Important CONCEPT about your MAXIMUM LIFT. readup!

Vas85 · 03-Jul-04, 09:49 AM

Hey guys, ill try keep the explanation as simple as possible n stuff, so not to confuse everyone and then have a topic that nobody understands, but what i found very interesting.
Ill give you guys the examples first then what i made of them.

I curl dumbell weights currently at
45LB ( 4 5lb plates on each side )
and i bought today 10KG plates so my other dumbel i set up to be
50LB ( 2 x 22lb plates on each side )

Now what i found interesting was that i could lift for more REPS the 50LB dumbell combination (1plate each side) than the 45LB(4plates each side) (i would actually strugle after 1 set for the 4plates but not with the 1 each side) dumbell combination. And what i came to think about is that i probably found it harder to lift the 1 with 4plates on each side becuase not only are yo lifting it but you have to balance the weight more, and found it more strenuous than lifting my 50LB 1plate each side combination? so now i have actually increased my curls and i feel i can add more, can anybody comment on this, why the larger plates 1 on each side which is more compressed weight i coudl lift better than the 4 smaller plates on each side adding to a similar weight, is it what i mentioned about balancing.

Becuase with this i think that if anybody thinks they have hit a platau on their maximum weight for a certain exercise, i would advise trying heavier more compressed plates and might make a difference? Now everyone hope i havent confused too much in what i was trying to explain but read and tell me what u think

And by the way i base this all on my experience today!.

TommyD · 03-Jul-04, 02:14 PM

You have less surface area therefore it's easier to lift.

This concept can also be applied to why it's easier to curl a 65lb dumbbell rather than a barbell with two 10lbs plates on each side. Less surface area and less need to balance makes for an easier lift.

Then again, when I bench I usually use a 45lbs plate and a 35lbs plate rather than a collection of 5's and 10's. Therefore I don't know how important of a concept it is concerning maximum lifts for most exercises, but it is an interesting concept nonetheless.

Vas85 · 03-Jul-04, 11:56 PM

Yeh, Tom i found it interesting about the surface area, bigger plates more compressed weight easier to lift, it could be something to help people when they say "ive hit my plataeu which maybe they havent!.

its just a matter of the surface area of the weights being lifted.

Cort · 04-Jul-04, 12:15 AM

So does that mean if I'm maxing out with 260 that or trying to that I should load on 100 lb plate on each side with 5's anda 2 and a half? I might give that a try and see how it turns out.

Vas85 · 04-Jul-04, 08:45 AM

Cort what im sayin is that if your maxxing out at 260 but with lots of plates try reduce the plates to the maximum compressed plates (largest plates) you can place to achieve the same weight, which you should be able to lift easier and then be able to increase the load.

Klinger · 06-Jul-04, 12:01 AM

This might be out of left field, but perhaps it is partially psychological? When I switched from standard to olympic, I was using 45s and 35s instead of multiple 25s, 10s and 5s. I think my brain was interpreting fewer plates as "lighter," even though the agregate weight of those plates was higher. :confused:

Cort · 06-Jul-04, 01:50 AM

Yeah I got that, so if you can...you should be putting the 100 lb plates on there for max lifts since it is less than 2 45's and a 10 on each side?

Vas85 · 06-Jul-04, 11:54 PM

yeh Klinger it could be the fact that your lifting less weights, but i found it to be for me bit more a balancing issue of the weights, and i actuall worked out my body to a way i never thought possible so i can still see results

and the next day after i tried it on my arms i was lifting new record weight, and my bi's were hell dead sore

zppz · 07-Jul-04, 01:05 AM

uh... surface area? I doubt the friction of the air on the weights will make any difference at all.
By putting less plates on, the rotational inertia decreases and the weight becomes easier to 'twist', that's all. So for biceps curls, if you are twisting the weight as you bring it up then you will notice a difference. For exercises where you don't twist the weight (everything except bi curls?) it will not make any difference. Also for bi curls, at the bottom of the rep you most likely have the weight in line with your upper thigh - if there are a lot of plates on, the weight is wider and you need to hold it slightly further out from your body. This works the delts mostly but it probably contributes to you getting more tired overall during the set.
So my opinion is, no Vas85 you are not imagining things, it DOES allow you to get more bi curl reps out. However I don't think it carries across to other exercises...

Toro · 07-Jul-04, 01:46 AM

zppz man i think u got it wrong. im only guessing from experience but when the weight is more outspread that theres is more of a resistance in the weight. with there being more resistance it makes it harder to lift the weight.

zppz · 07-Jul-04, 02:01 AM

resistance to what... air? or do you lift underwater

Vas85 · 09-Jul-04, 11:53 AM

zpps you could be right, but i noticed doing Concentration curls it was easier with the less plates heavier and concentration curls dont involve twisting anything.?? can you explain that, try it out yourself if you dont believe me, you coudl be right as i said but give it a shot and tell me what you see

kenyon21 · 10-Jul-04, 01:23 PM

i can't really see how you mock him for saying resistance, yet you start talking about "rotational intertia" during bicep curls... yeah there IS rotational inertia, but it's not affecting you on your lift as long as the weight stays in the same position horizontally on the bar and doesn't slip off to the side, because the inertial force would be between the bar and the weight plates, but you're not doing anything at all with the weight plates, you're only lifting the actual bar so the friction between the two isn't interacting with or affecting you at all.

it's a balance issue. say for instance you had a 45 lb piece of metal that could fit in the palm of your hand (hypothetical), it would be a lot easier to curl that then it would be trying to curl the regular old 45lb bar. balancing becomes less of an issue when you start talking about barbell exercises.

zppz · 12-Jul-04, 11:18 AM

sorry, wasn't trying to mock anyone....
the twisting I was meaning was the one where if you start with the weight at your with your palms facing each other, as if you were carrying someone on a stretcher, then as you bring the weight up you turn your wrist until at the top your palms are facing upwards, I thought the biceps help to turn the wrist? Sure, the difference is insignificant, but this is all I could think of where having the plates further out would make a difference. I wonder how it is for doing cable curls? That would be the closest thing to having a hypothetical weight in the palm of your hand wouldn't it.

TheBigness · 12-Jul-04, 01:53 PM

More weight plates mean more weights clanking and shaking meaning more muscles needed to stablize them.