Dumbbell Lifting

Hello,

I just bought the New Rules of Lifting book and I am ready to get started working out.  At my work we have a gym with dumbbells... Literally.  We do not have any barbell equipment.  Can I do squats and dead lifts using dumbbells or would it be worthwhile for me to join a club that has squat rack, barbell setup?

Mark

You absolutely can do squats..deadlifts with dumbells!!

You can definitely start out with dumbbells, but you will want to progress to a barbell eventually when you are lifting more weight. How much do you squat/deadlift now?

Right now I dead lift and squat nothing.  Dumbbells might be a good place to start.  I tried to find dumbbell descriptions for dead lift and squat on the internet and did not have much luck.  Any suggestions?

I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8YJ_tfLPJQ but watching it, I feel like she doesn't do a great job - she doesn't keep her back in it's natural arch at the bottom - probably because the dumbbells are much lower than a barbell would be. But if you can put the dumbbells on something so that they are mid-shin level, that might work.

NROLFW also will have you doing Romanian deadlifts (stiff leg, you don't set it down - just go down as far as you would for a bent over row) - you could try that instead of the regular deadlifts.

Try exrx.net for the dumbbell squats - they might have something.

I do everything with dumbells. I workout at home and have not yet decided on which barbell to get, not to mention the fact that we have absolutely no room for a squat rack, so that poses additional problems.  I did outgrow the dumbells this week though (my 3rd week into the program) on my squats and lunges, so I have to make a decision to get extra plates for my dumbells or a barbell that takes the same kind of plates the dumbells take so I can increase my dumbell weight as I progress.