Ahh, the mythical bench press. It holds a special place in lots of lifters’ hearts. The draw of a muscular chest, rounded shoulders, and bulging triceps is what makes many fall in love with benching, either with a barbell or a pair of dumbbells.
Whether you’re an athlete or simply need to look good, bench pressing is the go-to pressing exercise to slap on upper body size and strength.
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The barbell bench press is an integral member of the powerlifting big three, together with the back squat and deadlift. The classic bench is even related to its own day the week. Who hasn’t desired to do the barbell bench press on a Monday only to seek out a dozen other gym members with the identical idea?
Fortunately, it’s half-brother — the dumbbell bench press — is an identical movement, however it’s much more forgiving on the joints and you could work harder overall to stabilize the weights. Here we’ll dive deep into each exercises so you may select when to perform each in accordance with your goals. Let’s get able to bench press, somehow.
Dumbbell Bench Press and Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbell and Barbell Bench Press Differences
The important thing differences to the naked eye seem apparent — it’s the equipment, either one barbell or two dumbbells are used. However the press setup and other slight differences also needs to be noticed between these two improbable pressing variations.
Muscle Recruitment
Each exercises recruit the pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulder), and triceps to various degrees depending on the variation used. The barbell locks your joints into a particular range of motion each time. Since it’s one connected unit, the barbell’s stability permits you to press more weight than dumbbells, which require each arm to work independently.
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The pressing path with the dumbbells often varies barely with each rep and requires more upper-body stabilizers since the range of motion (ROM) isn’t fixed — the weights are likely to sway in all directions greater than a barbell. This implies your rotator cuff and shoulder stabilizers are turned on more to guard your shoulder joint.
Setup
Unless you have got specialized equipment, there is no such thing as a option to unrack and re-rack dumbbells like with the barbell bench press. Getting the dumbbells in position for the press requires effort and sound technique to avoid injury, and the identical when you have got finished your press. Getting the dumbbells into the starting position can turn out to be even tougher as your working weights get heavier.
With a barbell, it’s a comparatively easy matter of unracking the bar from the bench supports and replacing it at the top of the set. The method is similar no matter the burden on the bar.
Grip
A barbell permits you to press using either a typical overhand grip, a false (thumbless) grip, and even an underhand grip. Each of those have their very own advantages — the underhand grip recruits more of your shoulders and biceps for added stability, while the false grip can assist to cut back shoulder joint strain. (1) Nonetheless, the barbell doesn’t offer any freedom of movement at your wrists in the course of the movement. When you grip the bar, you’re locked into that position until the set ends.
Dumbbells allow rather more number of wrist movement, which might reduce strain in your elbows and shoulder joints. One key difference is that dumbbells assist you to press with a neutral (palms facing) grip. Not only does that put your shoulders and arms within the strongest leverage position, however it stresses the shoulder joint less since it is neither internally nor externally rotated.
Dumbbell and Barbell Bench Press Similarities
Each flat bench press variations are horizontal presses, where you lie in your back, press the burden up, and lower it down. In that vein, there are several similarities despite the equipment and setup differences. Here’s how you already know the exercises are different branches of the identical tree.
Training The Same Muscles
Because they’re each horizontal pressing movements, along with your body in the identical position relative to the burden, each the dumbbell press and and barbell bench press engage the chest as the first working body part.
Each exercises are accomplished with assistance out of your triceps and shoulders (particularly the anterior, or front, head of the muscle), while your upper back, core, and even your legs contribute to total-body stability.
Upper Body Pressing Power and Strength
The barbell bench press is the pressing variation where you’ll give you the chance to make use of more overall weight, which lends itself to constructing serious upper pressing power and strength. It’s not unusual for an experienced lifter to barbell bench press 300 or more kilos.
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While the dumbbell bench press doesn’t allow for as much total load — using a pair of 100-pound dumbbells, or 200 total kilos, can be an achievement for gym veterans— the exercise still creates an amazing strength-building stimulus. Each exercises involve horizontal adduction (bringing your arms together toward your centerline), and each can construct muscle, strength, and power within the chest and triceps.
Key Technique Differences
The dumbbell bench press and the barbell bench press have specific technique differences influencing the outcomes delivered. Here’s a better take a look at exactly what makes them different.
Pressing Path
With the dumbbell bench press, you’re coordinating the weights as you press each dumbbell individually. This will address muscular imbalances between your left and right sides, while the barbell requires you to push as a single unit with each hands. This changes the pressing path and range of motion in just a few ways.
The dumbbells can move in a definite arc and permit for more arm adduction — you may bring your arms close to one another in the highest position, which can’t be done with a barbell.
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The barbell’s range of motion is more fixed because your hand stays in place and the barbell stops at chest-level. The dumbbells aren’t blocked by your chest in the underside position, which might allow for a bit more range of motion and a more extensive stretch on the chest and shoulders.
Upper Body Position
It’s common with the barbell bench press to see a big lower back arch and a puffed-out chest to shorten the range of motion. This acts as a kind of counterbalance and may especially occur when using heavier weight.
That is difficult to do with the dumbbell bench press, and this position isn’t as mandatory because there is no such thing as a need to fulfill your chest with the dumbbells. When you do still need to make use of your lower body to brace in the course of the dumbbell bench press, your torso stays mostly flat on the bench.
Dumbbells are also relatively tougher to stabilize throughout the exercise, meaning each rep shall be very barely different from the following because your shoulder stabilizers shall be working harder than with the barbell movement.
Grip Options
The barbell locks your hands into two basic forms of grip: overhand or underhand (which might each be done with dumbbells). The barbell bench press permits you to vary the width of your grip to vary the emphasis on the muscles trained. Pressing along with your hands closer will prioritize your triceps, while a wider grip will emphasize your chest and shoulders.
Essentially the most significant difference between the normal barbell and dumbbells is the flexibility to press with a neutral grip which stresses the wrists, elbows, and shoulder joints less, making it a more sensible choice if discomfort or poor joint mobility is a difficulty.
How you can Dumbbell Bench Press
Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each knee. Lie back and lift your knees to drive the dumbbells back towards your shoulders while pressing the dumbbells up right into a locked out position above your chest.
Slowly lower the weights, keeping your elbows angled out at roughly 45-degrees. In the underside position, when your elbows are nearly level along with your torso or if you’ve reached a snug stretch, push the dumbbells back up.
Form Tip: Due to the doubtless increased range of motion when using dumbbells, some lifters tend to think “more is best.” But if you drop your elbows below-level along with your torso, your shoulders turn out to be more externally rotated which puts them in a more vulnerable position. Keep your elbows roughly even along with your torso in the underside position to cut back the chance of joint strain.
Advantages
- Lifting each dumbbell individually can assist strengthen developmental imbalances between arms.
- The dumbbell bench press enables you to train with a high intensity using a comparatively lower weight, which might improve upper body size and strength without wear and tear from heavy loading.
- It gives your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints a break from the barbell due to the flexibility to make use of a neutral grip.
Dumbbell Bench Press Variations
The dumbbell offers higher freedom of movement, allowing you to coach the dumbbell bench press from various angles and positions for higher overall muscle development.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Floor Press
This single-arm floor press will train your core and shoulder stabilizers more resulting from the offset load that gets neglected during bilateral (two-arm) pressing.
It’s also a shoulder-saver since it eliminates the lower range of motion, which is where the shoulder is externally rotated and problems like shoulder impingement can occur.
Dumbbell Squeeze Press
On the subject of constructing strength and muscle, tension is king. (2) The squeeze press cranks up muscle tension to the following level. You perform this like a daily dumbbell bench press, but you press the hex dumbbells together (just like the highest of a dumbbell flye) throughout the complete repetition.
This extra tension provided by the constant contraction means you’ll need to make use of a lighter weight than a typical dumbbell bench press, but this variation will fan the flames of your chest like few other exercises.
How To Barbell Bench Press
Lie down on a flat bench, barely arch your lower back, and plant your feet on the ground. Pull your shoulder blades together and grip the bar with at a snug and powerful width, outside of your shoulders. For added control, squeeze your hands hard to flex your arms and gripping muscles.
Unrack the barbell and take into consideration pulling it toward your body to the touch near your sternum or the bottom of your chest. Press the bar up, keeping your upper back tight and your shoulder blades pulled together.
Form Tip: Many lifters think the barbell bench press is just an “upper body” exercise, but this couldn’t be farther from the reality. Creating tension along with your lower body — pushing your feet back and down which flexes your calves, hamstrings, and glutes — is a counterbalance that builds total-body stability and helps you press more weight safely.
Advantages
- The barbell bench press recruits quite a few upper body muscles including the chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, and lats, which helps to construct more upper body size and strength.
- In comparison with the dumbbell bench press, you may potentially load the bench press up with a really heavy weight.
- It has direct carryover for powerlifters since it’s one among the three lifts judged in a contest.
Barbell Bench Press Variations
There are several effective barbell bench press variations, however the two below will particularly help construct lockout strength in your triceps, which has an enormous carryover to your barbell bench press performance.
Close Grip Bench Press
An in depth-grip bench press is similar in every respect as the usual bench press, but you set your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. This changes your leverage and shifts the load more to your triceps and fewer to your chest.
Since the arm position focuses more on the triceps, it takes some stress off the shoulder joints but places barely more stress on the elbow joints. It’s a fragile balancing act, and it’s best to differ your grip width to avoid overuse injuries.
Barbell Floor Press
Much like the dumbbell floor press but a bit harder to initially arrange, the barbell floor press lets use more weight than the dumbbell variation. It’s a shoulder-saver and focuses more on the triceps than the chest due to the reduced range of motion.
One of the significant benefits of the barbell floor press is that it takes the lower body out of it to focus entirely on strict upper body pressing power. In case you don’t have access to an adjustable squat rack with a low setting to put the bar, then finding a spotter to assist get the bar into position is mandatory.
When to Program the Dumbbell or Barbell Bench Press
Many lifters perform the barbell bench press and its variations because that’s what they’ve all the time done. But don’t discount the dumbbell bench press, as each might be used to enhance your upper body strength and size.
Competitive Powerlifting
The barbell bench press is one among the powerlifting “big three,” together with the barbell squat and deadlift, so it should all the time take priority in every competitive powerlifter’s program.
Nonetheless, pressing with a barbell on a regular basis may give rise to overuse injuries resulting from exaggerating strength imbalances and cumulative wear and tear in your joints from being locked into the identical range of motion. Occasionally using the dumbbell bench press and its variations as “accessory exercises” will give your joints a break and reduce imbalances between arms.
General Strength
Either bench press variation might be effective for non-competitive lifters curious about constructing strength. With its increased stability and glued ROM, the barbell bench press permits you to lift heavier weights than the dumbbell bench press. And dumbbells in most gyms only go so high and turn out to be awkward to get into position; the barbell bench press should form most of your strength work.
Use the dumbbell bench press to strengthen imbalances between sides and as a break for the barbell when your joints begin to bark at you. But each bench variations will deliver strength gains; it’s a matter of private preference.
Constructing Muscle
When constructing slabs of upper body muscle is your goal, each bench press variations can work hand in hand. Bilateral lifts just like the barbell bench press assist you to lift heavier total weight, which can profit a muscle-building program because heavy loads are one option to achieve muscle-building tension.
The dumbbells, being lighter individually, are higher for higher rep training which may deliver an increased muscle-building stimulus.
Lifters With Long Arms
Lifters with relatively long arms can have an extended range of motion with regards to pressing compared those with shorter arms. Generally speaking, those with shorter arms can lift more weight resulting from shorter levers creating a positive pressing position.
Lifters with long arms can use either variation, but should consider how their joints feel on any given day when selecting which to perform. To avoid aggravating joints, go for the dumbbell bench press.
Let’s Get Ready To Press
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all to find out which bench press variation you need to use. Some lifters feel no discomfort and may efficiently press with only a barbell to their heart’s content. For other lifters, the barbells make their joints indignant and never definitely worth the trouble. The selection between the 2 sometimes comes all the way down to comfort, personal preference, and goal. But when pain and discomfort aren’t a difficulty, each must be utilized in a comprehensive plan to enhance your upper body size, strength, and flexing time.
Research
- Lehman G. J. (2005). The influence of grip width and forearm pronation/supination on upper-body myoelectric activity in the course of the flat bench press. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 19(3), 587–591. https://doi.org/10.1519/R-15024.1
- Burd, Nicholas & Andrews, Richard & West, Daniel & Little, Jonathan & Cochran, Andrew & Hector, Amy & Cashaback, Joshua & Gibala, Martin & Potvin, James & Baker, Steven & Phillips, Stuart. (2011). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology. 590. 351-62. 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200.
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