Tag: DB

Increase Your Conditioning, Increase Your Cardio

Many people think that conditioning is just cardiovascular work. However, to have complete conditioning, one must have not only cardio, but also muscular conditioning, strength conditioning, and power conditioning.

So, how to train these different modes of conditioning?

There are several different ways you could train each of these qualities individually, but there is a good way that you can get a better “bang for your training buck”.

Circuits (also called “complexes”) can do train all three at once. Circuits are pretty simple – just perform several exercises back to back with no rest. Now, when you hear the word “circuits” you might conjure up ideas of somebody doing endless reps on an old chrome universal weight machine, wearing some sort of ’70 jumpsuit. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The types of circuits I’m talking about are done with barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, and/or bodyweight exercises. These circuits can either be done very high volume with several exercises, lighter weight, and higher reps to tax muscular conditioning. Or, they can be done with a medium number of exercises (say 4-6), heavier weights, and medium reps (say 6-8). This will tax not only muscular conditioning, but will tax strength/power conditioning more. Both will greatly tax cardio conditioning simply because you’re doing so much work without resting.

Another way is to do single, alternating-limb exercises. These are best done with full-body exercises, and, because of the nature of the method, heavier weights can be used, with higher reps. For example, take the Dumbbell (DB) Clean & Press. Grab a heavy DB, and Clean & Press it with your left arm. Set it down, and grab it with your right hand. Clean and Press. Set it down and grab with your left. Keep repeating until you do 20-30 reps per side. This allows you to keep your form tight, use high volume, and use a much heavier weight that if you were doing 20-30 reps consecutively. This method will tax not only strength/power conditioning, but muscular and cardio conditioning as well.

Probably the most beneficial aspect to these types of circuits is that they are such great cardio workouts. You get as much – or more – cardio benefit as you would any sort of “traditional” cardio (jogging, various machines, interval training, etc.), but you never have to do any direct cardio workouts. All the extra cardio you get is simply a by-product of all the work you’re doing.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard.

How To Make Your Own Dumbbells And Do Cardio At Home

Dumbbells (DBs) are a great way to get a cardio workout at home (or anyplace else you want to take them, for that matter). A few sets of mult-joint movements like squats, rows, or the like not only will help you build muscle, but also get you huffing and puffing better than any cardio workout. Do some full-body exercises like clean & press, snatch, or swing, and you’ve upped the ante just that much more.

And by looking around classifieds, craigslist, ebay, garage sales, or even buying them new, you can get plates for adjustable DB handles for super cheap. It’s the best of two worlds – great benefits at a great price!

However, the “spin-lock” handles you often often (the kind that have threaded ends with a star-like collar that spin onto the end like a giant nut on a bolt) can be kind of “iffy”. They come loose easily, and can often be dangerous. And the handles themselves are often cheaply made – they can bend, or the grip in the center of the handle will move around or get torn up.

Because of all this, I recommend just building your own. It’s easier than you think, takes only a few minutes, will cost you less than $10, and best of all, when you’re done, you’ll have a super safe set of DB handles.

First, go to Lowes, Home Depot, or someplace similar. Go to the plumbing dept, and buy two length of galvanized tubing, each one being roughly 14-16″ long. The diameter of the tubing will be roughly one inch. Hint – take a small weight plate with you to test fit the tubing into the hole of the weight plate so you know what you’re getting will work.

After getting your tubing, you’ll need to also purchase 8 hose clamps (like you’d put on rubber hose or tubing). If you don’t have any sort of industrial strength brush-on glue or epoxy, pick up some of that, too. Then, on you way home, stop by a pharmacy or department store and pick up some athletic tape. You now have all you need.

When you get home, take one of the pieces of tubing, and mark the very center, length-wise. From here, measure out 2.5-3 inches each direction and make a mark. Place hose clamps on these marks – these will be your inner “collars” (you’ll be gripping the handle between these clamps). Brush some epoxy on the clamps and let dry. Repeat with the other piece of tubing. When you’re done, you should have 4 hose clamps left over.

After the epoxy has dried, wrap athletic tape around the center of your handle where your hand will go. Wrap until comfortable. Hint – the thicker you make the handle, the more of a grip workout you’ll get.

You’re now ready to use your DB handles. Load weight plates onto each side evenly, and slide one collar onto each side. Tighten with a screwdriver, and repeat with the other handle.

You’re now ready to get into kickass shape, it cost you hardly anything, and took hardly no time!