Is bench pressing with a pair of 20 kilograms dumbells doing 24 reps in one set considered bad?

[Vivaldi]

Is bench pressing with a pair of 20 kilograms dumbells doing 24 reps in one set considered bad?

[ak666]

It's like pressing twice the bar weight (not so great).

But with dumbbells it's a bit more awkward and often you'll end up working your arm groups more than chest so it might be more difficult to handle extra weight.

It's easier if you get a proper barbell for the purpose, and maybe aim for a weight that brings you to failure with 8-12 reps, not 24.

[Vivaldi]

I never tried the bar but some people say it is more difficult to bench press with dumbells than with a bar.

[ak666]

It is -- with dumbbells it's harder to target your chest. You'll tend to hit your arms and shoulders more stabilizing the weights. But whatever you do, you shouldn't aim for 24 reps to failure. That means you're using too much of a light way usually. Even when bodybuilders go for high rep sets, they usually only go to 15 or so. And "average" kind of set is usually like 8-12 or 6-12 reps. You should be able to pick much heavier weights if you are only aiming for 12 max.

[ak666]

That means you're using too much of a light way [/weight] usually.

[Vivaldi]

Doesn't it give any benefit to do high reps?

[ak666]

It does -- it can work your muscles a bit differently. But usually if you want to develop power and go bigger, stronger, it helps to use a weight heavy enough that you can't do so many repetitions (it's impossible for you). Also when guys boast about how much they can bench, it is usually not going to be 24 repetitions, not even close.

[Vivaldi]

I want to get fit instead of looking big. What will I do? People on internet say I am in a very bad shape.

cf.girlsaskguys.com/.../...1-bacc-01fe36334ea4.jpg

[Vivaldi]

People on internet say I am in very bad shape.

[ak666]

I recommend a barbell -- it's easier than dumbbells to go for big, power workouts. You can really start bulking up a lot of core areas that way as well as thickening up your arms quickly. It's about intensity, not about how long you do it. For example, if you do arm workouts with very high intensity, it'll actually be difficult to brush your teeth at night.

And maybe find a physical activity you absolutely love -- a sport of some kind, boxing training, bicycling, climbing, hiking, whatever you love. The key part is that you love it or it's like a class that you have to go to all the time. That'll serve as a good backup even when you are not motivated to train that much.

But when you do train for the sake of training, go big. Go heavy. Work those muscles until it's impossible to do one single extra rep without using a lighter weight. And if you want maximum benefits, keep going with the lighter weight and work yourself to failure again.

You should get rapid results.

[Vivaldi]

My aim is not looking big. My aim is looking more fit. I don't want to look big.

[Vivaldi]

I don't understand why people are so obsessed with looking big. My aim is to look more fit at normal body mass index.

[ak666]

Same with me. But going big and heavy is how you get muscle mass which helps burn fat, helps keep you trim. Cardio also helps but I recommend sprinting more than jogging or walking so that you can really start bulking up those thighs and calves too (which also helps burn fat all over your body).

You can't look like a bodybuilder by accident. For that you have to train like a professional with world-class discipline and a scientific approach to dieting and supplements.

If you just go big and heavy, it should start strengthening up all the right areas in your body. For a normal person who doesn't do this to bodybuilder level, your body should just start to resemble more of an athlete rather than a power-lifter or bodybuilder. But going big and heavy will still get you those results faster.

[Vivaldi]

And When I consume more calories than I should, it is saved in my body as more fat than muscle :D I gained some weight, most of which is probably fat :D

[Vivaldi]

When you consume more calories, it just so happens that you look bigger but you never know how much of it is fat and how much of it muscle :D

[Vivaldi]

After I stopped running, I gained 5 kilograms but I don't know how much of it is fat and how much of it is muscle.

[ak666]

Try to focus on protein-rich diet that's lower in calories and fat (chicken breast, tuna, that sort of stuff). But even if you're putting on fat, if you're lifting you're also putting on muscle. And that added strength will help make it easier to cut if you want when your body is stronger, when you're standing taller, when your muscles don't exhaust too easily.

[Vivaldi]

Yeah but I dont have money. I am supposed to eat whatever my family puts in front of me.

[AhGojira]

88 LB is nothing man. Doing pushups is more resistance than that for me.

[Vivaldi]

I push up 35-37 reps in one set which is more reps.

[AhGojira]

So? 88 LB is nothing. You should at least bench your weight.

[Vivaldi]

I bench press with dumbells, not bar.

[AhGojira]

Like I said 88 LB isn't much for a two armed chest press. I use to bench like 150 when I was 11 years old and I'm no gym rat.

[Vivaldi]

How many push ups do you do in one set, 100?

[AhGojira]

I've done over a hundred in a set before (somewhere around 120-130), but I don't think I could do that right now. It's kind of something you have to keep doing on a regular basis or you lose it...

[Vivaldi]

But keeping doing it doesn't get you to succsess. It takes a hell lot of time. That sucks. It takes too long to gain muscle without steroids.

[AhGojira]

I find it pretty easy to gain muscle, but I'm a mesomorph and have high testosterone. I've done a lot of endurance sort of stuff, but like I said if you don't keep doing you drop in ability. I could probably slam out 70-80 consecutive pushups at the moment but unless you're disciplined to knock out 5 sets of about 40 push ups back to back with a quick rest 3 times a week every week then you're probably not going to hit 100+ in a row on command. It's the same thing with distance running. I've done marathons before but I couldn't just go do one today. I could probably do 10-11 miles before being shot but if I prepare for a few months and train regularly I could get back to where I've been at times. But weight training is typically different than endurance training. You're going for maximum weight for 3-5 sets with like 10-15 reps. When you're fit you can usually press your body weight, when you're well trained you do like 1.5x your body weight and if you're a real gym rat maybe 2x body

[Vivaldi]

How does my arm look?

https://i.hizliresim.com/88nQqA.jpg

[Anonymous]

I do not consider that bad.