Dumbbell to Barbell Bench and Overhead Standing Press weight differences

ForecasterJason

I was wondering for those that have done both exercises with both weights, how much more can you do with a barbell? I don't have access to a barbell, but I do have a pair of dumbbells. If I had access to a barbell, I’m curious as to how much weight I should be able to lift. I know all of this would still be an approximation (especially since my reps are high for both exercises with the dumbbells), but I like trying to see exactly where I fit on strength standards (and I can only find charts based on a barbell). I've seen ratios listed before of about 75-90% dumbbell to bench press, but I haven't seen much on the overhead press.

DopeItUp

The problem with this is that, in my experience, it's not a linear relationship. If you can bench/OHP 2x 20lb DBs (40lbs total), you can probably bench the 45lb barbell. Let's just use that as an example.

However, someone who can bench say, 600lbs is going to max out with DBs in the 200-225lb range most likely (not an exact scientific number). That's a huge, huge gap.

Point being, the heavier you go, the harder the DBs are going to be in relation to a BB. And the setup for heavy DB work becomes an enormous PITA. Again, my experience.

I think that's why you'll never see a solid, static ratio of DB to BB performance. Individual differences can change things dramatically too, some people will have very strong stabilizers and balance ability and will be able to use much heavier DBs than someone else who can use a BB of the same exact weight.

ForecasterJason

Ok, that makes sense.