Dumbell Weight vs Barbell Weight for Bench

[the_alcatraz]

Mix it up

 

[Longhorn85]

Fo shizzle

 

[KC Kancho]

I like doing both, if I use a barbell for regular bench, I'll use dumbells for incline, and vice versa.

Another great exercise for bench stability is one-arm dumbell bench presses. It's even less weight but is taxing on the body.

 

[drm]

I do both:

Chest day 1: Incline bar, flat dumbbell
Chest day 2: Incline dumbbell, flat bar
(there are more exercises both days but none that are germane to this thread)

At this point, there isn't a great deal of difference in the two lifts anymore. For the bar bench I'm around 255 X 8 and for the dumbbell bench I use the 100's. Unfortunately at my gym I'm stuck at 100 b/c that's all they offer.

As far as which is more effective, I'm not an expert but the dumbbell's use the stabilizers and I suppose that's useful.

 

[Longhorn85]

The little gym I am using right now only goes up to 85lbs DBs
Since you are repping with 100s I would have expected you to be repping higher than 255 with the barbell.

 

[Longhorn85]

Another great exercise for bench stability is one-arm dumbell bench presses. It's even less weight but is taxing on the body.

Sounds great, gotta try it, especially since my gym has limited DBs

 

[drm]

The little gym I am using right now only goes up to 85lbs DBs
Since you are repping with 100s I would have expected you to be repping higher than 255 with the barbell.

It's a mental block more than anything else. I have real trouble adding plates to the barbell bench press. I still don't use two 45lb plates for that very reason. (I use 1X45, 1X35, 2X10 and 1X5 per side, it seems less daunting).

What's the worst that can happen with dumbbell bench press, I drop the weight? It's probably why that progressed faster.

 

[the_alcatraz]

I rep with custom made 143 lbs (65 kgs) dumbells at this hardcore underground gym next to my house. I do incline dumbell presses, dumbell rows, shrugs and seated dumbell shoulder presses. The ceiling leaks when it rains. The floor is cracked from all the heavy lifting. There is a stench of sweat, blood, tears...It's fucking beautiful.

 

[nodiggitydave]

If I'm to do both on my chest day, which should I do first, or should I alternate?

 

[mad_monkey59]

I just use bars - keep it simple.

- It doesn't help that I can never find a PAIR of dumbells in my gym