Starting Strength Training 6

When asked to demonstrate a dumbbell exercise recently on a Coaching Course I was running, everybody, and I mean everybody showed me a bicep curl. That is worrying for 2 reasons:

1. If that is forefront in their mind, then it is probably what they associate dumbbells with.
2. It shows a paucity of imagination as prospective Coaches, and I hope they don’t inflict it on others.

On one of the videos on the video roll you can see a group of young cricketers doing some varied DB exercises (not very well some of them!) but it was their first session. These are a few examples of using DBs to replicate different movement patterns and help load the body.

If you are doing barbell work to load the body, then use the DBs (or other implements) to change the angles, speed of movement, directions of the exercises. It is much easier to Coach a DB snatch or clean and jerk than a barbell Olympic lift.

Once again, the limit to the exercise is based on the the Coach’s knowledge. Many people are doing S&C degrees now, and are being taught by people who have a very limited practical experience. The same 10 exercises are taught over and over again. Istvan Javorek reckons he knows 700 DB exercises- 700!

If you are doing seated bicep curls or shoulder press as part of your training routine, I suggest you have a good look at the purpose of this. People look genuinely shocked when I say I can’t remember the last time I did a bicep curl, I wouldn’t get my athletes into bad habits either.