DB Press sooo much harder than BB Bench Press

[MillerMan]

I have been doing SL5x5 for about 3 weeks and got hooked using DB for bench a while ago. I like the ability to squeeze at the top of the press and change the angle of the press, plus there are stabalizer muscles used. Now I know that I am supposed to use a bar to do bench and I will switch to bench at some point. Right now I am where the weight is getting heavy, which for me is 100lbs and thought about switching to regular bench press when I stall. Anyway, I wanted to do the last 5 reps with the bar instead of the dumbbells with the same weight and I couldn't believe the difference. It was like lifting 1/2 the weight. It took me by total surprise.

Not being a serious lifter I thought the weight would transfer the same. Not by a long shot. I guess I am not such a weinee after all. I was getting a little discouraged lifting only 95, 100 lbs on bench. I can go a lot farther without stalling that I thought. I guess DB press works different muscles than bench press with a bar???

[killerdude494949]

How long have you trained before doing SL 5x5 since you mentioned "a while ago?" I'm confused if you mean 100 pounds BARBELL press or 100 pound dumbbells in each hand. If its the first then dumbbells are the last thing you need right now.

Anyway, the same muscles are worked, just in different proportions. The strength training bench press with a barbell hits mainly front delts, triceps, pecs in that order. If you do it with dumbbells it tends to emphasize more pecs since the elbows can move more foward and lower on the way down. And it also challenges the stabilzers in the shoulder more as you mentioned. Barbells make it more of a general exercise (you can also learn to bring in your lats and use leg drive) and dumbbells is more of a chest exercise. They are both good.

[JJLipton]

I definitely agree.Just getting the dumbbells into the lifting position is hard.

[ricepower]

The key to a barbell bench press is being able to contract the back strongly, trying to tear the bar apart. This creates a very rigid & stable setup where you do not have to worry about each dumbell swinging in different directions.

My 1RM on barbell is 60kg, max on DB is 22.5kg each hand.

[luco]

...Now I know that I am supposed to use a bar to do bench and I will switch to bench at some point. Right now I am where the weight is getting heavy, which for me is 100lbs and thought about switching to regular bench press when I stall. Anyway, I wanted to do the last 5 reps with the bar instead of the dumbbells with the same weight and I couldn't believe the difference. It was like lifting 1/2 the weight. It took me by total surprise.

This is exactly the reason why SL5x5 asks you to do a barbell bench press. It allows you to move far more weight and more weight is more strength. DB BP usually have a larger ROM because of how low you bring the dumbbells. This puts more stress on the pecs. Doing a BB BP allows your triceps to focus all their strength in one direction (up) instead of having to stabilize both hands in the air separately. Just gripping the bar hard with both hands and keeping the back tight will pretty much take care of stability by itself in the BB BP.
Barbell benchpress should be your staple upper body exercise, dumbbell BP should be nothing more than accessory work. Switch!

[Teak]

Like others have said, the DB press is primary a chest exercise whereas the BP is much more an upper body compound using tris, lats, delts, pecs etc.

I think of the DB press more like a wide grip BP

[killerdude494949]

It starts as a wide grip and ends as a close grip.

[MillerMan]

Thanks for feedback. I have been working out for 6 months solid and off and on for 2 years. I just started Stronglifts 5x5 about 3-4 weeks ago - I was doing a lot of isso excercises targeting specific muscle groups before and this exercise just carried over. I use the Power Hooks for safety and they are fantastic. Allows you to lift as much weight as you can handle on this type of exercise safely.
Someone posted, the bench press with the bar is more of a compound exercise and that's what Stronglifts focuses on. So am I correct that by using the DB I get greater results in my chest - but suffer with lesser results on the other upper body muscles? (tri, delts, ect) If that's the case, then i will switch right away. I assumed that both exercises work the same muscles.

[luco]

The fact that you're stressing your chest more doesn't mean you'll get greater results muscle growth wise in that area. You can use less weight so you'll get less results.
The great thing about compound movements is that by using large muscle groups and combinations of different muscles you can not only use more weight, your body will also produce more musclebuilding hormones so you'll grow faster. You'll see bodybuilders doing DB bench presses as accessory work to emphasize the chest, but you will not find one bodybuilder that does DB BP but no regular BB BP to build muscle.

[atypical1]

You'll see bodybuilders doing DB bench presses as accessory work to emphasize the chest, but you will not find one bodybuilder that does DB BP but no regular BB BP to build muscle.

I bet that's not true. A bodybuilder is going to do whatever works for them in order to build more muscle. Some people love the smith machine (gasp), some love bench, and others love DB bench. A lot of people find the DB bench is better for hypertrophy than the flat bench is.

There are no absolutes in this game.

james

[killerdude494949]

The fact that you're stressing your chest more doesn't mean you'll get greater results muscle growth wise in that area. You can use less weight so you'll get less results.

There is such a thing as localized hypertrophy. After doing flat barbell presses for about 10 months and not being pleased with my chest development, I decided to swtich to the dumbbells, and they did more for my chest than did the barbell in a fraction of the time. Of course, this is highly individual, depending on which muscles tend to dominate your BB bench (pecs or delts/tris). Though I am currently not using the BB for flat bench, I will state however that doing BOTH rather than either/or will probably yield the best results.

[luco]

I bet that's not true. A bodybuilder is going to do whatever works for them in order to build more muscle. Some people love the smith machine (gasp), some love bench, and others love DB bench. A lot of people find the DB bench is better for hypertrophy than the flat bench is.

There are no absolutes in this game.

james

Maybe my statement was a little black and white, but I think it holds true for nearly all top competitors.

There is such a thing as localized hypertrophy. After doing flat barbell presses for about 10 months and not being pleased with my hest development, I decided to swtich to the dumbbells, and they did more for my chest than did the barbell in a fraction of the time. Of course, this is highly individual, depending on which muscles tend to dominate your BB bench (pecs or delts/tris). Though I am currently not using the BB for flat bench, I will state however that doing BOTH rather than either/or will probably yield the best results.

If your main concern is building your chest, you may indeed want to do both. But if you're a beginner you should focus on getting stronger first in my opinion and build some mass all round. This is done faster with a barbell. Linear progression can also continue longer with a barbell, allowing for more improvement. Once you have some base strength you can always switch to a bodybuilding routine.
Do agree with the individuality of training, though it probably shouldn't depend on your BB bench technique. More on your body's response to the exercises. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.
Still think a beginner should stick to BB until he's pressing at least close to bodyweight (I'm assuming original poster is >100 lbs.).

[MillerMan]

I love the discussion here. I see a lot of great posts. I am a beginner and one of my goals is to lift 1x BW on bench and squat by December. Using the 5x5 system, what would you think of incorporating a DB press on the days I don't do BB bench press.?.?. Is that too much deviation from the orginal setup? As some of you said, the press focuses almost soley on chest and I have seen some nice results because of the DB press. So I would hate to just give it up completely.
Your thoughts...

[Mehdi]

I love the discussion here. I see a lot of great posts. I am a beginner and one of my goals is to lift 1x BW on bench and squat by December. Using the 5x5 system, what would you think of incorporating a DB press on the days I don't do BB bench press.?.?. Is that too much deviation from the orginal setup? As some of you said, the press focuses almost soley on chest and I have seen some nice results because of the DB press. So I would hate to just give it up completely.
Your thoughts...

More doesn't equal better. Muscles need recovery to grow.

Build overall strength & bulk first by doing bench press over & over, focusing on technique and getting to 1x bw bench

Dumbbells are great once you're past beginner's level. Beginners need a foundation of strength & bulk first.

[ricepower]

I love the discussion here. I see a lot of great posts. I am a beginner and one of my goals is to lift 1x BW on bench and squat by December. Using the 5x5 system, what would you think of incorporating a DB press on the days I don't do BB bench press.?.?. Is that too much deviation from the orginal setup? As some of you said, the press focuses almost soley on chest and I have seen some nice results because of the DB press. So I would hate to just give it up completely.
Your thoughts...

More doesn't equal better. Muscles need recovery to grow.

Build overall strength & bulk first by doing bench press over & over, focusing on technique and getting to 1x bw bench

Dumbbells are great once you're past beginner's level. Beginners need a foundation of strength & bulk first.

Indeed. For strength, intensity is far more important than volume. Stronglifts gives you two types of presses already, and you need the rest in the days in between so you can put in a good effort for your programmed lifts.