A Late Start to Curltember With Dualbell

I'm late to Curltember.

I recently learned about the month-long curling tradition started by HomeGym Harry, and I've already missed the first few days.

Better late than never.

As the guy who invented a way to put dumbbells on a bar, an entire month devoted to curls seems like something I should probably participate in.

So Dualbell is officially joining Curltember.

I'm starting simple: two dumbbells, a straight bar and some barbell curls.

My dumbbells are always in the rotation.

Starting Curltember With Straight-Bar Curls

A traditional barbell curl doesn't need much explanation.

Grab a bar, curl it, lower it under control and repeat.

The difference in my home gym is that I don't necessarily need weight plates to provide the resistance.

Using Dualbell dumbbell to barbell converters, I can attach compatible dumbbells to a standard 1-inch bar and use the dumbbells as the weight for my barbell curls.

That means the same dumbbells I normally pick up for traditional dumbbell curls can also become the resistance for a straight-bar curl.

For this first Curltember video, that's all I'm doing.

But it's definitely not all I have planned.

How Many Ways Can You Curl?

That's the question I'm going to have some fun with this month.

Curls seem simple until you start thinking about how many variations there actually are.

There's the traditional dumbbell curl. There's a straight-bar curl. There's the EZ-bar curl. Change your grip and you can perform close-grip, wide-grip or reverse curls. Add a preacher bench and you've got another familiar variation.

Then there are different ways to structure the sets themselves: 21s, pauses, slower lowering phases and other variations.

Dualbell gives me another variable to play with because I can move between dumbbell and barbell exercises using the same weights.

From Dumbbell Curls to Barbell Curls

This is where Curltember should become particularly interesting for me.

I don't have to choose between using my dumbbells as dumbbells and using them on a bar.

I can do both.

I can perform regular dumbbell curls, put those same dumbbells into Dualbell and perform barbell curls. Then I can remove them from the bar and go right back to using them as dumbbells.

They're still dumbbells.

That's a simple idea, but it's a big part of what Dualbell is about: getting more exercise options from equipment you already own.

Traditional and Adjustable Dumbbells Can Get Involved

I'm also not limiting Curltember to one type of dumbbell.

Dualbell works with most traditional dumbbells and many adjustable dumbbells with compatible handle dimensions and designs. Dualbell accommodates dumbbell handles up to approximately 1.38 inches (35 mm) in diameter and fits standard 1-inch (25 mm) bars.

That gives me plenty of material for the rest of the month.

Traditional dumbbells on a straight bar. Adjustable dumbbells. An EZ-curl bar. Dumbbell curls followed by barbell curls. Different grips and different loading setups.

The challenge may turn out to be fitting everything into September.

My Dumbbells Are Always in the Rotation

That's probably the most appropriate theme for my first Curltember video.

My dumbbells are always in the rotation.

Sometimes they're in my hands. Sometimes they're attached to a straight bar. Sometimes they're on an EZ-curl bar. And sometimes I may move between several of those options during the same workout.

Curltember gives me an excuse to have some fun showing those possibilities.

I'm starting late.

But I've still got plenty of September left.

Let's curl. 💪