Thread: 100lbs DB equates to what in bench ?

It doesn't equate to anything. When I practice with dumbells, I get stronger with dumbells and I lose barbell strength. I was being out dumbell benched (by bodyweight) by a short chinese friend of mine, but my barbell bench eclipsed his (by bodyweight).

Originally Posted by Mudge

It doesn't equate to anything. When I practice with dumbells, I get stronger with dumbells and I lose barbell strength. I was being out dumbell benched (by bodyweight) by a short chinese friend of mine, but my barbell bench eclipsed his (by bodyweight).

Your barbell strength may go down, but overall it is much better to get your stabilizers built up. DB's is much better in my opinion.

yea but u wont be able to get the size or overall power using jsut dumbells

Originally Posted by JOHNYORK

yea but u wont be able to get the size or overall power using jsut dumbells

Why not?

A few months back I noticed that people I could BB Bench 50 lbs more than were using the same DB's I was for pressing. That pissed me off, so I dedicated a whole month to DB's only. They jumped through the roof, then when I returned to BB Bench, that had juumped as well.

I'm just wondering, is it ok if you just do DB's only for benching whether it's flat, incline, or decline? I have been lifting alone and never had a training partner during my last year of training when i first started. I have always used DB's. I only used Barbell maybe 4-5 times in the last year.

My main goal is just to gain size. I do not plan on being a powerlifter so is it alright if i just stick to DB benching or should i be using Barbells as well?

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

I'm just wondering, is it ok if you just do DB's only for benching whether it's flat, incline, or decline? I have been lifting alone and never had a training partner during my last year of training when i first started. I have always used DB's. I only used Barbell maybe 4-5 times in the last year.

My main goal is just to gain size. I do not plan on being a powerlifter so is it alright if i just stick to DB benching or should i be using Barbells as well?

I think both are useful, but there's no reason you have to use a barbell at all. That's nonsense if any tells you different.

I don't see any reason why a BB should be used. I only use DBs and I still look at DB vs BB as free weight vs machine in nature. More stabilization and less weight vs less stabilization and more weight. I choose free weights, so I choose DBs. In my opinion, unless you're training for the BB bench for a sport or a very particular reason (such as increasing your BB bench max), there is no reason not to use DBs, and exclusively at that. There's nothing wrong with using exclusively free weights, so why should there be something wrong with using exclusively DBs? Just my thoughts.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

I don't see any reason why a BB should be used. I only use DBs and I still look at DB vs BB as free weight vs machine in nature. More stabilization and less weight vs less stabilization and more weight. I choose free weights, so I choose DBs. In my opinion, unless you're training for the BB bench for a sport or a very particular reason (such as increasing your BB bench max), there is no reason not to use DBs, and exclusively at that. There's nothing wrong with using exclusively free weights, so why should there be something wrong with using exclusively DBs? Just my thoughts.

I don't think that your analogy is fair, but I agree with the point you're trying to make. Personally, I like the BB just because I can use more weight. More weight in a freeweight modality is a good combination. I think both are effective exercises, and there is no reason to exclude one or the other.

If making an exercise more unstable was the most effective way of going about things, then why not do everything on a stability ball or air pads? Sometimes overloading the agonists in the movement is more desireable, and sometimes forcing the stabilizers to handle a heavier load, as opposed to a load that is simply less stable, is more desireable.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

I don't think that your analogy is fair, but I agree with the point you're trying to make. Personally, I like the BB just because I can use more weight. More weight in a freeweight modality is a good combination. I think both are effective exercises, and there is no reason to exclude one or the other.

If making an exercise more unstable was the most effective way of going about things, then why not do everything on a stability ball or air pads? Sometimes overloading the agonists in the movement is more desireable, and sometimes forcing the stabilizers to handle a heavier load, as opposed to a load that is simply less stable, is more desireable.

And I agree that making things unstable can only be taken to a certain reasonable degree (and safety must be taken into account as well, which makes certain unstable exercises just stupid to attempt of course), but I'm always looking to build my strength as functionally as possible. That's why I view the added challenge of DBs as being more effective for my training than a BB. I'm not saying that the stabilizer effect is to the same degree as in free weights vs machines, but it's the same general idea. Even though there is no real reason to exclude one or the other, I see no real reason to include the BB in my training.

Why not do them both and call it a day?

Originally Posted by Super Hulk

thinking about doing DB instead of converging plate press.

started doing them with 80's with 5 reps ...feels like holding a wobbly fish.

i hope i dont drop them on my face

This equates to exactly 235.1789944673982782489327492875392357823095823749 7 LB's on BB bench