These
unique hooks claim to have the
ability to instantly
increase the amount of weight
you can handle with the
dumbell
bench press and allow you to build
bench press strength
faster. Is it fact or fiction?
One
of the most challenging aspects
of the dumbell bench press is
not actually doing the exercise
itself but getting the dumbells
into position to start the exercise.
This may not be so hard when you're
using lighter dumbells but when
you start getting into relatively
heavy weights, getting the dumbells
up off the floor and into position
can be quite a challenge. This
is doubly true on the incline
dumbell press (anybody who has
ever picked up two 120 pound dumbells
off the floor and straight up
into the incline press position
can vouch for that!).
When
you're using heavy weights, you
need all the strength you've got.
You don't want to use it up just
getting ready to start the exercise!
That's where Power Hooks come
in.
Power
Hooks are very simple in concept
and elegant in design. They are
basically double hooks (similar
to an "S" shape) that
you attach directly to your dumbells
that allow you to hang your dumbells
from a bar in the start position
of the pressing exercise. This
means you don't have to clean
and jerk the dumbells up into
position yourself. There are two
strong bottom hooks that cradle
the dumbell, which is secured
with thick Velcro straps. The
large top hook goes over top of
the barbell or bar that you're
hanging the dumbell from.
To
use the Power Hooks, once the
dumbells are secured into the
hooks, you lift the dumbells up
and hook the large hooks over
the bar you're using (the hooks
stay attached to the dumbells
while you're doing the movement).
Lay down on the bench, set your
hands on the dumbells, push the
dumbells forward and out a little
then lift and unhook the Hooks.
When you're done with the set,
simply rehook the Hooks and lower
the weights.
The Benefits:
1.
Power Hooks allow you to start
the exercise immediately, without
having to get the dumbells into
position from off the floor or
having somebody hand them to you.
This saves you energy and power
so you have more strength available
for the exercise itself.
In
the short term, this means you'll
be able to perform more reps with
more weight. In the long term,
it means you'll be able to make
much better progress in the dumbell
bench press because you'll be
able to lift more weight for more
reps during your sets (this will
also carry over to barbell bench
press strength as well).
2. Because the Power Hooks allow
you to start the exercise without
having to get the dumbells into
position yourself, you will prevent
possible injuries that can happen
as a result of getting those dumbells
into position.
It's
not easy getting extremely heavy
dumbells into position for dumbell
exercises. It places unbalanced
loads on your body and the momentum
that can be generated when you're
moving the dumbells around to
get them into position can result
in muscle pulls or connective
tissue injuries. The dumbell press
exercise itself is much safer
compared to some of the tricks
people use to get the dumbells
into position.
With
the hooks, you completely remove
that injury potential.
3. Starting from the top of the
bench press movement allows you
to pre-load your muscles for a
more powerful start. Here's what
I mean...when you do a barbell
bench press, you don't start your
first rep from the bottom with
the bar on your chest. You start
with the bar at the top. This
allows your muscles to develop
elastic tension as you lower the
bar and release it as you come
back up, making for a more powerful
exercise.
When
you do the typical dumbell press,
the position you end up in when
you get the dumbells into position
is at the bottom. You have no
elastic tension in the muscles
and it can be much harder to get
the weights into position to start
your set. You've essentially set
yourself back right from the start.
With
the hooks, you start just as you
would with a barbell bench press
- from the top position. It's
a stronger position to start in
and results in a more effective
loading of the muscles.
The Drawbacks:
1.
While being relatively simple
to attach to the dumbell handles
(it's just a matter of placing
the handle on the hooks and wrapping
the Velcro around), it does require
some set-up to use in practice.
I set the hooks up in my power
rack and, at first, it took me
a few tries to get the height
of the bar right so that I could
easily hook and unhook at the
start and end of the exercise.
When
using the bar on a regular bench
press, however, the instructions
tell you to simply push the dumbells
around in an arc until you can
just lift the hooks off. It takes
a bit of practice to get good
at hooking and unhooking - definitely
start with lighter weights to
get the idea of how it works and
how the dumbells move and feel
in your hands with the hooks attached
to them. The strap and metal bar
used to secure the dumbell to
the hooks can feel a little awkward
in your hands at first but you
will get used to the feel very
quickly.
2. When pressing, I found the
hooks occasionally contacted the
bar that I had set up to hang
them on. This gets much less frequent
as you become more accustomed
to using the Power Hooks, however,
but when it does happen, it can
throw off your rhythm and distract
you. It's a minimal drawback that
can be solved by practicing how
to best use the hooks and position
yourself on the bench.
3. It's difficult to use the hooks
with any Swiss Ball pressing exercises.
The reason is not because the
hooks make the exercise any more
unstable...it's that because the
ball is inflatable, when you try
to unhook the dumbells and lift
them off the bar, you sink down
into the ball! This effect is
really pronounced when using very
heavy dumbells, making it difficult
to get the dumbells into position.
It can certainly be done, but
you will need to account for the
sinking of the ball and your position
on it underneath the bar to be
sure you'll be able to get the
dumbells rehooked when you're
done.
Conclusion:
In
my experience with the Power Hooks,
I've found them to be an extremely
valuable training tool for more
efficient dumbell pressing. They
are especially useful when you're
using very heavy weights, when
you're doing incline or seated
dumbell presses (for shoulders)
and for workouts that have short
rest periods (you don't want to
spend your rest time hoisting
dumbells back into position).
I
would say the Power Hooks definitely
live up to their claim of allowing
you to get more reps and use more
weight in your dumbell pressing,
especially over the course of
several sets as your muscles begin
to fatigue. The hooks allow you
focus your energy on the exercise
rather than on expending it trying
to get the dumbells into position
to start.
They're
safe and effective and, while
they do have minimal drawbacks,
don't let any of those stand in
your way of trying out these very
useful training tools. They're
a definite "thumbs up!"
To learn more about the Power
Hooks and to get a pair for yourself,
please click here.
For
pictures of the hooks in action,
please click here.
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