"Pink dumbells are for barbie"

Dela

Cathlete
Dawnmh22 on another thread provided a link to a good article (thanks Dawn!), and this is just my favorite part:

"Secret #7 Pink dumbbells are for barbies
It irks me that women are often shown in magazines holding tiny (pin, blue, purple) weights. These dumbbells in most cases are 3-5 lbs. That is not enough weight to build muscle unless you are absolutely deconditioned, injured, over 80 years old, or just woke from a coma.

A gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs. So if you train consistently with the Barbie weights, you are not even conditioned enough to carry 1 gallon of water into your own house.

This ties into some bizarre myth that doing lots of reps (repetitions) with light weights will TONE YOU. Most likely this will only give you joint (overuse) injuries.
(see Secrets # 5 and # 14)"

LOVE THAT!!!

Excerpt from http://www.artofstrength.com/MinuteofStrengthENews/bonnie/tabid/433/Default.aspx
 
Rustoleum makes pink spray paint for metal. I suppose we could all spray paint our "boy" weights pink to make them "girl" weights:D:D:D

Nan
 
I was laughing yesterday at this young man at Dick's Sporting Goods. He was obviously trying to impress his lady by curling 25# DB. I was not impressed. I walked up after he moved away and began curling away with the 25#s- hoping he would see me and be embarrased. I am not sure if he saw me or not LOL. Pink is for sissies!!!!!
 
I was laughing yesterday at this young man at Dick's Sporting Goods. He was obviously trying to impress his lady by curling 25# DB. I was not impressed. I walked up after he moved away and began curling away with the 25#s- hoping he would see me and be embarrased. I am not sure if he saw me or not LOL. Pink is for sissies!!!!!

Well, Miss Catherine, I for one AM impressed with your 25# curls! I can barely manage 8-10# for a longer series of Cathe bicept reps! I'm working on it though! Good for you!
 
Well, Miss Catherine, I for one AM impressed with your 25# curls! I can barely manage 8-10# for a longer series of Cathe bicept reps! I'm working on it though! Good for you!

Dani, Cathe's bicep reps are grueling. Lifting for strength vs doing multiple reps is very different. I can curl 25# but for only about 6 reps. Took me a long time to get there. And my point is I didn't use pink DBs to get their either ;)
 
still impressive either way ;) 25#'s aren't even in my selection right now! Not sure I could even pick one up and do ANYTHING with it but put it right down!

I do agree about the pink DB's though... I can't imagine (other than to make a buck) why manufacturers would even think 1 & 2 lb DB's are even necessary. I personally don't feel most moves using DB's until I hit 5#'s... I do have to confess that I do have a set of 3's and used them for a short while on tricept kickbacks for a time... does purple count?:eek:
 
25# curls, even at 6 reps, is pretty darn impressive!

And ok ok I have 3 lb weighs, but they are red ;)

I think I bought them to add to hip hop abs a while ago, but then I stopped doing that dvd, because it really isn't a very good cardio workout anyway.

I use them to stand on for that one deadlift move of Cathe's.
 
I still have my 3 lb. hot pink weights from 1986 that I used with my first Firm workout - Volume 1. They used to seem so heavy. :eek: I ocassionally use my 3lb. weights for certain upper back exercises - Y-T-I on the ball and some others. You really don't need a heavy weight for that type of exercise. I do love to train with the 'big boy' weights though. ;)
 
HAHA!!! When I read that article - I laughed at that one too.

I started off with 3lbs and 5lbs and my husband used to tell me that is doing nothing for me. I need to go heavy. I have gone heavier and put those weights aside and I see a difference. What was I thinking?;);)
 
HAHA!!! When I read that article - I laughed at that one too.

I started off with 3lbs and 5lbs and my husband used to tell me that is doing nothing for me. I need to go heavy. I have gone heavier and put those weights aside and I see a difference. What was I thinking?;);)

Me too! When I started w/ the FIRM I thought I was super strong using 8#'s!! :eek: Now I do have some 1# pink weights... but my 5yo uses them!!! ;)
 
Another perspective:

My hat is off to those of you who use such heavy weights. Me, I still use 3 lbs and 5 lbs weights, for shoulder work and sometimes triceps, even lower body depending on the exercise and rep count. :eek: (BTW, my 5 pounders are purple and they are cute!) Based on those criteria, I'm a loser? Maybe not.

There are a lot of advanced workouts that are very effective for MANY people that require light weights based on the rep count. Jari Love, Slim Series, Dove's Bodies come to mind most readily. You know, Cathe uses 5 lb weights quite effectively in B&G! They don't ALL cause overuse injuries.

If someone has pink (or purple) dumbbells, so what? What's the difference between buying a pink dumbbell versus buying Cathe's pink stability ball or pink yoga mat? Are they less "serious"? If pink dumbbells get someone working out rather than watching TV, that's terrific! If doing 50 squats with 3 lbers gives you a burn without hurting your knees--great!

Would you make fun of someone who wore pink running shoes and "only ran a mile"? No, you'd encourage them, even if they never ran further than 2 miles, if that was their choice. Not everyone has to run marathons (or squat 200 lbs) to meet their goals.

That article had a lot of good points in it, but there are many different theories on weight training and how it ought to be done. Different bodies respond to different types of training. Different people have different preferences. It makes the forums more interesting!

In summary, I'm asking you all to please stop picking on my cute purple weights :D and want to encourage folks to find a way to "just do it", rather than say, "This is the ONLY way to do it."

Off my soapbox...
 
Jonanah: Just wanted to say ITA.

I also want to add that if you train consistently with 8lbers you most definitely WILL be able to carry a gallon of milk. My 8lbers are purple by the way and they are my favorite. I can and do lift heavy, but for some of Cathe's routines with high reps, I certainly utilize those 8s! Cathe even says in one video "don't be afraid to go to 3lbs on these. . .!!"
 
Think pink

Jonahnah, Thanks for your post! AND if anything October is really the month we should all be thinking Pink....

Debbie
 
Does this mean Jari Love is out of the question

I really enjoy Jari and Having great results with slimming my lowerbody (Im a pear shape),I still use my heaviest dumbells when doing this would this consider a Barbie workout? TY!
 
I just bought another set of 2# and 3# that are pink for Breast Cancer October month.:)

I'll be using them when I jog, box or kickbox, and depending how I feel I'll use one or the other. I also use them while I'm on the treadmill, to help me not use my hands. I seem to grip it with my life. LOL!:confused:

Cancer awareness month is very important to me, and just wanted to do something to help out.

Janie
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Some food for thought on Skwigg's blog....scroll down to "Never lift anything heavier than a Big Gulp."

http://skwigg.tripod.com/blog/

I lift heavy in short cycles, then I switch to endurance type work. Mostly when I cut calories.
When I'm lifting lighter weights, I am still working at an intense level. It's just different. Personally, I feel I benefit from body weight training more than I do lifting heavy dumbbells. Push-ups, pull-ups, tricep dips, lots of lunges(reverse, forward, walking, stationary), squats & plie's. That's what works for me:)
 
I still have all my "baby weights" to remind me where I came from. I want to say that I started with 3 and 5 pound weights years ago. I rememnber upgrading rather quickly and now there are dozens down there in the w/o room, but it's a nice reminder sometimes that my baby weights (mine are purple actually) are where I started.

Like you all, now they are my toes lifts for dead lifts :)
 
HI,

I like the color pink! I use 3 lbs and 5 lbs weights with some kick boxing workouts (when I don''t use weighted gloves). When I am training beginners, I will sometimes start them with 3lbs and 5 lbs weights until they learn proper technique. Also I don't want them to become so sore that they will not work out again. I also use these weights with people who are rehabing from injuries and surgery.

Regina
 

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