am a COC So for the moment i focus on grippers, bending and pinching ; Bending almost not affects my gripper training and pinching seemingly improves it (?).

[OldGuy]

I have stopped lifting my Inch style dumbbell for the time being as it is very demanding on the hands. I limit thickbar work to once weekly attempts with my non revolving 2 3/8'' handle. This is because I am concentrating on KTA after volunteering to do so. The Inch style handle tired my hands like nothing else.