dumbell / bar

anima · Post by **anima** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:58 am

hi, i've always prefered dumbell presses over bench pressing with the bar. i feel like i get more range of motion and get a deeper stretch of the muscle. also it allows me to give it a hard squeeze at the top of the movement. and when i'm bench pressing with the bar, it feels as if i'm using shoulders equally as much as pecs, where with dumbells i don't experience this too much.
anyway, as far as muscle growth and stimulation goes, is there a noticeable difference between pressing with the dumbells and the bar?
or is it just preference?

HOUSTON TEXAN · Post by **HOUSTON TEXAN** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:52 pm

Its just preference IMO. I get more out of bench press then db press.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:55 pm

for strength bb is the way to go...for "feel" db's are the way to go but both are good and you should do 1 of each per week

Christopheel · Post by **Christopheel** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:07 pm

swanso5 wrote:for strength bb is the way to go...for "feel" db's are the way to go but both are good and you should do 1 of each per week

Both good yes, but I like much more doing BB for a month then switch DB for a month etc. instead of switching every workout ... I've tried the two and prefere by much doing month/month .

The only thing i really dislike about DB is the weights limitations ... It's going to cost me a lot to have the 100-130lbs reach for DB ... this is why I plan on focusing maybe a bit more on bb

Another thing for anima, use bench variation (incline/deline/flat) to help improve too...

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:09 pm

well you should be training chest 2/week min so use a bb one session and db the other...easy...and a lot better for the shoulders too

Christopheel · Post by **Christopheel** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:15 pm

Better for shoulders ? I think that both "work" them the same way ...

I've tried the bb one workout and db the other for 2 months but when i switched back to one month bb one month db strengh increase was more easy to do ...

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:21 pm

I prefer DB, and do them all the time. Used ot Bench with Bars, but DB is better for me, and you're less likely to get any of the Stabiliser or Synergist type muscles on one side of the body, in the Upper Back, Delts and Arms, becoming lazy with DB's, as both Arms must work independantly of one another.

There is a possibility with Bar work on Chest, some of the muscles used, on one side of the body, could become reliant on those from the other side of the body, making then lazy, and possibly affecting lifting, or body proportions.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:15 pm

better shoulder health i meant

Chipper · Post by **Chipper** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:24 am

Perhaps biceps are just too weak, but lifting those dumbells up and flipping back into bench position is quite difficult for me. Once I can get above a level of a non-embarrasing weight, I will be going to the barbell. Currently I am using 65 pound dumbells. I figure once I get to 70's ill be good to go if arms don't fall off first.

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:04 pm

Chipper wrote:Once I can get above a level of a non-embarrasing weight, I will be going to the barbell. Currently I am using 65 pound dumbells.

What's embarrassing about that? I've sene plenty of people in Gym, who wouldn't cope to well with 44lb, (20kg), ones.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:04 am

it's all relative mate...and as long as you can get the db's to your knees you can do the old "kick and roll back" onto the bench

ballas38 · Post by **ballas38** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:25 am

is it ok to squat with dbs instead of bb???

Also, i ve seen people squatting going all the way down, and others who don't. Which is correct???

Chipper · Post by **Chipper** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:40 am

ballas38 wrote:is it ok to squat with dbs instead of bb???

Also, i ve seen people squatting going all the way down, and others who don't. Which is correct???

Dumbell's work, but once you get to a heavier weight, it is hard to keep the grip. I started with db's myself. Barbell works better since your center of gravity is higher giving you more of a workout in experience.

And from what I have read and practice, dropping down so that your quads are parallel with the floor is the ideal position. If you go more shallow, then you are not taking as much as you could out of the squat, and if you go deeper then it puts extra stress on your knees. I have seen some people go very deep, however, knees can't take that stress.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:10 pm

db's held up at the bottom of a shoulder press yes, db's down by thighs no...people don't keep there backs straight and shoulders down and back when they do it..and alwats lower all the way down at least to the point where the top of your knee is equal to the your hips...look at this in the mirror and see how far down it really is...you should really just use a bar either way for the squats