Benching with dumbbells vs bar bell

[jtvang125]

Which is better?

 

[HutchinsonJC]

Barbell = you'll have more control because of the rigidity between both the left and right arms being a solid bar. You'll most likely be able to control more weight. One arm potentially does more work than the other.

Dumbell = you'll use more stabilizing muscles because it's not a solid bar and you have to independently control the weight with both arms. Both arms are forced to do equivalent work.

You choose. Doesn't hurt to do both.

 

[deadlyapp]

Yep. You'll see most people who are serious will use a combination. You'll generally be able to lift much more weight with a barbell since there are less stabilizing muscles recruited and it really focuses on your pectorals, whereas dumbells will recruit many smaller, stabilizing muscles and if any one of those is limited, then you'll be weight limited. Plus, just getting setup with dumbells is a workout in itself.

 

[Ackmed]

Be very careful going heavy with a dumbbell. It is very easy to hurt yourself if you do not do them right. People have torn their shoulders while dropping the weights, especially when on a flat bench.

 

[purbeast0]

It's good to mix it up. I typically do either incline or flat on barbell, then the other on dumbell. Sometimes though I'll do just barbell for both, but I never really do dumbell for both.

 

[jtvang125]

The adjustable dumbells came in so I'll be doing both. Back when I was still lifting I do remember that there's a greater range of motion with dumbells which I can see may contribute to injuring yourself much easier.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I feel like they're slightly different in how they work your chest, triceps, and shoulders. The only reason I'd really recommend one over the other is if you're chasing a big barbell press. There's some carryover from dumbbell presses to barbell presses, but you'd be better served by replacing those sets with more barbell presses if you want to increase that lift faster. Otherwise, I kinda doubt you could tell the difference between someone who only did one and someone who only did the other.

 

[HutchinsonJC]

I feel like they're slightly different in how they work your chest, triceps, and shoulders.

There probably are nuanced differences like you say.

The straight bar of a barbell kinda locks your wrists into holding a bar that's basically parallel to the deck. Your wrists are forced to hold a bar that certain particular way. A pair of dumbells does not lock your wrists into the same holding pattern; there's a good bit of freedom of movement at the wrist through the whole rep.

Another consideration is that once you grab a barbell (wider or narrower grip), your hands are more or less locked into a certain distance apart from each other through that set of reps, where with dumbells, that distance your hands are apart could change from one rep to another or change from start of a rep to the end of a rep.

 

[pauldun170]

Dumbell is probably the better option over all but it takes a little more work to get into the swing of things. Setting up, stabilization once underway. Etc etc
However, barbell bench press is a good ego builder...and is pretty damn good at pushing that peak number up. Dumbells are great is that you can get buy without a spotter.
I'd use both, spend a few months where dumbell bench press is core and barbell is accessory then flip em.
If you are just starting out, focus on dumbells and form.

 

[purbeast0]

I disagree with the above. If you are starting out, start with barbell so you can get proper form down on one of the fundamental compound exercises. Then try dumbells. Or maybe do flat barbell with incline dumbells.

 

[pauldun170]

I disagree with the above. If you are starting out, start with barbell so you can get proper form down on one of the fundamental compound exercises. Then try dumbells. Or maybe do flat barbell with incline dumbells.

If you asked me 5 years ago, I would have agreed with you. Nowadays, after a couple of decades watching people come and go at the gym and my own experiences I'm drifting from the barbell lifestyle in that it is not my default recommendation.

However, I think overall we would probably be on the same page in that the recommendation is to try both over time. The difference is what you "start out with". Spend a couple of months on one but don't be afraid to switch it up or incorporate the other as an accessory workout somewhere else.

 

[purbeast0]

If you asked me 5 years ago, I would have agreed with you. Nowadays, after a couple of decades watching people come and go at the gym and my own experiences I'm drifting from the barbell lifestyle in that it is not my default recommendation.

However, I think overall we would probably be on the same page in that the recommendation is to try both over time. The difference is what you "start out with". Spend a couple of months on one but don't be afraid to switch it up or incorporate the other as an accessory workout somewhere else.

Yeah I mean there really is on right and wrong way to approach it. I just think beginners will benefit more by barbell to get the form down properly, just like moving the bar along the plane and getting the full range of motion. That will also get their muscles accustomed to what the motion entails, and once comfortable with it, then give dumbells a try since you'll have built up some strength and should be able to stabilize them easier.

 

[SNC]

Not an easy answer for sure. I love to do both but it really depends on you. Setting up with a 135 pound barbell and 2 65 pound dumbbells is not the same, and the dumbells get harder and harder to setup as the weight goes up. I really think my biceps issue is a result of setting up with 135s, so having help to at least get them set on your lap and not having to pull them off the floor like a deadlift, curl them up the last inch or so, find the bench behind you so that when you sit your in the right spot, then the layback and lifting the weight into place above you while not falling off one side or the other, smashing your chest as you fall back, and hyperextending the pec or putting your shoulder into an odd position for the first press, is really helpful. (yes you have to say that last part with one breath!) That said, my bench really started to climb with the addition of heavy for me (135 on a straight bar) skull crushers and heavy for me (270 pound - 135 each) dumbbell presses.

One thing that is really nice about the DBs is the ability to work each side independently. So we do what are called Brian's, because of a beast at the gym named Brian who started doing these. With a relative heavy weight start in the normal position with the weight at the bottom of the press, perform alternating single arm presses for 5 reps, then with both arms perform 5 reps and hold the weight at the top of the last rep and perform single alternating presses for 5 reps. 3 or 4 sets of these will really abuse the pecs!