Difference between barbells & dumbbells?

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shorty35565
shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've always wondered this. Can any1 tell me this? And when you use dumbbells, can you really add the 2 numbers together and say you're doing tht much? I feel like you really can't on some moves, like the overhead press/bench/rows, cuz ur arms aren't getting the full. Like if you use 2 15s, ur arms are only getting the work of 15lbs each not 30. (i kno the moves work more than just the arms, but just saying) But when you use 30lbs on a barbells you're getting the full 30lbs. Am I right on this? Or am I totally off? Could some1 explain please?
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Replies

  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
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    i believe the difference is they target different part of the muscles
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    While a 45lb barbell would equal a pair of 22.5 dumbells, the difference in strength on either side of the body will typically allow dominance while using barbells.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    with barbells you can do more overall weight because you use less stabilizer muscles and core.. kind of like being able to do more weight on a machine than if you were to use free weights... i like using dumbells more than barbells because they correct muscle imbalances, you burn more calories, core gets stronger. more range of motion, and reduced chance of injury.. only exercises i use barbells consistantly are bent over rows, deadlifts, and squats.

    but i would say for gaining overall strength that barbells are superior...
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
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    with barbells you can do more overall weight because you use less stabilizer muscles and core.. kind of like being able to do more weight on a machine than if you were to use free weights... i like using dumbells more than barbells because they correct muscle imbalances, you burn more calories, core gets stronger. more range of motion, and reduced chance of injury.. only exercises i use barbells consistantly are bent over rows, deadlifts, and squats.

    but i would say for gaining overall strength that barbells are superior...

    So is benching 2 15lb dumbbells really the same as 30lbs on a barbell? It seems the arms would b getting more weight with the barbell.
  • amann1976
    amann1976 Posts: 742 Member
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    dumbbells prevent you from becoming to dependent on your dominant more stronger side of your body too
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
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    *in response to last post*

    its irrelevant... muscle memory will take over depending on which one you do with a majority of your time... i can do heavy dumbell shoulder presses with good form but i rarely see anyone get close to the weight i use mainly because they probably dont dumbell press as consistantly as i do.. comparing dumbells to barbells weight is not important, and neither is the weight on the bar... the number just feeds the ego so if doing light dumbell stuff is more of a challange than heavy barbell stuff in the same rep range i would say go dumbell... but hey why not do both?


    and to answer your question.... i can bench over 300+lbs on a barbell but only around 120ish each hand for dumbell bench for reps.. the weight is not the same.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
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    So is benching 2 15lb dumbbells really the same as 30lbs on a barbell? It seems the arms would b getting more weight with the barbell.

    A standard barbell weighs 45 lbs. So it depends on your logic here. 2 15lb dumbells do equal a 30lb barbell if you can find it. 30 lb ON a barbell is 75 lbs.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
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    So is benching 2 15lb dumbbells really the same as 30lbs on a barbell? It seems the arms would b getting more weight with the barbell.

    A standard barbell weighs 45 lbs. So it depends on your logic here. 2 15lb dumbells do equal a 30lb barbell if you can find it. 30 lb ON a barbell is 75 lbs.

    There no way my bar weighs 45lbs. It's not even heavy. It MIGHT weigh 10lbs.
  • vsetter
    vsetter Posts: 558 Member
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    My standard 6-foot barbell weighs 15 pounds. I put it on the scale.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
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    My standard 6-foot barbell weighs 15 pounds. I put it on the scale.

    My bar only weighs 5lbs, no lie.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    a standard olympic barbell is 45 pounds. lol. My gym doesn't even have any that are lighter than that. My old gym had one 35lb bar.

    but to comment on your post... I would think it would be easier to bench press 50 pounds with the barbell than it would be to do 2 25 pound dumbells... I could be wrong. I haven't tested it out. Lol.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
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    a standard olympic barbell is 45 pounds. lol.

    but to comment on your post... I would think it would be easier to bench press 50 pounds with the barbell than it would be to do 2 25 pound dumbells... I could be wrong. I haven't tested it out. Lol.

    Mine isn't olympic. It came with my bench. I think it's made by cap. I weighed it & it's only 5lbs. It's light as all get out.
    Gotcha. I haven't really either. And the bar adds extra weight, only a tiny bit in my case. But I can feel the diff in 5lbs. Prob cuz I'm a weakling LOL
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Due to the fact that you have to use more stabilizer muscles you would be able to lift more with the a barbell than with the combined weight of the two dumbbells.
  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
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    Barbell is easier for the reasons already mentioned - less balance/stability muscles, dominant arm can make up for weaker side, etc.

    I generally drop 10-20% going from barbell to dumbbell. So if I am doing 265 on decline, I would grab 100-110 pound dumbbells. 265 vs 220. Dumbbells are way harder to lift the same weight.

    As far as one over the other, would recommend you alternate. I don't do a lot of flat bench barbell anymore as it is hard on the shoulder, but I will typically do incline barbell and decline dumbbells, then switch it the next week.

    I feel like the bar is more pure strength, and dumbbells are more focus and range of motion. I can go deeper (that sounds dirty) on my reps with dumbbells than I can with the bar.
  • Gt3ch
    Gt3ch Posts: 212 Member
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    A barbell is a long bar with weights that you'd normally use 2 hands to lift.

    A dumbbell is a much shorter bar with weights. Most dumbbell exercises use one hand per dumbbell.


    If you chest press 100lbs using a barbell or 2x 50lbs dumbbells you are lifting the same amount of weight. The bio mechanics are a little different so it is not exactly the same exercise. There is benefit to doing both types of presses in a chest workout.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    A barbell is a long bar with weights that you'd normally use 2 hands to lift.

    A dumbbell is a much shorter bar with weights. Most dumbbell exercises use one hand per dumbbell.



    snarkiness fail
  • Gt3ch
    Gt3ch Posts: 212 Member
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    I didn't intend it as it sounded. That's a "don't skim a post while someone is distracting you fail."
  • wmagoo27
    wmagoo27 Posts: 201 Member
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    If you chest press 100lbs using a barbell or 2x 50lbs dumbbells you are lifting the same amount of weight. The bio mechanics are a little different so it is not exactly the same exercise. There is benefit to doing both types of presses in a chest workout.

    Well put. I find that DB benching throws me off balance because I haven't done a lot of it and the stabilizers are not that developed. I realized that I guide my press with my dominant hand, so when using dumbells without that guidance, I'm all over the place. Because of this I believe the leverages are a little different with a barbell. I would say that for optimum results, using both DB and BB for compound lifts is advantageous. I have begun to alternate cycles of DB and BB work on press, bench, row, and curls.
  • holeshottdr
    holeshottdr Posts: 364 Member
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    Along with this site, Google can be such a useful tool. Start with the key word "gravity"...
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
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    Speaking for bench press, doing a barbell is far easier than using dumbbells for the same weight.

    I have recently 1RM'd at 225lbs with a barbell, but I think I would be lucky to 1RM a pair of 90lb dumbbells.

    Definitely the same for the selectorized machines and whatnot. I find on those I can usually do 40-60% more weight than the same exercise done with dumbbells.

    Lot more dynamic stabilizers used with dumbbells - I feel it's good to switch up dumbbells and barbells every now and again.

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