# Dumbell Bench vs Standard Bench



## RockSolid (Oct 2, 2006)

I have been training hard for just over a year I have had pretty good results in size and stregth however my chest seems like it should be bigger and my bench press higher...

I have been doing regular bench the whole time, I usually do some incline bench with dumbells however I was wondering if replacing the regular bench press with dumbell presses for awhile but I am concerned since I cant do as much weight with dumbells will this prevent me from gaining mass (not that my chest is gaining enough mass as is)  Any suggestions/advice?


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## kenwood (Oct 2, 2006)

try db's their better IMO, each pec gets worked the same ammount.


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## viet_jon (Oct 2, 2006)

I was told on here (can't remember who, funk or cowpimp) that as long as your doing horizontal pushing, it doesn't matter if it's BB or DB.


Personaly, for chest I favour cable flyes over any other movement. My chest has grown nicely since I started using them.


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## GFR (Oct 2, 2006)

Both are better....mix it up from time to time.


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## AKIRA (Oct 3, 2006)

Ive said this before and Ill say it again..

Back in the day, when I was concerned for strength numbers, my bench just fucking plateaued.  SO I picked up some dumbells and like you, I was pretty weak.  Didnt make any sense (at the time) that my DB press would be so much lower than my BB Press.  


HOWEVER.

In a few months time, I sky rocketed on the DBs to the point that when I go to a new gym, I have to see how heavy the DBs go.  If they only go to 120lbs, I wont go to that gym (coming from maxing at 80; repping 60s).  AND.  Only after DB pressing, did I ever get asked if I was on steroids.  DBs made my upper body look what BBs never gave me.

Now, if you grew up with DBs then switched to BBs, I wonder if the same 'look' would occur.


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## JimSnow (Oct 3, 2006)

I've got two one-hundred-pound dumbells teasing me. I'm always tripping over them, having to move them around, brushing the spider webs off. They are too light for shrugs, way to heavy for curls. I can do a few flat flies w/ 80lb. dumbells but find them hard to discard after the last rep... in fear of ripping my chest from my torso. I aspire to be strong enough to manipulate them well enough to do shoulder presses. I could handle the presses - but can't throw them up into position yet.

Is there a device or trick for this? I'd dump the BPs in favor of the greatly extended range of motion.

I'm going to paint them flat black w/gold raised numbers, then put them back in the corner of my gym untill I'm worthy.


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## viet_jon (Oct 3, 2006)

JimSnow said:


> I've got two one-hundred-pound dumbells teasing me. I'm always tripping over them, having to move them around, brushing the spider webs off. They are too light for shrugs, way to heavy for curls. I can do a few flat flies w/ 80lb. dumbells but find them hard to discard after the last rep... in fear of ripping my chest from my torso. I aspire to be strong enough to manipulate them well enough to do shoulder presses. I could handle the presses - but can't throw them up into position yet.
> 
> Is there a device or trick for this? I'd dump the BPs in favor of the greatly extended range of motion.
> 
> I'm going to paint them flat black w/gold raised numbers, then put them back in the corner of my gym untill I'm worthy.






sure thing ....just no more jimsnow bum pictures and i'm cool.


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## kenwood (Oct 3, 2006)

yeah..i just now found that i've gotten stronger w/db's. whenever i get stuckon bench, i switch to db's...last time i was stuck on bench at 265 i switched to db's and i could only do flat db presses w/ 80lbs for 6reps and by the time i switche back to bb i could do 90lb db's for 4. now that i'm stuck on bench @ 295lbs i switched to db's lastweek and now i can do 100lb db's for 4reps....but by the time i go back to bb i wanna be able to db press 120lb db's for 4-6 reps.

Jim, whenever i do heave db presses i put a chair infront of me so i can rest the db on, 1 on the chair and the other on the ground. so i can heev up the one on the ground and cann  easily tilt back the other db from the chair. then i rest them on my quads for a few sec. until i get ready to go for it.  

you you can purchase these, they hold the db's for you in position Power hooks


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## JimSnow (Oct 3, 2006)

Thanks Ken! I'm gonna look into the hooks. Experience, you've got!



BTW - Some new "JimSnow Bum Images" are in the planning stages!


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## kenwood (Oct 3, 2006)

JimSnow said:


> Thanks Ken! I'm gonna look into the hooks. Experience, you've got!
> 
> 
> 
> BTW - Some new "JimSnow Bum Images" are in the planning stages!



welcome, bb.com has alot of cool shit. i've purchased prolly over 200 bucks from there lol...and they better be in a thong lol


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## Boost777 (Oct 3, 2006)

Can someone answer why I can dumbell press 105 for 4 but only bench 225 for 6 reps?


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## kenwood (Oct 3, 2006)

Boost777 said:


> Can someone answer why I can dumbell press 105 for 4 but only bench 225 for 6 reps?



maybe you hand position on the bar.


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## JimSnow (Oct 3, 2006)

Are the dbs parallel or perpendicular to the length of your body?

That would explain... nothing else could... if you're talking about flies, otherwise it sounds about right(enough).


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## KelJu (Oct 3, 2006)

8 months ago I could BB Bench Press 330lbs, but I couldn't DB Bench Press more than 120lbs. Soon after, my shoulder went to hell in a hand basket.


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## GFR (Oct 3, 2006)

JimSnow said:


> Thanks Ken! I'm gonna look into the hooks. Experience, you've got!
> 
> 
> 
> BTW - Some new "JimSnow Bum Images" are in the planning stages!



*No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


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## vortrit (Oct 4, 2006)

Interesting. Most of the guys I know, and the guy I do arms with on Fridays have all hurt their shoulders on the flat bench. I try to stay away from it although I do incline. I like to press with dumbbells, and do dumbbell and cable flies, mostly.


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## Mags (Oct 4, 2006)

I used to bench to the point where I too focused more on the weight I was sloppily ego lifting rather than 'feeling'. My chest didn't grow like the rest of my body so it looked a blatent weak point in my physique. I tried dumbells and although they were frustratingly tricky to start with and weren't anything super heavy, my chest erupted into growth (I assume it was due to the change in exercise but also in the fact that my chest was probably getting more taxed now due to further range of motion and no bar to stabilise it etc than before with my shit bench efforts. Basically I was training it properly now). The weight I was lifting soon went up as well till I hit the heaviest at my gym. After I'd got used to them and needed another change, I went back to the bench and started again from scratch. I now placed my hands as far apart as possible to fully (personally) feel it in my chest. That spurred even more growth and thickness, widening it closer to the tops of my bi's. Since then I've learnt to just be patient and feel whatever exercise it may be. I do both bench and dumbell presses alternately now with 4-6 reps some times, 8-10 another.


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## ecksman (Oct 4, 2006)

when u guys switched were u guys going from flat barbell to flat dumbell bell?


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## kenwood (Oct 4, 2006)

ecksman said:


> when u guys switched were u guys going from flat barbell to flat dumbell bell?



i do 2 push workouts and 2 pull workouts a week. onthe 1st one i use db's and one the second i use bb


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## Double D (Oct 4, 2006)

To get a bigger bench you need to not only work your chest, tris, and shoulders hard, but your back also. It plays a crucial part in benching. 

If its a big bench you are looking for then check out westside training. I just started, but everyone talks it up pretty good.


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## xenomorph8472 (Jun 24, 2014)

A great way to break into dumbell training is to try to hit high rep PRs after your main bench movement. My goal for example right now is hitting 80's for a 20. I've been able to add about 1 rep a week now for a couple of weeks, up to 80's for 12. When I hit 20, I'm moving to 90's. 

I currently bench 290, hopefully when I hit 90's for 20, I'll have a 315 bench.


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## heady muscle (Jun 24, 2014)

RockSolid said:


> I have been training hard for just over a year I have had pretty good results in size and stregth however my chest seems like it should be bigger and my bench press higher...
> 
> I have been doing regular bench the whole time, I usually do some incline bench with dumbells however I was wondering if replacing the regular bench press with dumbell presses for awhile but I am concerned since I cant do as much weight with dumbells will this prevent me from gaining mass (not that my chest is gaining enough mass as is)  Any suggestions/advice?



I always mix it up. Love both. DB's seem to give me a fuller pec look with less emphasis on secondary muscles (shoulders, triceps) and BB bench just the opposite.


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## rutman (Jun 30, 2014)

viet_jon said:


> I was told on here (can't remember who, funk or cowpimp) that as long as your doing horizontal pushing, it doesn't matter if it's BB or DB.
> 
> 
> Personaly, for chest I favour cable flyes over any other movement. My chest has grown nicely since I started using them.



No way anyone can grow better with cable flyes than db or bb bench... I call total bs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Big Smoothy (Jul 1, 2014)

^ agree,

and a worthy thread for discussion....


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## Ballgame23 (Jul 14, 2014)

DB's work the stabilizer muscles as well as the main muscle groups. This is the main advantage of DB over BB. With BB one hand can help to make up for what the other lacks including all the way down to the delts. Focus on getting a good deep press and great form. Don't focus on what the weights of the DB's are. Guaranteed growth in no time if you switch over to DB on all chest movements.


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## papersteroidguy (Mar 23, 2015)

On the off chance that you customarily do both barbell and dumbbell presses for midsection improvement, keep it up. The blend of both barbell and dumbbell work increments solid improvement all through the entire pec and shoulder territory, issuing you the most adjusted midsection conceivable.


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## bnmsupar (Mar 24, 2015)

Width grip usually works for me with standard bench, composition of arms lower(slightly more on pecs)


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