Barbell vs dumbbells press

[Greek_beast95]

hey Boys was curious which method you think works better for building a bigger chest, to me it feels as if dumbbells give me a better pump during the workout but that could just be mental so I was curious if anyone has any good input on this , thanks

 

[MindlessWork]

Dumbbells for me as barbells tend to kill my shoulders. Repping the 100lb'ers feels much better.

 

[T-Bagger]

hey Boys was curious which method you think works better for building a bigger chest, to me it feels as if dumbbells give me a better pump during the workout but that could just be mental so I was curious if anyone has any good input on this , thanks

I’ve always heard DB’s are the way to go because they require more overall effort and help build core because of having to stabilize yourself. They also help you build up your weakness. Or that’s all just bro science.

 

[88general88]

Personally, I use both. I flat bench barbell press(regular and reverse grip) and incline dumbell press. That’s me though. There are guys I see on the daily, that will only use the barbell for mass building exercises, and then dumbells to shape the muscle once the mass is built. More or less barbells when bulking and dumbells when cutting.

 

[Greek_beast95]

Dumbbells for me as barbells tend to kill my shoulders. Repping the 100lb'ers feels much better.

Yeah see my shoulder has felt a little iffy when going heavy on barbell so I’ve been using dumb bell and it feels more strenuous to my chest which is nice, started out wirh 65’s 2 months ago and now I’m up to 80’s for 3 sets of 8 . Strength is still going up slowly even though I’m cutting

 

[sk8rboy]

i personally prefer dumbbells because i am able to make my grip more neutral and i feel my chest stressed more which was the goal to begin with

 

[MindlessWork]

Personally, I use both. I flat bench barbell press(regular and reverse grip) and incline dumbell press. That’s me though. There are guys I see on the daily, that will only use the barbell for mass building exercises, and then dumbells to shape the muscle once the mass is built. More or less barbells when bulking and dumbells when cutting.

I also do both barbell and dumbbells and switch them up weekly. My preference is dumbbells as they are easier to control and also feel more in the chest. Barbells tend to be harder on shoulders.

 

[mr_meanor]

I personally believe that each movement is a little different and that both should be incoorperated into a routine if your body will allow it. I try to switch it up. For a few weeks I'll do incline dumbbells with flat bench barbell then switch it up to flat bench dumbbells and incline barbells for a few weeks. I typically stick to barbell only on decline as it is too hard on my elbows getting heavy dumbbells into position on a decline.

 

[88general88]

I personally believe that each movement is a little different and that both should be incoorperated into a routine if your body will allow it. I try to switch it up. For a few weeks I'll do incline dumbbells with flat bench barbell then switch it up to flat bench dumbbells and incline barbells for a few weeks. I typically stick to barbell only on decline as it is too hard on my elbows getting heavy dumbbells into position on a decline.

I stopped doing decline all together and do reverse grip instead.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

Both have their place. If your body dimensions don’t lend well to flat barbell then don’t do it.

 

[Endure]

Dumbells for everything except trying to max out and/or low rep heavies. It's hard to go up on little 2.5 lb increments with dumbells let alone getting them off your knees.

 

[MindlessWork]

Dumbells for everything except trying to max out and/or low rep heavies. It's hard to go up on little 2.5 lb increments with dumbells let alone getting them off your knees.

Kicking up the heavy ones for incline db presses is a killer. Once had kicked up one a bit too hard nearly broke my jaw with the 85 pounders

My gym's db's go to 125 and not quite ready for those yet lol.

 

[mr_meanor]

Kicking up the heavy ones for incline db presses is a killer. Once had kicked up one a bit too hard nearly broke my jaw with the 85 pounders

My gym's db's go to 125 and not quite ready for those yet lol.

Last time I kicked up some 100s I fucked my elbow up pretty good. Dumbbells are great but once you start pushing heavy weight it starts stressing me out in places I'd rather not be hurting. I won't go past 90 without a push up now.

 

[MindlessWork]

Last time I kicked up some 100s I fucked my elbow up pretty good. Dumbbells are great but once you start pushing heavy weight it starts stressing me out in places I'd rather not be hurting. I won't go past 90 without a push up now.

Kicking up the 100s no bueno...would need someone to help me get them up in the air.

 

[mr_meanor]

Kicking up the 100s no bueno...would need someone to help me get them up in the air.

I know better, but there was a kid half my age throwing around some 70s like he was king shit of the world so my old ass had to show out. And just like every time I ever try to one up somebody in the gym I was whining like a baby with an ice pack that night.

 

[MindlessWork]

I know better, but there was a kid half my age throwing around some 70s like he was king shit of the world so my old ass had to show out. And just like every time I ever try to one up somebody in the gym I was whining like a baby with an ice pack that night.

Yes I've eaten crow myself a few times after doing something that...so humbling.

Being an old fart at 55 things start hurting.

 

[LeoTC]

Dumbbells for lighter incline work, no issues going heavy flat. Decline when I'm pissed off and just want to run the whole rack.

I really only hit DB to work on improving lateral co-ordination though. Definitely just accessory work.

Flat bench is always going to be my go to as it allows me to move the most weight.

Incline has always been a solid number two, it's just...comfortable. But a couple shoulder issues have me working alternatives.

Kneeling landmine presses, and lately high incline Swiss bar presses. Like two notches past 45 degrees and damn near vertical.

The latter hits the upper chest hard while emphasing the triceps. Superset with banded V-bar pull-downs and your sleeves will hate you.

 

[T-Lab]

Everything available to you is a tool. It’s not one or the other. It’s what works for you personally. What angles. What bars. What weights. Machines. Cables. Whatever is a safe challenge and allows you to grow.

 

[flenser]

I prefer close grip BB for flat bench. Supposed to get more muscle activation with DBs, but that hasn't been my experience. It might be the narrow grip I take, though.

My gym only has DBs up to 100lbs, so I usually only do incline with DBs following flat bench. I don't kick them up, though. I set them on my knees away from my body, then lean forward and sort of hug them with the top plates slightly over the top of the shoulders. When I lean back they go right up with no strain on my biceps or shoulders. I would probably fall off the bench if I tried kicking the things up these days.

 

[k0rkscrew]

Both have their place. If your body dimensions don’t lend well to flat barbell then don’t do it.

I always leaned toward DB's due to a shoulder Injury and wrist. After switching to the Swiss Bar to take some strain of my shoulder, shit what a difference! Heavy flat bench=swiss bar, incline=DB's, and I usually add cables in there too to get across mid point. Trying to get rid of the fuckin cereal bowl that is my upper/inner chest