[lutze]

Some of this is terrible advice.

You want strength, you do high weight, low rep sets of compound barbell lifts.

Dumbbells are a body-building tool, not a strength building one.

Press machines are horrid horrid horrid. At best they don't target the important stabilizing muscles that compound lifts are supposed to. At worst they can pull your movements into unnatural ranges of motion, causing lasting damage to your joints.

If you have no one to spot you, buy a power rack. It'll work out cheaper, and you'll be better off.

Honestly though, the best way to get in shape is not to MAKE yourself exercise, it's to find something that you ENJOY and do that. Judo, BJJ, boxing, squash, tennis, football, badminton... join a sports club, have fun, and you won't even notice yourself getting fitter.

[DenisM]

Also, yoga. It's ubiquitous, you can start small, and although you may, you don't have to interact with people so it's a great stepping stone for a shy person.

[tomjen3]

What do you get out of it, though?

Sure a high chance of meeting women (which is nice if you don't want to be Forever Alone), but other than the ability to strech a little more what is the gain?

[monkeyspaw]

I've been doing yoga for about 6 months now.

I've gained strength, flexibility, and feel fantastic every time I leave a session. I also believe I'm less stressed and can focus better.

The classes I attend present the physical aspects as a gateway into meditation and relaxation.

[DenisM]

It's excercise like any other, it's just using the body's own weight instead of dumbbells to create load. Stretchin is a lesser part of yoga than strength.

[tomjen3]

Oh, that makes more sense, then.

[gdubs]

Isn't the point that dumbbells can be a strength trainer for someone just starting out? If its heavy enough for someone to only comfortably get 6-8 reps,then they're in the strength training target. Once they're capable of handling more weight, they can graduate to a bar. The OP's point was to lower the barrier of entry, right?

[com2kid]

> Isn't the point that dumbbells can be a strength trainer for someone just starting out?

A good gym will have a light weight 35lb starting bar. That will be 35lb spread across two arms and your back.

You begin with that empty, no weights on it. Start out until you can lift heavier and heavier.

For people who cannot even lift that, then yes, special measures may be called for.

As others have mentioned though, the big problem with common dumbbell exercises is that there are entire muscle groups they just don't exercise, (to be fair I have read the same about some common barbell exercises), mostly involving stabilizer muscles in the back that are unglamorous but are the muscles that will help improve posture, prevent back injury, and provide support when living heavier weights.

[X-Istence]

I go to the little gym my apartment has, they have dumbbells. I will work out with dumbbells, even if people claim they are not as great. I can get a good work-out in with them.

I can still do compound movements with them, I can still train particular parts of my body, and I can train my body as a whole. I also add body weight training, I can't yet do squats with weight, push-ups, crunches, sit-ups, all those fun exercises. Dumbbells are just one of the many tools to help me get a good work-out in.

[yummyfajitas]

The turkish get up doesn't work your stabilizers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztTOn0rSMis

[mortehu]

> [Unlike barbells,] Dumbbells are a body-building tool, not a strength building one.

Can you explain further? Clearly, barbells are easier to lift (see e.g. Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses), probably because they activate less muscles, but you seem to suggest that there's evidence that lifting barbells will also make you gain strength faster than when lifting dumbbells?

My guess would be that replacing dumbbells with barbells is bad for the same reason that you say using press machines is bad.

[monkeyspaw]

SS suggests that at some point, you simply can't grip dumbbells heavy enough to tax your larger muscles.

I would guess that stability muscles like the rotator cuff will be unable to get stronger at a rate fast enough to tax larger muscles.

[cgag]

Getting in shape is vague, but I don't think playing any sport is going to make you strong the way a real lifting routine will.

[lutze]

I agree, but then neither will the program described in the blog. If your goal is just to get leaner, fitter and healthier you're better off playing a sport IMO.