DUMBBELLS VS BARBELLS

DUMBELLS VS. BARBELLS

People can get really dogmatic when it comes to training.  Some strength athletes scoff at the idea of using a pair of dumbbells to train their bench press since they only come so heavy.  Some on the other side of the aisle think they will instantly become injured if they pick up a barbell.

As with most things in life, the truth is somewhere in between.  We regularly program and use both dumbbells and barbells in our training since they both have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Barbells can be loaded VERY heavy, so they are awesome for things like squats, deadlifts, bench pressing and rows. However, they can allow people to compensate for weaknesses on one side of the body since the load is spread between both left and right.

Dumbbells can allow your arms to get into angles and planes that barbells can’t which is fantastic for training all of our muscle groups.  The unilateral nature of dumbbells exposes any imbalances we may have also. Dumbbells can only be loaded so heavy, so they may not be the most optimal choice for strength training for all movements.

So there you have it.  Barbells are awesome.  Dumbbells are awesome.  Use both!  If you need help setting up your training, shoot us a message!