Quote:
Originally Posted by Excder  On the contrary, dumbbells and barbells are all you should be using. If your "wobbly" just drop the weight and learn the correct movements and then slowly increase the weight.
Dumbbells/Barbells > any machine |
I think maybe you misunderstood me, or I didn't explain myself clearly enough. What I was trying to say was that he SHOULD be using the barbells, but I believe I read something Rippetoe said recommending against novices using dumbbells and that barbells should be used instead so that differences between sides of the body can be worked out to be evenly strong.
Okay, so I just looked it up, Rippetoe didn't say it, but it's in the writeup of his program that I found a link to on this site.
Guide to Novice Barbell Training, aka the Official RIPPETOE-STARTING STRENGTH FAQ - Bodybuilding.com Forums
"There are a few reasons why the barbell version is the preferred "initiation" to the supine press (as the bench press used to be called). The primary one is simply that it is more appropriate to start with the technically easier exercise.
The learning curve for the barbell is much smoother than for DBs. Picture a complete novice trying to do a bench press. The bar wobbles everywhere, it is lowered at a variable rate of speed, it is pressed crooked, the left side flops forward, the right side flops backward, etc. Very few things are as humorous as watching a complete newb try to perform a bench press.
Now...add the aspect of unilateral balance and symmetry to the equation, both of which are required for dumbbell use...both of which are completely lacking in the untrained athlete-to-be. Since the majority of people are either right OR left-hand dominant, they will not have unilateral balance and symmetry. As a result, trying to teach a novice to do the DB press is a train wreck in the making.
You could possibly spend weeks just trying to get the trainee to learn how to balance the DBs. Those precious few weeks are going to be when the trainee is most adept at adding muscle and strength. Better to spend it with weight progression, rather than spending it trying to iron out balance and symmetry issues.
First learn walk, then learn run."
