Hi,

I cant train in the 6-8 rep range that I like to work in with dumbells (incline press and shoulder press) because I cant get the heavier weights into the start position. If somebody helps me get them into the start position (upper arm same level as shoulders) then I have no problem lifting them in good form over the aspired rep range. Yet, particularly with my left arm, I often cant get them into the position.

Even if I use my knees to get them up with momentum then I dont get them up. They are not too heavy (otherwise I couldnt lift them later). Usually the knees thing does the trick but not for me. Its annoying as I like pressing dumbells. Any ideas?

Scott has a video on here on how to get the db's in position for flat and incline bench. http://youtu.be/622ku8i0M14 I personally pull the db's to my body while they sit on my lap and then lay back turning my palms to face out so I am pretty much in position I just have to push them up to get them into my starting position away from my chest. As for shoulders the knee trick always has worked for me sitting but standing with the db's to my side I bring them back slightly, bending my knees and leaning forward like in a ski position and as I thrust my hips forward I do an explosive hammer curl to bring them up into position next to my shoulders with little effort. I use to have troubles getting into position like you but over time building strength throughout my upper body it just kept getting easier and easier.

I do it similar to what @Adawg38 has described here too: to get a / two dumbbells up for i.e. lying dumbbell triceps extensions.. sit up, put them on my lap, bend upper body a bit forward, lean one of their ends against my chest or even against the shoulders, lay back again (my core is at the moment my strongest part thus it's easy to lay back down slowly even with the weights against chest or shoulders) and push them up from there. If it's too heavy i do the backwards thrust and move the weights pushed by the knees into my chest / shoulders while lying backwards.

PS: And i always thought as a females we are the exception to make weird little tricks to get weights in position, so it's nice to see you guys need to do that too. Sadly enough i have to do this already with only half (if even) of the weight you guys move around ..lol

Sven,

I do the techniques Aaron mentioned as well as what Scott has shown in past videos. The other thing you can do is make weights that are easier for you to put into position feel as heavy as weights harder for you to put in position by slowing the lift tempo down. I can make 50Lb DBs feel like 80Lbs by doing this, for instance.

The most important thing is to avoid injury. The last thing you want is a torn pec, torn rotator cuff, or torn anything from trying to swing heavier weights into position. You will get stronger over time but to me the potential for injury as a trade-off for trying to lift heavier DBs is not worth it to me. When I push beyond my limits, I get a spotter. If nobody is around to spot me, I stay within my limits. Better to live to lift another day than injure yourself and be out of action for months :-)

John

Thanks everyone for your hints. I should have really mentioned that I have no problem getting heavy weights into position when doing flat presses. There the thing with momentum works fine. But it doesnt work when sitting or inclined as the weights dont move into the starting position themselves as they are stopped by the body (because the body doesnt move out of the way). So flat works fine. Incline and shoulder press doesnt. So Scotts video shows me the flat way. Thats fine. But I need help on the other variations.

As for lighter weights feeling heavier. Thats very true and I do that sometimes but in this case I want to go heavy.

Any ideas?

Cheers

Hey Crood, there you go. Sometime we men are just wussies. I tend to be one now and then. It kind of makes me feel more authentic :-) The good thing about being older and working out (well "older" - John would say I m a kid) is that you dont have to pretend your super hardcore the whole time. So going slow on your warm-up (everyone around thinks thats all you can lift) or going ligh on weights is fine. Anyway - it s all good. Oh yeah guys - BTW - its Oktoberfest (that world famous beer fest) here right now and I live round the corner. You cant even imagine what happens to the city when its on. Its just pure madness all round. Seriously.

Later :-)

Hey Sven

See during dumbbell shoulder press you can do 1 of the 2 things if there are no spotters

1) "Kick up" each dumbel by placing them on your quads and jerking them up while sitting. (just for seated dumbbell shoulder press)

2) Stand up and "clean" both dumbbells up and then sit down on the bench for seated dumbbell press or continue with standing dumbbell press

If there are spotters then position the first dumbbell in the starting position by yourself and ask the spotter to hand you the other dumbbell

For Incline dumbbell press i will advise you to use spotters for heavy weight other wise just stick to the weights that you can get into starting position by yourself cause any mis-hap during incline dumbbell press can cause serious shoulder or pectorial injuries, as "kick up" techinque isn't advised with heavy dumbbells on incline.

Hope it helps

Hey man.

Everyone else has given some great tips and ideas which should hopefully help you out.

Scott does have a video for his trick on getting DBs up on the incline here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_430660&feature=iv&src_vid=ruR1HLYLNT8&v=TThwNhMVspk

And, if you are doing a standing DB shoulder press, check out how Scott does it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnLwGZ_hZOw&list=UUEtMRF1ywKMc4sf3EXYyDzw

I personally have used both of these techniques and they are definitely helpful for lifting those heavier weights (though I am not lifting as heavy as you or Scott...YET! )

Otherwise, like John said, use a weight which you can get up, and if it is easier, focus on slow negatives to really work the muscle.

Octoberfest!!! i am so happy to NOT be there for once lol. You are still new in Munich so most likely it's still all exciting and new :)

After having lived there 15 years, and seen and experienced all the downsides of it as well, plus the raising prices every year into hilarious numbers, the new seat policies in the beer tents and the masses of police and security as well as all the drunkyards trying to either grab your butt or even try to beat the heck out of you/or others makes it kind of a neglectable event over the years =)

There is a reason why the real MÜnchner goes in the opening hours, when no tourists or masses are there =)

But not to ruin it for you, it's exciting and really an experience lol when you are new to it. So enjoy! And drink a "Maß" on my behalf XD
PROST!

Hahaha ! I m so new to the Oktoberfest. I m FROM Munich darling! ;-) Born and bred. I was even there on the day the bomb went off in 1982. I was just gone for a few years. So no - its not exciting at all actually. I really dont like it. There is something called "Oide Wiesn" (Old Oktoberfest) this year. So a sealed off part that resembles the Oktoberfest how it once was. So I went there. Had a beer and left. Thats it for me this year. The whole thing is just ridiculous for a whole bunch of reasons. Screw it. Lets lift! :-)

ah thought you just moved there ^^ also doch nen alter minga'ner XD
and yeah it's kinda meeeeh... 'Oide Wies'n' sounds great and might be just what it needs for the real bavarians who have lost the love and interest for the octoberfest due to above mentioned reasons.

And yeah that's what we mostly did too.. go there drink a 'maß' and go home again or just somewhere else.

Lifting is anyways much more fun than getting a beer belly XD so i agree.. and add: let's get ripped!

Thanks Jonas! That is great advice! Can you give me some more please? You seem to be a great advice giver!

I use these and they seem to work all right for me but I work out at home alone so I really have to self spot http://www.gymandfitness.com.au/force-usa-dumbbell-hooks.html?gclid=CKTNtNm2t8ICFUcIvAodHigADQ#