On another thread, the "
Body Pump???? Pffft I don't think so!!!! - Long!!" one, it has been mentioned that handweights are, apparently A Bad Thing.
Why?
If our instructors said no handweights, I wouldn't be able to do the shoulder-track, or the tricep-track when there're kickbacks and stuff. Girls (or blokes, I guess) with smaller hands just cannot grip the bigger plates - hell, I can't even hold a small one with my thumb through it for more than about a minute without doing damage.
I've quoted relevant portions of posts from that thread below to get discussion going, and to avoid derailing that thread.
selinal1:Second warning bell....Fellow class participant told me to grab dumbells? I looked like a dog when you ask him if he wants a treat...I cocked my head and said "Dumbells?" and she replied we needed them for triceps - that they use them all the time. Ohhhhkay.....did I miss something here????
Well, most people in the classes I do use them for kickbacks, or for shoulders (Arnold presses, etc?). Most of the female instructors do as well.
geezermama: I don't get the dumbell thing, either. Sure, some of my class will pick up a set if they are really weak, but I NEVER do it myself.
"...if they are really weak" sounds rather derogotry ISTM. In posts below, you'll see that it's often so that we can lift MORE weight that we use handweights, not because we're pathetic little weaklings (as your post seems to imply).
Rosy: I use handweights (dumbells) for shoulders, 2.5 plates are too light and 5's are too heavy (and too big to grip for my girly hands) so I use 3kg hand weights. I don't see a problem with using hand weights. (I'm an instructor btw)
Shady: Dumbbells or handweights, I think everyone uses, easier to grip and graduate up to the next level.
selinal1: Rex - I was trained on 58 about a year ago -
...
... in our training we were told - absolutely no hand weights....I actually think my fingers are a bit longer from doing mac raises with the medium plates. I remember after training I couldn't figure out if my quads or fingers hurt more.
...and we're *supposed* to be working our fingers? That sounds bonkers.
What makes plates 'better' than handweights then? Or is it just some bizarre effort at snobbery?
I've been invisible for a while - profile got deleted, so I'm back and 'friendless' with a post-count of about zero - so hello again everyone.
