Why bench with dumbells?

[Serea]

In Ronnie Coleman's movie, he benches with dumbells, and gets up to 400 total. He positions the dumbells into the same grip as a barbell would be. Wouldn't it be better to bench with a barbell and maybe get higher weights? It seems like a pain to get dumbells into the starting position. Or is there some added benefit to dumbells?

Thanks!

 

[endpoint]

more range of motion, more stabilizers, recruits muscles in a different way (because the bells are able to sweep in etc etc)

 

[SofaGeorge]

It's a different exercise. You have to struggle to stabalize the dumbells. It makes you work harder... and in a different fashion.

 

[b fold the truth]

It is harder to stabalize...but it seems to put more stress on my delts (for stabalization) which I don't consider a good thing.

I'm really not sure how it creates a bigger ROM. When the dbells come down...they usually don't go any deeper than a barbell does. One should keep their shoulder blades tucked and if you can bring the handle of the dbell lower than your chest then it is usually a sign of poor form (which would lead to overstress on the rotator cuffs and injury).

I dunno though. I am no expert on dbells and I don't have big 'pretty and shapely' muscles...you will probably get much better answers from others on here with more knowledge about the subject.

B True

 

[casualbb]

I find for me it's more chest. I can bring the dumbells down and up in an arc that's more engaging of the fuctin of the pectorals than a barbell movement. Also, I like to know each side's seeing the same work.

 

[mr. sparkle]

Also a big part of it is working each side of the chest equally. Sometimes with a barbell you might end up using your stronger side to do more than 50% of the work in pushing up the weight and you don't get the same results.

I find that when I use dumbells for my chest I can get a better workout because each side is working individually and I'm forced to have better form.

 

[MOD]

what I find personally is with db's you fail when your stablizers fail. the failure of these stablizers is less of a neural failure that you get with barbells and machines at low rep ranges, and more of a muscular failure that you get from training at higher rep ranges. so if you're training to failure, or training for pure strength, then db's may not be the best choice.

 

[needsleep]

I don't have a training partner so working with dbells is preffered as I don't have to worry about getting stuck under a weight and don't need a spotter so can work till complete failure..

 

[string_bean00]

I don't have a training partner so working with dbells is preffered as I don't have to worry about getting stuck under a weight and don't need a spotter so can work till complete failure..

That's the only reason I like them.

 

[big4life]

I like them because they cause far less strain on my shoulders. I use them for all my bench presses, flat, incline, and decline. I seem to be able to follow a more natural movement for me with the db's.