Dumbell v barbell...who's stronger?

**seabee** · 01-06-2004, 07:29 PM

I only use dumbells for bench (barbell is painful). Anyway, I can lift more than my bigger friends. They can lift lots (to me) on barbell bench, but not dumbells. Why? I mean they take a significant cut in weight when using dumbells. I think its mental.

I noticed in my gym that dumbells over 100 lbs don't get used much (maybe shrugs), yet there are plenty of guys benching 300 barbell. Strange.

**P-funk** · 01-06-2004, 07:32 PM

If you only do dumbell and they frequently do barbell you can lift more on the dumbell because (a) your body is more adapted to it, (b) your stabalizers are stronger form doing bench press unilaterally and (c) since you do them unilaterally your bosy is better at balancing the weight and maintaing equilibrium.

**Skib** · 01-06-2004, 07:34 PM

my guess would be because dumbells require more work on behalf of your stabilizer muscles... you may have developed strong stabilizer muscles from using dumbells whereas your buddies might not have very strong stabilizer muslces due to only using barbell's

**JJJ** · 01-06-2004, 07:35 PM

You can use more weight with barbells since its more stable, and less stabalizing muscles are needed.

If you work out a lot with barbells those muscles will get stronger and vice versa. Not strange to me

**Skib** · 01-06-2004, 07:36 PM

or what p-funk said

i was just attempting to make an educated guess

p.s. stick to the dumbells... there's a couple dudes at the gym i go to who always use 100+ for chest/military presses... it's insane, i know...

**JJJ** · 01-06-2004, 07:36 PM

Damn, I got beaten to it

**Mudge** · 01-06-2004, 07:39 PM

Some powerlifters go back and forth, one of which has a set of custom 220# dumbells for his workouts.

**stonecold1965** · 01-06-2004, 07:51 PM

dumbells are the best for helping you achieve a bigger bench!

**Mudge** · 01-06-2004, 10:36 PM

My bench goes down when I switch to dumbells

**Brak86** · 01-06-2004, 10:56 PM

tought i might slip a useful question if thats ok with u all....is decline dumbbell bench really that effective? i hear its like the most effective

**Mudge** · 01-06-2004, 11:28 PM

I feel that decline hits the chest very, very well.

**JerseyDevil** · 01-07-2004, 03:08 AM

The difference is definitely the stabilizers. Just two months ago I was working up to 85's x 9 for DB incline press. Since I like to switch up movements on occasion, I stopped doing them for awhile. Just the other day I went back to them and could only manage 75's for 9, although my barbell bench is the strongest its ever been.

**I Are Baboon** · 01-07-2004, 07:31 AM

Originally posted by seabee
I only use dumbells for bench (barbell is painful). Anyway, I can lift more than my bigger friends. They can lift lots (to me) on barbell bench, but not dumbells. Why? I mean they take a significant cut in weight when using dumbells. I think its mental.

I am the same way. I'm not a real big guy, but I use 85/90 lb dumbells, while some guys who are much bigger than me can't use that much weight. Personally, I'd rather be able to lift more than look bigger, but I workout to get stronger, not bigger.

I alternate my workouts between dumbells and barbell, and flat, decline, and incline. Variety is a GOOD thing.

**MeatheadSam** · 01-07-2004, 07:51 AM

You will build more useful power from dumbells due to the fact that you will be required to balance the weight. It also works the muscles in a much more natural range of motion which reduces the risk of shoulder injury unless you are one of those boneheads that uses more than you can handle and you twist your shoulder out of socket trying to get the dumbells up and down..

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