I’m going to start this post by reiterating that I am not a qualified fitness instructor. Nutrition I know, but any fitness information I disclose is based on my own research and personal experience.
With liabilities out of the way, let’s get crackin’…
It’s been over a year since strength training became a prominent part of my workout schedule. Trying different splits & exercises have definitely contributed to me feeling stronger and more confident in the weights section of the gym. However there are still times when I know my form needs work or I’m unsure about a particular exercise or equipment. With reference to the latter, I am still confused over which are more effective: Barbells or dumbbells?
Although my upper body workouts incorporate both pieces of equipment, I tend to only perform free weight leg exercises with barbells. All the trainers in my gym are against the idea of using dumbbells during lower body workouts. When I asked them why, I got a number of reasons including:
- Dumbbells put too much pressure on your wrists
- Your upper torso needs to be upright, but dumbbells make it easier for you to lose balance
- Barbells are easier to use when the weight gets heavy
On the other hand, I’ve read countless articles and programs (e.g. Body For Life), which encourage the use of dumbbells.
To shake things up mentally & physically, I plan on introducing more dumbbells into my lower body workouts. For starters dumbbells are safer when you don’t have a spotter. As helpful as the trainers in my gym can be, there’s only so many of them go around- time waiting around for help can be better spent elsewhere. Also I’m hoping that using dumbbells will help improve my muscle imbalances over time: my right leg is undoubtedly weaker than my left, and it’s especially noticeable during single-leg exercises. I am sure I’ll get disapproving looks & unwarranted comments from some of the trainers, but that’s nothing headphones can’t take care of ;).
And on that note, I’ll leave you with a lower body workout I completed yesterday. After adding in new moves (e.g. split squats & goblet squats) & opting for different equipment, I had one of the best lower body workouts in ages. I haven’t felt so in the zone in a long while…nor was I rushing to get through it. And at the risk of sounding antisocial, it felt SO nice not having to make idle chatter…or rely on someone else’s assistance:
Do you tend to use barbells or dumbbells (or both) during your workouts?
If you don’t enjoy lifting weights, what exercise are you currently loving?
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the title of your workout – I definitely agree that sometimes it’s nice to not have to chat while trying to get through your exercises. As much as I enjoy the gym as a place to be social, there are times where I’d be sweaty and grunty and just wanting to get through my routine without having to worry about keeping up with idle chit chat. That being said, it’s been a while since I’ve done any weights, and while I do kind of miss it, lately my workouts have mainly consisted of walking and just trying to stay active in general.
Haha I go to the gym to mentally de-stress but sometimes, all that nonsense chatter makes me feel more mentally drained! ;)!
I usually use both dumbells and barbells for my workouts, so I never gave that too much of a thought! I’m happy as long as I’m doing free weights. I don’t believe in machines at all! (Except for the leg press)
I loved working out with my brother, but now that I’m back in Singapore… 🙁 I guess I’m just gonna see how it goes when I get back into the gym. Gah can’t believe I’m back already!
Working out with your bro must have been a fantastic motivator….hope you are able to get back in the groove ASAP :)!
For lower body exercises I tend to use a barbell…but I think that’s just more of a preference thing! I lift heavier with a barbell and I can grip it better. That being said, I do use dumbbells for goblet squats though, because I tend to get more ‘ass to the grass’ than I do when I do barbell squats.
“Ass to the grass” hahahaha love that….sounds much better than “get more range”! 😉
I’ve never used a barbell before! I love dumbells. So much flexibility. K, you need to hop on the Best Body Bootcamp bandwagon!! Seriously – we are only into day 3 of week 1 and I absolutely LOVE IT!
Ah I wish I did! Please blog about it soon- would love to read more about it :)!
Thanks for the info! For some reason I generally stick with dumbbells because I am slightly intimidated by the barbells. I will have to try incorporating them into my workouts now.
I especially like using barbells with chest exercises and deadlifts- give ’em a shot :)!
Great lower body workout! I love the anti-socialness of it haha! I am still awkward doing strength workouts at the gym, so I usually opt for my dumbbells at home..I only have 10-lb ones which aren’t great for lower body strength, but they can still hurt when you add plyo to the mix!
Even plyo without weights can be kille,r so I’m sure adding in those 10 lb-ers really amp up the workout! 🙂
Great leg workout! I incorporate both dumbbells and barbells into my leg routines, but typically stick with barbells for squatting, and dumbbells for walking lunges, Romanian split lunges or step-ups. Usually I’ll throw together a routine that includes a few exercises on the machines as well, so I end up using all three methods.
The last program I was following had me doing two leg days, however that was too much; I MUCH prefer one day devoted to legs, as I’m usually sore for four days afterward!
Happy Wednesday! <3 xoxo
I’m with you about 1 lower body workout a week- For the past 3 weeks, I started introducing a 2nd session which was probably not my smartest idea! I’m back to one a week and my lower body is definitely thanking me :)!
I’ve never used a barbell hahaha! So dumbbells for me! But in all reality I don’t even use weights that much.
Different strokes for different folks :)!
I use a variety of equipment including barbells, dumbells, kettlebells, etc.. I think it’s good to have variety and as long as you know what you are doing, “dumbells aren’t dangerous or bad for you.” Every trainer will have their own opinion but I like to form my own. 😛
I completely agree about forming your own opinion…trying to follow everyone’s recommendations is only a recipe for confusion, not to mention disaster!
I pretty much only use dumbbells. I never even really thought about the difference! That anti-social lower body workout looks awesome– split squats are killer!
Split squats are the strength training equivalent to burpees…hence why I only did 1 set 😉
..after reading everyones comment and your view on weights – i need to start lifting too but its something about running I do not get bored
Especially in terms of running, I can’t recommend strength training enough! Even though I have cut back my running a lot, my speeds have increased and that can only be attributed to weight lifting!
Right now I’m a dumbbell user just cause its easier to consistenly work out with them when you’re in a time crunch. When it comes to working out my lower body, I’ll opt for the machines 😛
Agreed about dumbbells being more convenient- so much time goes into adjusting the barbell and adding/removing plates!
I’m actually pretty anti-social at the gym. I go to get away from all the chatter in my brain, so I don’t want to replace it with people. I also almost always use dumbbells because that’s what I have at home, so it’s what I’m used to. Love the sponge bob picture.
I’m glad you found it funny too 😀
i actually LOVE lifting weights, it feels like my body is changing rather than doing my thing on the elliptical. i always use dumbbells, i don’t even go near the barbells… too intimidating I suppose… all the big HOT guys hang out there. LOL!
“All the big HOT guys hang out there”—> ha ha that miiiight be part of my motivation to use barbells 😉
Oh girl, you need to stop listening to the trainers in your gym! I don’t even understand how using dumbbells could place more pressure on your wrists than barbells? That doesn’t make sense.
Anyway, dumbbells are often preferred as they prevent you from developing muscular imbalances on one side. We naturally have one side of our body that is stronger than the other (for upper AND lower body movements) and using a barbell all the time only allows that side to take most of the work. Using dumbbells, however, prevents you from cheating – you have to use both sides equally. Even more so when you incorporate unilateral work (on one leg: lunges, split squats, etc). So glad you like the goblet squats!
Appreciate your advice as usual…and glad that you encourage the use of dumbbells with lower body workouts! I definitely felt that like I was in and out of the gym quicker than when I’m normally using barbells….loading & unloading plates takes a heck of a lot of time! 🙂
Ive actually never used a barbell before! Well wait that’s not entirely true, I have once while at a weird fitness class that I left early from because it was just NOT for me, I will leave it at that lol
This is great though, thank you for the information on both of these! I want to try and incorporate barbells into my workouts more, I could use a bit of change anyway 🙂
Haha was that fitness class body pump by any chance??
Dumbbells are more challenging because you have to use more stabilizing muscles and coordinate two rather then one weight. So if you can handle it and you’re careful with your posture and form, dumb bells will get you working harder!
Thanks for your input Jess…it’s definitely encouraged me to add in more dumbbells 🙂
Great article. There’s nothing like a good resistance workout to get the heart pumping 😉
I personally always choose the barbell for my lower body workouts – largely due to the fact that I do body pump once a week and the lower body exercises tend to use the bar. Also I find I can pile on more weights when I’m using a barbell – currently rocking 20kg with plans to increase to 30 very soon…
However I always use dumbbells for upper body – especially biceps and deltoids. I find they offer more flexibility in terms of what you can do. I’ve read that with a barbell the stronger arm tends to overcompensate for the weaker side which leads to even greater strength differentials. Something to bear in mind?
On another note I’ve recently become a massive fan of press ups. They work every single muscle in the upper body as well as strengthen your wrists. For variety I use the bosu upside down and occasionally also put one wrist on a dumbell which makes it more painful for some reason!
Look at you almost rocking 30 kgs- nicely done :)! Although I sometimes use barbells with upper body, I feel like I get a better workout with dumbbells, especially as my left arm gives way so much sooner! We are totes working out together when I’m there in summer!!
Yes done 🙂 let me know your dates!
As you can tell from my blog URL, i love lifting weights! hehe! I started out using dumbbells but have since moved on to using barbells primarily. I can lift heavier weights that way and I can target a bunch of muscles in ONE movement rather than focusing on one muscle like most dumbbell exercises…. depends on what your goal is. Keep lifting! 😀
That’s a good point about targeting more muscles in one shot with barbells- will definitely bear that in mind when I’m in a time crunch 🙂 !
It could be sometimes confusing to choose between dumbbells and barbels. But I believe that you have to assess yourself about the good, the bad and the ugly of each of these equipment and which area of your body you want to improve. Great thought anyway. 🙂
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