barbell bench press v dumbell press

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Movemoreguy22
Movemoreguy22 Posts: 386 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Im struggling to barbell bench press, dont know if im doing it wrong or anything but i feel useless with it and cant feel it working
If i dumbbell press it feel my chest working and get a good squeeze and controlled etc etc

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  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,370 Member
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    then stick with the DB press - I personally only rarely do barbell bench because I feel it takes more control and isolates each side of the chest doing DB presses.
  • Movemoreguy22
    Movemoreguy22 Posts: 386 Member
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    Ive got good control on the BB PRESS but when im pressing up just cant get the feel of it...
    I stay with DB then.. just thought keep swapping between the two

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    edited June 2016
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    The DB bench doesn't work your chest any harder. You feel it more because your arms come closer, which squeezes your chest more, which prevents the acids from getting flushed out of the muscle. Unless your overall fitness goal is to feel pain, don't judge your workouts by it. :+1:
  • DreesPerformanceTraining
    DreesPerformanceTraining Posts: 187 Member
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    I don't have any EMG studies, but ask any bodybuilder and they will tell you that DB bench hits their chest harder than BB bench. It's all about range of motion. BB bench uses a lot of lats, triceps, and shoulders; while with DBs you can isolate your chest more.
  • Mlalahoi
    Mlalahoi Posts: 1 Member
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    Do the one you like but don't utterly neglect the BB bench, make sure you learn the movement. If your goals include getting past intermediate strength levels you will get to a point where DB press becomes much more dangerous and you'll be best advised to use the BB. My $0.02 :0)
  • b7mapile
    b7mapile Posts: 9 Member
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    It may be form as well. Squeeze your shoulder blades closer together and down. This takes your anterior delts out of the movement a little bit more, which should make your triceps and pecs work a little harder. Give it a try, if that doesn't work than just stick to DB bench.
  • jmaidan
    jmaidan Posts: 93 Member
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    Sounds like you need to use more weight. Your BB weight will be quite a bit heavier than your DB weight.

    Shoulders on the bench, abs and butt tense, drive with your feet and rep for Jesus!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
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    You could make an argument that DB press is superior in some ways but if you have more than modest ambitions for weight lifted / strength then would suggest fixing your BB bench technique. It gets really awkward with dumbbells when you get to a decent weight - especially if training alone.
    If you aren't feeling it working with a BB then are you loading enough weight?
    What are your goals? Strength or physique?

    Here's my favourite bench tutorial if interested.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XRmd3a8_0
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    I didn't start feeling BB bench in my chest until I move my hands out just a little past shoulder width apart. (like1") I move them inside shoulder width (2" or so) to work my triceps. Obviously the tricep work is a much lighter weight.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    @sijomial that video is excellent. Thanks for posting it.
  • Ws2016
    Ws2016 Posts: 432 Member
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    b7mapile wrote: »
    It may be form as well. Squeeze your shoulder blades closer together and down. This takes your anterior delts out of the movement a little bit more, which should make your triceps and pecs work a little harder. Give it a try, if that doesn't work than just stick to DB bench.

    This. Are you planting your shoulders?
  • chonji4ever
    chonji4ever Posts: 120 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    You could make an argument that DB press is superior in some ways but if you have more than modest ambitions for weight lifted / strength then would suggest fixing your BB bench technique. It gets really awkward with dumbbells when you get to a decent weight - especially if training alone.
    If you aren't feeling it working with a BB then are you loading enough weight?
    What are your goals? Strength or physique?

    Here's my favourite bench tutorial if interested.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XRmd3a8_0

    This is the best bench tutorial I've seen. I can't add any more to this other than both flat and incline BB bench is the main exercises I do for chest, but you can work in some dumbell press as an optional split exercise to do every other week. I don't dumbell press due to the increased risks of injury to the shoulders from extending back too far.

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