dumbell bench vs. bar

[cathal]

im doing dumbell bench presses in my routine at the moment rather than barbell bench presses,since im pretty new at the training,what are the pros and cons of each one basically,which do you find better to do,or is there even any real difference?

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Db requires more stabilizer muscles and has a greater ROM. For strength and power, I prefer BB. For functional strength, stability and hypertrophy, I prefer DB

 

[KOU In3]

Db requires more stabilizer muscles and has a greater ROM. For strength and power, I prefer BB.

I agree with you here.

For functional strength, stability and hypertrophy, I prefer DB

But I don't get this part. If you agree that barbell benching builds greater strength and power, how is it going to provide inferior functional strength?

Especially for hypertrophy though, I'd definately go with barbell presses. Moving more weight means more growth. And you are moving far more weight on barbell presses than dumbell presses.

 

[tinker_190]

I like to start with 4 sets of barbell, then 4 sets DB. It's tons of fun.

 

[Ayin]

You can push a lot more weight with the bar, but the stabilisers are an important factor of reps, it is also alot easier for someone else to help you if you are struggling with the Bar.
Basicaly, I would say that the bar is for exhaustion, the d-bs are for form.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

With DB, more muscles are called in for the movement to stabilize. It also offers a greater ROM. Each variation has its purpose.

 

[ENTROPY]

In order to more closely arrive at ones physical potential, both barbells and dumbbells should be employed in one

 

[OpethDrums]

i prefer barbell but every once in a while ill switch to high reps and do dumbell

 

[Brendon Katz]

so when should u switch from barbell to dumbell ? wen u hit a plateu on ur benchpress?

 

[Mojorisin99]

I usually do barbell one week then dumbell the next alternating back and forth.

 

[NoiSe]

yea it's good to switch it up every once in awhile.. I'd say every month rotate between barbell and dumbell. Or what I used to do was do incline with a barbell + flat with dumbells, then next cycle would be incline w/ dumbells and flat with barbell

 

[OpethDrums]

.../

 

[Madmick]

In order to more closely arrive at ones physical potential, both barbells and dumbbells should be employed in one

 

[Drastic]

Why is it that after doing say 4 sets of dumbell bench incrementing weight from say 15 @ 55, 10 @ 75, 8 @ 85 and 105 @ 6, why does this routine leave my chest sore for an entire week when a similar routine on the bench only effects my chest for about a day or two, I can feel my shoulders and lats alot more though, still my chest takes a long time to recover after flat dumbell benches.

 

[MPCOA]

Most likely the greater range of motion and the use of more muscles/smaller muscles to stabilize.

 

[ENTROPY]

Useful distinctions, Entropy, and I am familiar with them, but I have a question:

In a max strength phase, do you prefer to conjugate BB and DB variations of the same lift, as with the bench press, or do you prefer to simply use BB's during this phase.

Of course you use both, but I'm asking about the MxS phase specifically.

I always have done both, but I'm wondering if (especially during a shorter 4-6 week phase) I should just specialize in the BB variation of the lifts.

To begin with, I change my ME movement once every 4 weeks which requires that I

 

[Wild Dan Hibiki]

Why is it that after doing say 4 sets of dumbell bench incrementing weight from say 15 @ 55, 10 @ 75, 8 @ 85 and 105 @ 6, why does this routine leave my chest sore for an entire week when a similar routine on the bench only effects my chest for about a day or two, I can feel my shoulders and lats alot more though, still my chest takes a long time to recover after flat dumbell benches.

greater ROM i reckon

 

[Madmick]

To begin with, I change my ME movement once every 4 weeks which requires that I

 

[Madmick]

Why is it that after doing say 4 sets of dumbell bench incrementing weight from say 15 @ 55, 10 @ 75, 8 @ 85 and 105 @ 6, why does this routine leave my chest sore for an entire week when a similar routine on the bench only effects my chest for about a day or two, I can feel my shoulders and lats alot more though, still my chest takes a long time to recover after flat dumbell benches.

If you don't do much dumbbell work, besides from the ROM increase, you're firing many of the smaller stabilizer muscles. DB's recruit more fibers this way, so you're exhausting muscle fibers you don't usually exhaust.

It would be like someone unadapted to any movement beginning to lift.

 

[ENTROPY]

Nice, this makes sense to me.

Why do you rotate your lifts every month? I know more experienced lifters adapt more quickly, but even Francis had Johnson on the same six lifts for longer periods than this at times.

Adaptation is exactly why.

If you're progressively maxing out on a movement, week after week, and are incrementally increasing your percentage, YOU WILL PLATEAU, there are no two ways about it.

In order to allow yourself to continue lifting max weights, while remaining ahead of the strength curve, by choosing to perform a relevant movement that has similar biomechanics will allow you to get stronger in the given movement, without causing CNS burn out.

I can