Do you have to have strong lifts on the big 3 to have a good physique when youre lean

JakeArmitage

My Barbell Bench, Squat and Deadlift are all crap. I much prefer Dumbbell work. I much prefer training with Dumbbells, my Incline Dumbbell press is not bad at 40kg each hand for reps and my seated shoulder press is 35kg each hand. Just wonder is it possible to get a good physique with just Dumbbell work, in fact too much squatting and deadlifting takes away from the look of your upper body I feel, each to their own but I'm not interested in strongman or powerlifting, more interested in Aesthetics?

Hanley

JakeArmitage wrote: »

My Barbell Bench, Squat and Deadlift are all crap. I much prefer Dumbbell work. I much prefer training with Dumbbells, my Incline Dumbbell press is not bad at 40kg each hand for reps and my seated shoulder press is 35kg each hand. Just wonder is it possible to get a good physique with just Dumbbell work, in fact too much squatting and deadlifting takes away from the look of your upper body I feel, each to their own but I'm not interested in strongman or powerlifting, more interested in Aesthetics?

Yes, it possible.

Reps4jesus

If you are hitting a good few reps of 35kg in each hand on seated shoulder press (assuming full rom) then you should have pretty impressive shoulders already anyway.

Disagree completely on your stance on deadlifting and squatting taking away from asthetics (unless you count asthetics as being only arms, delts and pecs)

Dtp1979

Reps4jesus wrote: »

If you are hitting a good few reps of 35kg in each hand on seated shoulder press (assuming full rom) then you should have pretty impressive shoulders already anyway.

Disagree completely on your stance on deadlifting and squatting taking away from asthetics (unless you count asthetics as being only arms, delts and pecs)

Disco muscles

caviardreams

JakeArmitage wrote: »

My Barbell Bench, Squat and Deadlift are all crap. I much prefer Dumbbell work. I much prefer training with Dumbbells, my Incline Dumbbell press is not bad at 40kg each hand for reps and my seated shoulder press is 35kg each hand. Just wonder is it possible to get a good physique with just Dumbbell work, in fact too much squatting and deadlifting takes away from the look of your upper body I feel, each to their own but I'm not interested in strongman or powerlifting, more interested in Aesthetics?

Don't worry, you can still squat and deadlift with just dumbbells

LuckyLloyd

Memories of Hanley's 'but does training legs really matter' thread from a few year's ago.

JakeArmitage

I would be willing to bet all the actors that prepare for super hero roles dont pound away with alot of deadlifts and squats. Dont get me wrong its importnat to do some work on them but that baggy jeans look is awful

dashoonage

JakeArmitage wrote: »

I would be willing to bet all the actors that prepare for super hero roles dont pound away with alot of deadlifts and squats. Dont get me wrong its importnat to do some work on them but that baggy jeans look is awful

Come here lad...youre not an ozzie by the name Will are ya ?

Alf Veedersane

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Memories of Hanley's 'but does training legs really matter' thread from a few year's ago.

Had to have a dig for that. Et voilà

LuckyLloyd

JakeArmitage wrote: »

I would be willing to bet all the actors that prepare for super hero roles dont pound away with alot of deadlifts and squats. Dont get me wrong its importnat to do some work on them but that baggy jeans look is awful

I think skinny untrained legs look awful on a man, particularly with an out of proportion upper body, but each to his own as you said.

Hanley

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Memories of Hanley's 'but does training legs really matter' thread from a few year's ago.

what was the cliffs from that? "it doesn't matter"?

LuckyLloyd

Hanley wrote: »

what was the cliffs from that? "it doesn't matter"?

Well there were some 'but a woman will only see your legs before she gets drilled and sure it will be kinda dark at that time of the night' posts in the run up to that conclusion so it's probably based on questionable logic!

Alf Veedersane

Hanley wrote: »

what was the cliffs from that? "it doesn't matter"?

For me, it was this:

However if you want to BE awesome while looking awesome then you have to do it.

CM24

OP, you should follow this guy. His channel is basically about getting that Hollywood physique. He doesn't do the big 3.

Basically, get strong on some upper body compounds and get your waist measurement down to about 45% of your height, and you'll look good. (exhale, and wrap a tape around your belly button)

Transform

CM24 wrote: »

OP, you should follow this guy. His channel is basically about getting that Hollywood physique. He doesn't do the big 3.

Basically, get strong on some upper body compounds and get your waist measurement down to about 45% of your height, and you'll look good. (exhale, and wrap a tape around your belly button)

was it completely necessary to pull his shorts down that far?

yes its possible with just dumbbells and in some ways safer but its more about variety than anything else so just change it up from session to session.

Zillah

Transform wrote: »

was it completely necessary to pull his shorts down that far?

Icing on a cake isn't strictly necessary either.

JakeArmitage

CM24 wrote: »

OP, you should follow this guy. His channel is basically about getting that Hollywood physique. He doesn't do the big 3.

Basically, get strong on some upper body compounds and get your waist measurement down to about 45% of your height, and you'll look good. (exhale, and wrap a tape around your belly button)

Know all about him, doing one of his programs

Dtp1979

JakeArmitage wrote: »

Know all about him, doing one of his programs

Why not do one of your own

Alf Veedersane

JakeArmitage wrote: »

Know all about him, doing one of his programs

Are you actually doing a program or have you just been mulling over doing one trying to decide which one might be the right one?

Mellor

JakeArmitage wrote: »

My Barbell Bench, Squat and Deadlift are all crap. I much prefer Dumbbell work. I much prefer training with Dumbbells, my Incline Dumbbell press is not bad at 40kg each hand for reps and my seated shoulder press is 35kg each hand.

What's your DB flat bench? And barbell bench?

While it's not necessary to do the barbell lifts. I'd still consider the DB versions to be the big 3*.
Also I can't imagine a situation where somebody has a well developed DB bench/incline/press that doesn't carry over to a decent barbell equivalent.

Brian?

[predator reference]

You don't have to so the big 3, but they turn you into a god damn sexual Tyrannosaurus.

[/predator reference]

I don't understand why anyone wants to avoid deadlifting.

Brian?

JakeArmitage wrote: »

My Barbell Bench, Squat and Deadlift are all crap. I much prefer Dumbbell work. I much prefer training with Dumbbells, my Incline Dumbbell press is not bad at 40kg each hand for reps and my seated shoulder press is 35kg each hand. Just wonder is it possible to get a good physique with just Dumbbell work, in fact too much squatting and deadlifting takes away from the look of your upper body I feel, each to their own but I'm not interested in strongman or powerlifting, more interested in Aesthetics?

I take it from the bold part that you want to avoid the hard work involved. They're not strictly necessary, but you're looking for permission to avoid them because they're tough.

Reps4jesus

Brian? wrote: »

JakeArmitage wrote: »

My Barbell Bench, Squat and Deadlift are all crap. I much prefer Dumbbell work. I much prefer training with Dumbbells, my Incline Dumbbell press is not bad at 40kg each hand for reps and my seated shoulder press is 35kg each hand. Just wonder is it possible to get a good physique with just Dumbbell work, in fact too much squatting and deadlifting takes away from the look of your upper body I feel, each to their own but I'm not interested in strongman or powerlifting, more interested in Aesthetics?

I take it from the bold part that you want to avoid the hard work involved. They're not strictly necessary, but you're looking for permission to avoid them because they're tough.

Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights

Dtp1979

Brian? wrote: »

[predator reference]

You don't have to so the big 3, but they turn you into a god damn sexual Tyrannosaurus.

[/predator reference]

I don't understand why anyone wants to avoid deadlifting.

Because it's hard and takes so much effort.

Sugar Free

Reps4jesus wrote: »

Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights

But if you are going to lift heavy-ass weight, don't be a tosser and do it correctly...

LuckyLloyd

What's that?

Alf Veedersane

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

What's that?

Ronnie Coleman....after a lot of back surgery

Sugar Free

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

What's that?

As Alf said it's Ronnie Coleman, 8x Mr. Olympia, who was quoted by the previous poster and shown after one of several surgeries.

Plenty of youtube vids of him throwing around very heavy weight, mostly with very poor form.

JakeArmitage

Mellor wrote: »

What's your DB flat bench? And barbell bench?

While it's not necessary to do the barbell lifts. I'd still consider the DB versions to be the big 3*.
Also I can't imagine a situation where somebody has a well developed DB bench/incline/press that doesn't carry over to a decent barbell equivalent.

I don't bench and I only do incline Dumbbell press, for those I do 40kg each hand

JakeArmitage

Brian? wrote: »

I take it from the bold part that you want to avoid the hard work involved. They're not strictly necessary, but you're looking for permission to avoid them because they're tough.

Firstly let me respond to your first sentence before you go ahead and make incorrect assumptions.

Secondly I'm not looking for permission to avoid them, I just prefer the way Dumbbell press feels on my body and I am much stronger with the exercise

Thirdly , whatever your doing exercise related whether its gym work, cycling , running etc requires hardwork and just because I choose to just use dumbbells doesnt mean I'm not working hard

Dtp1979

JakeArmitage wrote: »

Firstly let me respond to your first sentence before you go ahead and make incorrect assumptions.

Secondly I'm not looking for permission to avoid them, I just prefer the way Dumbbell press feels on my body and I am much stronger with the exercise

Thirdly , whatever your doing exercise related whether its gym work, cycling , running etc requires hardwork and just because I choose to just use dumbbells doesnt mean I'm not working hard

Out of curiosity, what leg workouts do you do?

Brian?

JakeArmitage wrote: »

Firstly let me respond to your first sentence before you go ahead and make incorrect assumptions.

Secondly I'm not looking for permission to avoid them, I just prefer the way Dumbbell press feels on my body and I am much stronger with the exercise

Thirdly , whatever your doing exercise related whether its gym work, cycling , running etc requires hardwork and just because I choose to just use dumbbells doesnt mean I'm not working hard

I got great advice once. Work on what you're bad at, it's easy to work on the stuff you're good at.

There is no exercise you can do with DBs that's a good substitute for barbell deadlifts IMO.

JakeArmitage

Brian? wrote: »

I got great advice once. Work on what you're bad at, it's easy to work on the stuff you're good at.

There is no exercise you can do with DBs that's a good substitute for barbell deadlifts IMO.

No your right, but there seems to be this sort of macho bro science attitude to doing Squats and Deadlifts. Its much more important and takes much longer to build muscle in the upper body, with Squats and Deads, because of the loads you can get to and the size of the muscles trained , muscle gain is much faster. Theres a very strong guy at the gym I go to, hes obviously very lean but his ass and legs are quite big from all the heavy squats and deads he does and being a short guy makes it look a hell of alot worse on him

JakeArmitage

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what leg workouts do you do?

I do squats and I have started to do Deadlifts, always been weiry doing deadlifts because I have a back issue and its such a technical exercise. I recently have gotten some instruction on it so im going to include them but take it slow

Dtp1979

JakeArmitage wrote: »

I do squats and I have started to do Deadlifts, always been weiry doing deadlifts because I have a back issue and its such a technical exercise. I recently have gotten some instruction on it so im going to include them but take it slow

Try trap bar deadlifts. They're much easier on the back

Mellor

JakeArmitage wrote: »

I don't bench and I only do incline Dumbbell press, for those I do 40kg each hand

But you just said you prefer the way DBs press feels. And you are stronger with that variation.

How can you say you are stronger if you never do the barbell version to compare it too?
I'd be surprised if you weren't lifting similar loads in each.

Reps4jesus

JakeArmitage wrote: »

Brian? wrote: »

I got great advice once. Work on what you're bad at, it's easy to work on the stuff you're good at.

There is no exercise you can do with DBs that's a good substitute for barbell deadlifts IMO.

No your right, but there seems to be this sort of macho bro science attitude to doing Squats and Deadlifts. Its much more important and takes much longer to build muscle in the upper body, with Squats and Deads, because of the loads you can get to and the size of the muscles trained , muscle gain is much faster.

REALLY? A macho, bro science attitude to squats and deadlifts? What bro-science is there in showing that they are two of the best exercises you can do?
Why is it much more important to build upper body muscles? generating power through your hips and posterior chain will help you get stronger in nearly everything, also squats and deadlifts will add to your core strength (even if they wont develop a 6 pack for you)
If legs gain muscle so quickly, why in commerical gyms do you so rarely see poeple with huge quads and hammies but every second person in a wife beater has well developed arms and shoulders.

BabyE

Thank **** people are getting over the squats/deadlifts fascination. Useless for most poeple who just want to be healthy and look good, why push your body so far when you don't have to, you are not a professional athlete.

Weighted pull ups/chin ups
Weighted Dips
Incline press
Shoulder press/shoulder flys(terrible boring, but kind of essential)
Neck work
Agility work(legs, do squats if you want but there are better exercises)
Leg raises, hanging leg raises, and other variations.
Regular walking

Alf Veedersane

BabyE wrote: »

Regular walking

Can't beat a bit of large walking.