Have you ever-performed dumbbell bench presses and noticed how your hands move? Your palms don't stay pointed straight toward your legs, but rotates somewhat in. The barbell bench-press, meanwhile, locks your arms into a certain path that puts strain on your wrists, elbows and shoulders. According to The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding examined the chest routine of some of the world's best bodybuilders, and found out that they have eliminated the barbell bench press in favor of the dumbbell bench press to spare their joints. World renounced bodybuilder Jay Cutler explained that while he got very strong doing the barbell bench press, it was dumbbells that increased his pectoral size because he can achieve greater range of motion compared to barbells.
In The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger converses on the benefits of exercises that use a full range of motion. While partial exercises such as half-squats can be useful for increasing strength and shocking the muscles with heavy weight, he explains that to develop well-balanced muscles and strength, you must perform exercises that work your muscles through their full range of motion. That's why he developed the shoulder exercise known as the Arnold Press. Only with dumbbells can you perform a shoulder exercise that combines the lower range of motion of a lateral raise with the upper range of motion of a shoulder press.
Dumbbells develop balance, both in your strength and in the symmetry of your body. This is simply because each arm is working independently. Working with dumbbells keeps your dominant side from growing faster than the other side. Dumbbells also develop strength in the small, balancing muscles rather than just the large, impressive muscles. The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding explains that this is one reason why people who exercise with dumbbells suffer fewer injuries than those who don't.
Don't swear off barbells forever, because there's one very important way in which barbells beat dumbbells: the development of raw strength. Schwarzenegger explains that the bulk of your muscle will be built primarily with heavy, compound barbell exercises. Barbells allow you to forget so much about balancing and go all-out; lifting far more weight than you could with dumbbells.
Next time you are in the gym and you are looking at the barbell just remember that barbells can be very beneficial weightlifting equipment for massive strength gains But to have extreme gains in size then the dumbbells are the key.
Works Cited
Delavier, Frederic. Strength Training Anatomy, 3rd Edition. Paris: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print
Kennedy, Robert. Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding. Ontario: Robert Kennedy Pub, 2008. Print.
Schwarzenegger, Arnold, and Bill Dobbins. The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. Print
Outline
Thesis: Barbells do have the benefit of letting you move a lot of weight, there are a number of advantages to training with dumbbells instead.
I. Variety
a) Barbells only have one or two exercises
b) Dumbbells have many
II. Joint Health
a) Dumbbells are easier on the joints
III. Range of Motion
- Allows the range of motion to be passed
IV. Balance
- Due to separate weight in each hand it improves the balance of the muscles
- Less injures
- Strength and size gains.
Conclusion: Dumbbells are an effective way of improving your physique.
by
krafghi (student)
