Barbells, Dumbbells, and Kettlebells

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007, Shava_X wrote:

> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:52:41 -0700, Prisoner at War wrote:
>
>> What're the physics which allow for a 315-lb. bench with an olympic
>> barbell, but doesn't translate into a 157.5-lb. dumbbell bench??
>
> The main reason why You can just divide Your barbell bench press weight
> in half when using dumbbells has to do with balance. When using a
> barbell, the lifter only really needs to keep the weight stable fore and
> aft (towards the head and feet). With dumbbells, the weight must also
> be stabilized left and right. this adds new stress to the muscles.
> When doing bench press with dumbbells, even the core muscles get worked
> a little in order to keep the lifter on the bench.

Okay, so what if we took our 315 lb bencher and trained up his
stabilisers? Could he then do a 2 x 157.5 lb bench?

I bench with dumbbells, and on the rare occasions that i try a barbell, i
can't suddenly lift more. I presume that since my stabilisers have been
trained for it, they're on a par with my pecs, so they're not the limiting
factor, and taking them out of the picture doesn't give me any advantage.

But then i'm not using anything like a 157.5 lb dumbbell!

> At the moment, i consider that to be distinct advantage.

Indeed.

tom

--
10 PARTY : GOTO 10
 >> Stay informed about: Barbells, Dumbbells, and Kettlebells 

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:30:35 +0100, Tom Anderson wrote:

> On Thu, 30 Aug 2007, Shava_X wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 07:52:41 -0700, Prisoner at War wrote:
>>
>>> What're the physics which allow for a 315-lb. bench with an olympic
>>> barbell, but doesn't translate into a 157.5-lb. dumbbell bench??
>>
>> The main reason why You can just divide Your barbell bench press weight
>> in half when using dumbbells has to do with balance. When using a
>> barbell, the lifter only really needs to keep the weight stable fore and
>> aft (towards the head and feet). With dumbbells, the weight must also
>> be stabilized left and right. this adds new stress to the muscles.
>> When doing bench press with dumbbells, even the core muscles get worked
>> a little in order to keep the lifter on the bench.
>
> Okay, so what if we took our 315 lb bencher and trained up his
> stabilisers? Could he then do a 2 x 157.5 lb bench?
>
> I bench with dumbbells, and on the rare occasions that i try a barbell, i
> can't suddenly lift more. I presume that since my stabilisers have been
> trained for it, they're on a par with my pecs, so they're not the limiting
> factor, and taking them out of the picture doesn't give me any advantage.
>
> But then i'm not using anything like a 157.5 lb dumbbell!
>
>> At the moment, i consider that to be distinct advantage.
>
> Indeed.
>
> tom


When You switch to a barbell, You can not suddenly lift more then You were
lifting with dumbbells? And You You find this surprising?

You can lift what can not keep stable, but just because those stabilizing
muscles no longer have to do as much does not mean the large muscle that
do the lifting will be magically endowed with additional strength either.
 >> Stay informed about: Barbells, Dumbbells, and Kettlebells 

"Hard Bop Drums" <nospam RemoveThis @hardbopdrums.com> writes:
> "Jason Earl" <jearl RemoveThis @xmission.com> wrote:

- snip -

>> However, the kettlebell does have a few advantages. One, it's is
>> far easier to take with you when you go somewhere. Heck, I take
>> mine to work every day. It is also far easier to teach someone how
>> to snatch a kettlebell than it is to teach the Olympic lifts. It's
>> safer too, because if things get dicey you have a free hand to
>> steady the weight. That makes the kettlebell a useful tool for
>> someone that wants to spend some time training explosive strength
>> without devoting a lot of time to learning to clean and snatch a
>> barbell.
>>
>> Jason
>
> Jason,
> Why would you want to bring exercise equipment with you to work?

It's nice to get up from the computer every once in a while, and
kettlebell snatches are a pretty effective way to get your heart rate
up in a hurry. I like to think of my kettlebell drills as doing my
part to convince my body that I don't have a sedentary job.

Jason
 >> Stay informed about: Barbells, Dumbbells, and Kettlebells 

I've never used kettlebells, but it seems to me that if the center of gravity is such that a person can do more reps of the same weight as they could with dumbbells then it will likely not benefit as much as dumbbells. The error in thinking would be that a greater number of reps would mean an equal workout, but that isn't necessarily true. Unless I'm missing something, kettlebells are better used to supplement what you are already doing with other workout systems.
 >> Stay informed about: Barbells, Dumbbells, and Kettlebells