Dumbbell Press vs Bench Press

In a gym, you will always meet a set of people who believe that the dumbbell press is one of the best exercises for the chest and another set of people who claim that the barbell press is the best. If you observe, all the good bodybuilders do both the barbell bench press as well as the dumbbell bench press. Bodybuilders who follow the one body per day workout, will use the barbell in the first week during their chest workout and substitute it with the dumbbells routine in the second week of chest workout.

There are different ways to perform the bench press workout routine, and you can use either a barbell or a dumbbell while performing the exercise. Some people even use different grips when doing a barbell bench press, wide grip, narrow grip, etc. The bench press routine with either the barbell or the dumbbell will help you sculpt, build strength and increase muscle mass. If you are unsure which bench press routine to follow, take a look at some of the points given below to decide for yourself.

• One of the major differences between barbell and dumbbell bench press is that you can use substantially more weight for the bench press routine while using a barbell. So if your goal is to increase your chest size you will benefit by doing the barbell exercise. There is no set formula for a dumbbell press to bench press conversion but according to some you can bench press almost double the weight than your dumbbell press on a barbell press.
• Almost all of us have some degree of difference in the strength of our left and right hand. This at times leads to disproportionate growth in the left and right regions of the chest depending on the individual arm strength. So, the best way to get a symmetrical upper body is to do dumbbell exercises like the bench press which requisition the use of individual arms to push the same weight.
• The range of motion in the barbell routine is restricted as the bar might end up resting on your chest but if you are doing the bench press with dumbbells, then there is a greater range of motion. With the dumbbells your elbows can go way below the shoulders and this range of movement will help you strengthen the muscles.
• The dumbbell bench press is a compound exercise and others muscles like the triceps and shoulders are also involved in the movement. This movement will help you strengthen your stabilizer muscles and a dumbbell in each hand will also improve your coordination. When using the barbell the stabilizer muscles will not be brought into play but this allows you to bench press heavy weights. Using the dumbbells can at times put you at risk of injury due to the stress on the shoulder joint.