You seem to think you're stumped on the weights, but you're actually on the right track once again. Based on the predicament you have in mind, just think how much easier it would be if you were able to drop the weights to the floor...talk about taking a huge weight off your shoulders, as the saying goes, haha. And that would be a quick and easy way to do so, just move your hands out a bit, open your hands, the weights drop, and suddenly it's so much easier to not cause the rope to pull on various parts...various VERY sensitive parts. Grin! However, with the bungees in place, that would only cause the weights to hang from your wrists awkwardly, not exactly any better of a predicament, right? 

The gradual vs. hard stop point I mentioned for the green bungee cord has to do with him trying to get into a different position so he doesn't have to work so hard. If you think about the way he is positioned, which I think you have a pretty good picture in your mind of at this point, just think about how he could change the positioning of his body to make that a bit easier and not have to reach so far...and how that green bungee cord to the heavier dumbbell on the floor could prevent that. Hmm, what's on the other end of the bungee cord? What might it be attached to in order to accomplish that? ;-)