Skip to main content

Barbell vs Dumbbells for Working Out

 There is a very interesting question that I think everyone that has ever worked out in their life has thought about.  This question is should I lift with dumbbells or should I use a barbell.  There are pros and cons for each of these workouts and it is tough to say that one is better than the other.  Let's first start off by talking about dumbbells.

Dumbbells

Pros:

  • I would say the biggest pro of dumbbells is that they are cheaper than a barbell because with a barbell you would have to buy all of the additional weights.  
  • Also, they are easier to store than a barbell.  If you buy a set of adjustable weights, you could throw them in a corner where no one will see them.
  • Wider range of motion than a barbell.  You have more flexibility to change what range of motion you are going to use.
  • I personally think it is easier to change weight on the adjustable dumbbell than unloading all the plates on a barbell
Cons:
  • Lift less weight than a barbell.  Because each of these are using a single arm, then you can not lift as much.
  • Higher risk of injury because the lifting is not as stable.  With a barbell, if one arm slips you will have the other to support, but with the dumbbell, if one slips then you could get injured.
  • harder to target specific muscles
Barbell

Pros:
  • Lift heavier weight than a dumbbell. 
  • I think barbells are better for leg exercises because of the ability to lift heavier weights.
  • Easier to keep a better range of motion so you are using proper form
Cons:
  • Lifting heavier weight could also be a con because you might be pushing your body too much
  • Harder to store if it is at home
  • Inability to change the range of motion
As you can see, each of these is beneficial because of its own reasons.  There is no right or wrong answer on which of these is better.  So the key is to determine which type of workout you want to perform and for what reason.  I would say a barbell is better if you are trying to target muscles and become bigger, but dumbbells are better for more compound movements which athletes mainly use.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When should I do cardio?

 One thing that I have never agreed with when it comes to the fitness "experts" is when you should do your cardio workout.  Many of them say that you should do your strength or weight training and then perform your cardio workout.  However, I have done both cardio before weights and cardio after weights and I feel that one is a lot better than the other.  I am easily on the side of waking up in the morning going outside and getting a nice jog in.  I noticed when I performed cardio first, that I felt more energized during my strength training and I also felt more awake.  If I just started doing strength training, I felt myself being tired and losing focus easily.  As well as that, when I performed my cardio first, I thought of it as a way to stretch out my entire body.  It loosens you up and you will feel a lot more ready for whatever else you have planned for the day.   So basically, I am saying that I completely disagree with the people...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Fitness Industry Will Take a Hit with the Urge to get out of your Home

 One thing that I hate to admit, but I believe will happen is people are going to stop working out or give up their fitness journey.  My first reason for believing this is due to the fact that the lockdown from Covid is finally coming to a close so people are starting to travel more, work at an office again, or even go hang out with friends.  These reasons listed above are going to take away from the free time that we all had during the pandemic and I think that this will be the cause of a decline in working out.  During Covid, everyone had nothing else better to do, but now people are going to want to get out of their house and will have less time for something like working out.   This prediction of people not working out as much is a reason I wanted to start this blog as well.  I want people to continue their fitness journey and continue to exercise frequently and that is why I have given some tips on how to work out fast and without any of the pain ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Problems with Cheap Jump Ropes

 I think one workout that oftentimes gets overlooked is jumping rope.  There is a reason if you have ever seen a boxer training, this is part of their workout regime.  However, a good jump rope is hard to find.  I have searched amazon for plenty of jump ropes, but I have not found any that have not broken after a few weeks for a reasonable price.  Yes, you can buy one of the jump ropes that cost $100 and they will work perfectly, but not all of us have a budget like that.  However, the worst jump rope that I have found is on amazon and it is  here .  This might have been the worst purchase of my life.  In the first few days of using this, the cable started to break at the bottom, and then the next thing I know the grip was falling off as well.  As well as this, the length you try to keep this jump rope at does not stay there and the screw on top broke for me within a week or two.       I see something like this as a h...
Post a Comment
Read more