Bench Press Vs Dumbbell Press
Bench Press Vs Dumbbell Press
Something people often ask is “what is best, dumbbell press or bench press?” My answer is probably dumbbell press, but use both exercises for best results. From my experiences, people seem to gain more strength quicker by doing dumbbell presses. This is possibly because it puts slightly more emphasis on the pecs, than the other supporting muscles because you have to support the dumbbells from falling outwards, keeping constant tension on the pecs, for a fuller range of motion. People tend to cheat more on the barbell bench press, by pausing at the top, not using full range and arching their backs. However, performed properly, both exercises are good muscle mass and strength builders and are therefore heavily used by bodybuilders and strongmen in their routines.
Trigger Muscle Growth
Personally, I think that people should use dumbbell presses 2/3 of the time and barbell bench presses 1/3 of the time for best results. However, triggering muscle growth is about training intensity and time under constant tension, whilst actual muscle growth is severely limited by nutrition and rest. If you think you can train your pectoral muscles to a higher intensity using barbell bench presses, then use that exercise instead. I cannot emphasize enough how important your diet is though when it comes to actual results. Take a look at our rapid muscle gain article for more information, or briefly: consume 20 calories per day for every pound of bodyweight, include 1.5g of protein for every pound of bodyweight, eat even meals every 2-3 hours all day, drink lots of water, sleep well. I fyou need to use supplements to achieve this you can, but they aren’t essential, they just make it easier.
Bench Press & Dumbbell Press Summary & Tips
So remember, train to the highest intensity you can, using a controlled, slow, smooth rep cadence. Spend no more than 50 minutes in the gym, but make sure you train progressively higher intensity for best results on the bench press and every other exercise. As you improve, use a split routine incorporating supersets and dropsets to raise intensity higher. Train to failure and beyond. Expect to gain size and strength over a few weeks by training and eating properly, but only increase weight by 2.5% per week, or your perfect form will not last. This sort of training gives the best results, but if your diet is poor you will end up overtrained and get no results. One more time… make sure your diet is perfect!
Regards,
Martin
June 15th, 2010 at 10:40 PM
A good little trick is to angle to dumbells at 45 degrees whilst doing presses, it takes the pressure off the shoulders and makes your chest and triceps work harder. This will lead to better pec development as your pecs are taking the majority of the load and will also save your rotator cuffs from getting damaged, especially on incline presses.