Thread: Dumbell vs Barbell Question

vladamiraaron, just like you said it's hard getting a decent lower body strength workout with dumbbells exclusively. I have the same problem; the center piece of my home gym is a pair of powerblocks. The solution is to employ mainly unilateral exercises. I'd recommend you start with static lunges and bulgarian squats (google for exercise descriptions and video demonstrations) while holding the dumbbells in your hands. What I also...

Thanks for the replies! Couldn't afford the gym membership so any barbell work is out the window. Soon enough I'll have enough extra cash for a power/squat rack, bench and oly bar/weights and perhaps a gym membership again. Then I'll move on from the exclusive use of dumbbells. It gets more difficult to use dumbells for squats and deads as the weight increases.

Nothing weird there, there will allways be a difference between lifting with a barbell compared to dumbbells. If you only train with one of them you will get better at that one.

that's a good point actually _________________ Live by the sea. Love by the moon. My journey to veganstrongwomanhood Training Log Numero Dos

i'm a noob with all this, but my guess is if you squat with dumbells, you likely have the weight down around your knees. when you squat with a barbell you have it up by your shoulders. there's a difference in how weight will feel up high vs low. also the total wieght is connected rather than being 2 independent weights. I stopped using dumbells since I began the 5x5. I prefer the bar. _________________ The White Pig Bed &...

Most people should be able to lift more with the bar than with dumbbells; 'bells need stabilising more than the bar, so less muscle is available for the pressing. I say mix it up every now and again to keep things fresh, always good to challenge yourself! _________________ "Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds." - Henry Rollins My Log

I also prefer the bar, but I put in one workout a month that's all dumbbells. I think some variety is essential, of course, but really I do it to diagnose any weird imbalances that I wouldn't see with the bar. I found out last time my right hand is stronger than my left, and my right shoulder is a little upset these days.

I could incline bench 100kgs with a barbell but can't dumbell incline bench more than 30kgs dbs each, 2 maybe 3 times. Major difference in total weight. Barbell excersises are more of a total body excersise. Dumbells use a lot of tiny stabiliser muscles and naturally it's more difficult.