Reviving Dumbbell Lifting: The Royal Path to Strength Part 2

Years back, I purchased a complete collection of dumbbells and requested guidance from a close friend who had been a bodybuilding champion on the correct ways to utilize them. We went through the standard exercises commonly performed in commercial fitness facilities: seated shoulder presses, side la

Years back, I purchased a complete collection of dumbbells and requested guidance from a close friend who had been a bodybuilding champion on the correct ways to utilize them. We went through the standard exercises commonly performed in commercial fitness facilities: seated shoulder presses, side lateral raises, chest flyes, triceps extensions, and naturally, the ever-popular bicep curls. You have likely engaged in these routines yourself. Go ahead and acknowledge it.

Subsequently, I encountered kettlebells and recognized the immense benefits of comprehensive full-body kettlebell movements. The transfer of strength to real-world activities proved far superior, and the training methodology was much more straightforward. I concluded that kettlebells could outperform dumbbells in every aspect and ended up donating my entire dumbbell set to one of my dedicated students.

Fast forward to more recent times.

As detailed in the initial installment of this series, my increased travel schedule frequently placed me in gym environments lacking barbells or kettlebells—or equipped only with a handful of excessively light kettlebells. Nevertheless, virtually every facility I entered, even those in hotels, shared one consistent feature: an assortment of dumbbells ranging from modest to substantial weights, neatly arranged on racks.

So, how does one proceed in such circumstances?

Certain kettlebell exercises translate reasonably well to dumbbells: the Turkish get-up, military press, push press, jerk, and bent press. These appear nearly identical at first glance. Nearly identical, that is—until deeper examination reveals critical distinctions, particularly when aiming to handle maximal loads while minimizing injury risks.

I recall observing individuals performing bicep curls and seated presses with kettlebells, treating them essentially as dumbbells for isolated muscle targeting. I fell into a comparable error by attempting to execute dumbbell lifts precisely as one would hardstyle kettlebell techniques.

This approach yielded improvements—but it was still far from optimal.

What about ballistic movements like the swing, clean, or snatch? I experimented with various contemporary fitness variations. None felt intuitively correct or secure, especially under heavier loads or with elevated repetitions. For high-repetition ballistic efforts, the kettlebell remains the undisputed superior implement.

Thus, a pivotal question arose: Is there a specialized methodology and technique tailored explicitly for dumbbell quick lifts?

Indeed, there is—and the divergences from kettlebell methods are even more significant in these dynamic movements than in the slower grinds. The dumbbell clean differs markedly, and the traditional dumbbell overhead swing represents an entirely unique entity: neither a pure swing nor a snatch, but rather a potent hybrid of the two. This lift enjoyed far greater prominence in bygone eras compared to the prevalent high-rep dumbbell snatches of modern times—and from my experience, it surpasses them in effectiveness.

Rise and Fall of the Dumbbell

Bodybuilding has undeniably inflicted severe damage on the discipline of strength training.

My personal library boasts an impressive array of scarce publications from vintage strongmen, including booklets, correspondence courses, instructional manuals, and periodicals. Delving into these treasures, I unearthed long-neglected wisdom on dumbbell training and discerned that the pioneers possessed fully developed systems and specialized methodologies for dumbbell work.

With the emergence of competitive weightlifting and subsequently powerlifting, the spotlight pivoted toward barbells. Dumbbells gradually became relegated to supplementary roles in bodybuilding regimens. This shift was not absolute, however. Esteemed athletes like John Grimek, Doug Hepburn, Paul Anderson, and Tommy Kono maintained select dumbbell lifts within their training protocols. They regarded these as premier accessory movements to bolster Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting achievements—particularly the dumbbell overhead swing, single dumbbell clean and press, and double dumbbell clean and press.

Despite this, we have observed the lamentable diminishment of a once-venerated tool for building power.

Initially, numerous strongmen and correspondence course promoters began advocating high-repetition protocols using only lightweight dumbbells—some even asserting that their extraordinary feats and physiques stemmed exclusively from minuscule half-kilogram bells. Lightweight dumbbell training certainly holds merit for prehabilitation, warm-ups, and connective tissue conditioning—but it represents merely one facet of the complete picture.

Secondly, a concise repertoire of potent full-body dumbbell exercises gradually evolved into exhaustive catalogs of movements, infinite variations, and ultimately, isolated muscle exercises. Dumbbell lifting devolved into mere dumbbell calisthenics—the precise scenario dominating today's commercial gyms. Why not return to foundational principles, pinpointing the exercises that provide maximal returns on investment? Consider paradigms like Simple & Sinister, Rite of Passage, Kettlebell AXE, and the broader StrongFirst framework.

Thirdly, as weightlifting and powerlifting dominated the scene, dumbbell lifts—alongside numerous traditional barbell and kettlebell exercises—faded from prominence. Absent dedicated competitions, the majority ceased practicing them. A select group of astute competitors preserved them, recognizing how dumbbells propelled their performance metrics upward.

Deconstruction, Selection, Resurrection

To master novel concepts, immerse yourself in ancient texts.

This article's title pays homage to Brooks Kubik, a pivotal figure in resuscitating vintage dumbbell training. He released a VHS titled The Lost Art of Dumbbell Training, followed by the comprehensive book Dinosaur Dumbbell Training, which catalogs over 100 dumbbell exercises and modifications. Yet, as he emphasized in his writings, his core emphasis distilled to a handful of elite lifts: the two-dumbbell clean and press, one-hand dumbbell clean and press, one-hand and two-hand dumbbell clean and push press or jerk, and the one-hand dumbbell overhead swing.

Adhering to our institution's mile-deep-inch-wide philosophy, I posed essential inquiries: What constitutes a minimalist StrongFirst Dumbbell Program? Which 20% of lifts yield 80% or greater outcomes—and in which sequence?

Temporarily, I opted to bypass two-dumbbell exercises, such as the beloved double dumbbell clean and press, prioritizing single dumbbell applications.

Reviewing historical sources revealed recurring motifs:

• Eugene Sandow

• How to Lift by One Hand from the Ground to the Shoulder

• One-Handed Slow-Press from the Shoulder

• One Hand Swing-Lift from the Ground over the Head

• Edward Aston

• Clean and The Military Press

• The Dumbbell Swing

Aston deemed the overhead swing among the most captivating lifts, warranting a dedicated chapter with meticulous guidance in his Modern Weight-Lifting and How to Gain Strength.

• Thomas Inch

• The Dumbbell Swing

• The Dumbbell Clean and Jerk

• George Hackenschmidt

• Snatch with One Hand

• One-Arm Swing of Dumbbell

• One-Arm Jerk

• One-Arm Press

A distinct pattern emerges: overhead swing, clean, press—the very sequence from Goerner's Chain outlined in the series opener. This forms the dumbbell counterpart to that chain.

Kettlebell vs. Dumbbell: Clean, Press, Swing

Superficially, certain lifts appear virtually indistinguishable. Beginning with the press, reserving pulls for subsequent discussion.

Pressing a dumbbell akin to a kettlebell is feasible, yet subtle disparities soon manifest beyond grip and wrist alignment:

• Rack position varies significantly

The kettlebell nestles securely in the forearm's V-shape. For dumbbells, what constitutes the ideal rack? Should the front face inward, forward, outward, or sideways?

• Pressing trajectory diverges

Straight vertical, subtle arc, angled outward? The path deviates from kettlebell norms.

• Stability requirements differ

Kettlebells lock firmly onto the forearm. Dumbbells resist compliance—their bilateral weight distribution fosters instability, like balancing dual precarious points on the wrist. Substantial neural resources dedicate to mere stabilization.

• Body positioning alters

Trajectory influences necessitate adjustments: hip placement under the load, degree of lean, gaze direction?

• Sticking points shift

Kettlebell's eccentric mass aids lockout. Dumbbells demand self-generated optimal paths.

Most trainees initially press lighter with dumbbells than kettlebells. Fear not. By analyzing techniques of elite dumbbell pressers like Inch, Grimek, Hepburn, and Anderson, I exceeded my personal one-arm strict press record, hoisting 37.5kg per arm at 68kg bodyweight.

Kettlebell practitioners, notably SFG II graduates, hold advantages. Pro tip: for injury prevention and heavy pressing, master the bottom-up kettlebell clean and press as a gateway to dumbbell proficiency.

Regarding pulls:

• Back swing or pre-swing challenges intensify

Dumbbell cleans' backswing (if employed) pulls forward aggressively. Traditionalists favored floor cleans. For forward pre-swings, repetition cleans, or dives, they dropped the bell directly downward—a technique termed the dive.

• Squinge over pure hinge

Dumbbell pulls blend hinge and squat elements—what colleague Helen Hall, StrongFirst Certified Elite Instructor, dubs the squinge. Initially perceived as flawed, it proves advantageous, harnessing greater leg propulsion. Incorporating split or lunge variants transforms cleans and overhead swings into formidable leg developers.

• Dumbbell clean excellence

Ideal for imparting explosive speed. Novices often execute dumbbell cleans superior to kettlebell versions—no bell rotation or forearm impacts. Pairing with press enables rapid form acquisition.

Thomas Cerboneschi, StrongFirst Certified Team Leader and French wrestling conditioning coach, introduces dumbbell split cleans to young athletes early. Steve Baccari employs dumbbell clean and press for boxers and MMA practitioners.

• Dumbbell overhead swing uniqueness

Distinct from kettlebell swings or snatches—bridging dead swings (elevated pull) to near-straight-arm snatches. True dumbbell snatches build skills toward one-arm barbell snatches. For high-rep scenarios like CrossFit, kettlebells prevail. Dumbbells excel in low-rep heavy cleans and overhead swings.

Beyond fundamentals, vintage strongmen employed nuances enabling safe, maximal lifts:

• Asymmetrical grip: Grasping off-center preserves grip for overhead heavies.
• Asymmetrical loading: Intentional offset, or back hang, revolutionizes overhead swings, yielding instant personal records.
• Triple extension and shrug: Unilateral Olympic power for everyday athletes, complementing get-ups and athletic drills.
• Non-lifting hand utility: Assists pulls, functioning as accelerator and decelerator in the squinge.

Identical yet divergent—these nuances accumulate into transformative disparities.

Forging the Missing Link

True innovation recombines existing elements novelly.

Since approximately 2016, I embarked on reconstructing this overlooked connection—through study, practice, instruction, experimentation, collaboration, and relentless lifting—merging StrongFirst tenets with historical strongman insights. Almost ten years on, this pursuit culminates in a comprehensive course ready for dissemination.

The definitive program and nearly 40 minutes of instructional video on a cornerstone lift await in the series finale.