Getting Heavy DUmbells Up

[Odoyal Rulez]

Any tips on how to get the heavier dumbells into place up over your head for overhead presses. I can do the knee flip thing so heavy then its lights out unless i can get some bros to hand them to me, which isnt always an option.

Are there any machines or things I can fabricate in a basic gym to hold the dumbells so I can grip them?

[silver_shadow]

how heavy are we talking of?

maybe you need to work on your cleans...

PS: why are you starting your presses from above your head in the first place? you should start them from shoulder level for a full ROM...

[nzrodney]

An old Pro once told me if you cant get them up they are too heavy for you to work with

[Curious George]

I don't have any tips but have you ever tried to do a one arm overhead dumbell press from the floor? You get the clean motion from lifting it off the floor and then the obliques and stabilizers all benefit from it as well as it's damn hard. You can always do a one arm press with a heavier dumbell and use both hands to lift it up. Zach Evan-Esch has some videos of this on his blog.

[Mr. Pelham]

have someone hand them to you if you can't get them up.


i've never had a problem getting the 120's up...albeit in my glory days, 8 years ago :(

[sassy69]

I'm at the point, at least in incline DB press, where getting them up is my limitation. I can kick it up but my wrists become the weak point in stabilizing one (usually the right since its my stronger side) while the other is getting settled. If I can get them both up, then I can do the set. Otherwise, forget it.

What I have found is that it seems like if I can get a spot on getting a new PR weight up and a set in, even if almost fully spotted, on the next time (or within 2-3) I do that bodypart I've been able to kick it up and do sets myself. I've been able to get the 70s up for set of 9 (after 50/15 60/10) w/ no help. I've gotten the 80s up for 6 reps w/ 2 guys helping me - my wrists are very much the weak point as I haven't been able to kick these up yet.

[JG1]

Any tips on how to get the heavier dumbells into place up over your head for overhead presses. I can do the knee flip thing so heavy then its lights out unless i can get some bros to hand them to me, which isnt always an option.

Are there any machines or things I can fabricate in a basic gym to hold the dumbells so I can grip them?

I've done as high as the 135's for seated overhead w/o problems. I can't tell where exactly you're having the problem...getting them to your knees or from your knees into starting position. If it's the later, when they're on your knees makes sure they're as forward as they can go...you should having to pull back on them a bit because they're gonna be so off balance they'd fall forward. This will give you more leverage when you actually kick them up.

[Mr. Pelham]

when they're on your knees makes sure they're as forward as they can go...you should having to pull back on them a bit because they're gonna be so off balance they'd fall forward. This will give you more leverage when you actually kick them up.
right, almost on your knee caps and with a good lean forward for momentum lean back and kick them up one right after the other and you shouldn't have any problem.

[A L]

Just save the DB"s for 12-15 rep work and do your heavy pressing w/ a BB bro. You can push more weight(load) that way.

[Lurch]

It's been awhile since I've seen them but someone out there make a hook setup thathooks over th handle of the DB and then onto the bar of a smith machine. U set em up get under It and lift it off and the hook comes off. Sorry I can't tell u who makes em.

[A L]

Yeah, Halfway has these....


It's been awhile since I've seen them but someone out there make a hook setup thathooks over th handle of the DB and then onto the bar of a smith machine. U set em up get under It and lift it off and the hook comes off. Sorry I can't tell u who makes em.

[Odoyal Rulez]

Thanks for all teh replies pals. Im stuck on the 100s, which is as heavy as my current gym has. Im gonna try moving them forward to my knee caps..currently i have them on my quads. Barbell is out of the question it hurts the shoulder pretty bad or id use it all the time.

[MilVetBro]

Can't help you for chest or shoulders, but getting up the big Lbs is exactly why we recently switched to cables for Bi's/Tri's. Now skullcrushers, curls, pushdowns, overhead extensions, hammer curls etc. are all cable movements for us, and I have zero complaints about moving a pin vice hauling db's & ez bars & switching weights around. Good gains on cables!

[Lurch]

Prowriststraps has the dumbell hooks I mentioned

[Jrod5150]

I don't use heavy dumbells on shoulder press. Too dangerous. I go no heavier than 110 lbs. I can do that nice and controlled without asisstance. I do go with heavy dumbells on my bench no problem. Also can go heavy on bar military press.

Shoulder press with dumbells is one of those excersizes that (for myself) does not need a lot of weight to get good response on my delts. It's a more consitrated, focused movment. Don't go over board with it man. Play it smart. ;)

[mnk]

Im to the point where getting it up has been an issue for shoulder press and incline......and by the way the saying if you cant get them up you cant handle the weight is ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY upsurd! Im doing 90/100 pd dumbbells for shoulder press (sets of 4-6 reps) and 110/120 incl sets 0f 8-10. I usually can pop them up and then i have someone (not always) help me pop the 1st one out, to get into the groove(i dont count it as a rep). what has helped me tremendously is getting my grip stronger by working forearms. when u go that heavy (and heavier) your shoulders and chest can handle the weight but you lose the grip or your forearms give out prior to the primary target muscle. Keep working out your forearms and work on grip and remember to put the dumbbell near the tip of your knee (not your upper thigh) to get the most of the kick.......my 2 cents