Barbells vs Dumbbells vs Machines
When it comes to exercise selection, you might wonder what’s best – barbells, dumbbells or machines.
Like a lot of answers in the fitness world….it depends!
It depends on many factors, a few of which are discussed below:
- Availability of equipment
- If you are lucky enough to have access to more than one option, keep reading!
- Note also, that you might be restricted by the maximum DBs in a gym or the maximum weight stack on a resistance machine!
- If you only have access to one, your options are heavily limited to either
- USE THAT
- Find a new gym!
Connection (and correct form)- I’m referring here to the mind-muscle connection often mentioned!
- Some people will simply find that they prefer certain exercises over others because they are able to more effectively connect with the target muscle, and a more effective connection will recruit more muscle fibres to contract more forcefully!
- For example, I prefer chest pressing DBs to a barbell. I just find that the motion allows me to focus on my chest as the bar’s fixed position can feel uncomfortable.
Variety- While I stated above that I prefer DB pressing, I will incorporate a mixture of all three at various points in my plans to make sure that I am targeting my muscles from different angles to promote the most muscle fibre damage and enable maximum growth!
- Machinery also varies, from the typical plate/cable types to Hammer Strength (or equivalent) – all have their merits in different circumstances!
There are benefits and drawbacks to each of them also.
Using ‘free weights’ (barbells, dumbbells) will require greater stability in the movement, recruiting many of those stabilising muscles to support the lift and recruit greater muscle fibre activation.
However, that freedom of movement can also lead to the target muscle not being worked as effectively, normally due to lifting too heavy a weight and needing to bring in the surrounding muscles to finish the reps.
That’s not to say that that we should never try to push our limits and bring in those surrounding muscles to really fire up the intensity levels for the last few reps of that final working set! Progressive overload, correctly utilised, is the way to grow muscle!
Resistance machines can be incredibly useful for isolating a muscle. Due to the limited range of motion, really focusing on the target muscle can be much easier!
Machines typically have one plane of motion. While this can be very useful for increasing strength, due to removing the need to stabilise as such, that plane of motion may not be optimal for the exercise or your individual structure.
Smith machines being used to bench press are a good example of this. The generally accepted correct motion of the bench press is to create a slight arc up and back towards the rack for each rep. With a fixed straight up and down motion that the smith machine dictates, achieving that curve is not possible.
Machines are often referred to as being ‘safer’ to use also. I disagree with this. An incorrectly used machine, with a fixed, perhaps dangerous plane of motion for the individual could be very damaging. Using a chest press machine, set at the wrong angle, with the incorrect seat height, could result in the user putting an enormous amount of pressure and stress on their joints, shoulders in particular, and doing some serious harm!
The key for ensuring the safe operation of the equipment, be it barbell, dumbbell or machine, is to first be shown the correct way to use it by a member of the gym staff and by doing your research to find suitable demonstration videos, and subsequently start light, perfect your form and only then begin increasing the weight!
With all of that said, I believe that the use of barbells, dumbbells and machines will depend on the factors mentioned above as well as your own goals, capabilities and preferences!
There is no one size fits all!
