A question most commonly pondered among Gymaholics is which equipment to pick up? Barbell or the dumbbell. Well the answer is quite elementary. When you use a barbell for workouts such as Squats, Deadlifts and Bench press , the weight is evenly distributed and you are less prone to be unbalanced during a workout. Therefore in this post our first focus is on Dumbbells vs Barbells. Then lets proceed to Dumbbell Home Workout Plan.
To be more precise visualize an execution of a chest press using the barbell in comparison with the dumbbell. Lets deviate from the main subject for a moment to elaborate a meaningful comparison of both the equipments. Then let us hop on Dumbbell Home Workout routine.
Dumbbells Vs Barbells Workout
To start off barbells are mostly used in compound lifts such as squats,bench press and deadlifts. Dumbbells can perform the same functions but more commonly seen with relevance to isolated muscles. Shoulders, biceps,triceps and wrist workouts are some of them. Before proceeding any further what must be mentioned is that both barbell and dumbbell are far better than machines because they are free weights. Plus they ignite that inner feeling of raw,uncut hard-core workout.
To make it as short as possible barbells allow you to lift heavier and hence muscular progression is accelerated. Dumbbells on the other hand are limited after a certain weight,but they are mostly risk-free. There are many types of barbells and dumbbells,
| Standard bars | Studio dumbbells |
| EZ bars | Spin-lock dumbbells |
| Axle bars | Fixed hex dumbbells |
| Deadlift bars |
These varieties execute different functions for different muscle groups. For example the deadlift bar is almost 7 feet and that length is required for the wide grip while lifting and to place it across your lower neck when squatting. We will talk about different dumbbell types later.
Gains with each equipment
Well you guessed it right.Barbells help the best in mass gain because of its weight progression capability. And barbells engage fewer stabilizer muscles while exercising. Imagine yourself executing the squat,deadlift or an isolated exercise such as the bicep curl. With the barbell both arms move simultaneously, as any other way of performing the exercise is unnatural.
But studies have found out that for some muscles like the pectorals, dumbbells produced a larger pump than the bench press.Also in seated and standing military press dumbbells engage more deltoid action than barbells. In terms of range of motion dumbbells again are a step ahead of barbells.
They provide free movement than barbells and allows more squeeze to your muscles. Classic example once again is the bench press vs dumbbell press. But it doesn’t necessarily qualify as a weight gainer when compared with barbells.
Safety
Symmetry is an issue that most beginners face in the gym with a barbell. In this scenario dumbbell is your rescuer. Since it assists in unilateral movement, strength imbalance can be rectified over time.
But with barbells strength imbalance is a major cause of injuries such as muscle tear. I’m pretty sure that you have felt at least once, that one side of your body is dominant over the other. Specifically if you are a right handed person, lifting with your right arm might feel easier over lifting with the left.
Pretty sure by now you have a clear picture of how both the equipments function and their pros and cons. When it comes to safety dumbbells are the clear choice, because you are in full control of the movement. The same can’t be said for barbells, you gonna need a trainer to keep an eye on you. So final verdict is that you need both of them to get that summer body you are looking for.
Alright! Now that we have a clear understanding of how barbells and dumbbells help muscle growth and strength training, Lets hop on the full body workout routine with dumbbells for a home workout. But before that lets be aware of the types of dumbbells that are available.
Types of dumbbells
Spin-lock dumbbells are our first concern because they allow weight adjustment. Remember weight progression is the key to gains. Some popular spin-lock dumbbells:
Fixed hex dumbbell is defined in the word “fixed” itself. Usually made of cast iron and are durable, and provide more balance. More Commonly found in the gym than home.
These two are the most popular among fitness enthusiasts. There is one other type that is well known among women, called Studio dumbbells. They are built for aerobic classes and ultra-light workouts. They weigh not more than 20lbs at the heaviest.
So far we have covered all the pre-requisites for a dumbbell home workout and a little extra for the added dumbbell vs barbell review. Lets start working out without further delay!
Full body Dumbbell Home Workout Plan
Chest
- Dumbbell press
- Dumbbell Flys
- Dumbbell incline press
- Pushups
Executing the above at 8-12 reps for about 3 sets should certainly suffice. Definitely consider weight progression after some time if you wanna see some muscle growth and not just loose fat. Pushups can be either done at the end or can be used as a kick-off+ warm up for your chest. An interval of 45 seconds between reps is more than enough and as always use the proper form.
Legs
- Squats
- Lunges
- Romanian deadlift with Dumbbells
- Dumbbell calf raise
Once again this is not for the hardcore grinder who wants to go all out. You will not feel the pump of a 400lbs barbell squat with the dumbbell squat, but it will help in your fitness goals. Since its legs we are talking about 6-10 reps should be enough for 3 sets. Just keep in mind to maintain an erect back and to maintain knee-stability while performing the first three exercises. Because those errors while executing the said exercises lead to most common knee injuries.
Back
- Rowing
- One arm row
- Deadlift
Now we are faced with a minor issue, which can be covered with the help of resistance bands. After all this post is all about home workout. Because the back comprises of so many muscles, training them in different angles is an absolute essential.
Which is why we have pulldowns, cable rowing in three different grips in the gym. But at home we gonna be limited. Not to worry, for resistance bands are here for the rescue. You can include a pulldown exercise if you hook up the resistance band to a higher point and use different grips to pull it down. It will definitely assist in that V-shape you are looking for with your laterals.
Shoulders and Arms
- Shrugs
- Arnold press
- lateral raises
- Overhead press
- Bicep curl
- Tricep extension
- Skull crusher
- Concentration curl
- Wrist curl
Combining shoulders and arms is a common strategy since they are all isolated muscles. Again 8-12 reps for 3 sets should suffice with an interval of 45-60 seconds.
Yes if you wanna mix up and have a full body workout, we still got a recipe for you’ll too. We listed the dumbbell usage for separate muscles just to enhance and convince the value of dumbbells for a full body home workout. Now lets see the combinations you can have for one day that will pretty much workout a large portion of your muscular system.
5 Day Dumbbell Workout Plan
DAY 1
- Squats- 3x(10-6) reps
- Chest press-3x(10-6)reps
- Bent over one arm row-3x(10-6)reps
- Sit ups for abs-4x(10-6) reps
DAY 2
- Incline chest press-3x(10-6) reps
- Deadlift-3x(10-6) reps
- Bicep curl-3x(10-6) reps
- Lunges-3x(10-6) reps
- Tricep extension-3x(10-6) reps
DAY 3
- Lateral raises-3x(10-6) reps
- Chest Flys-3x(10-6) reps
- Skull crusher-3x(10-6) reps
- Reverse curl-3x(10-6) reps
- Situps-3x(10-6) reps
DAY 4
- Squats or lunges-3x(10-6) reps
- Rowing-3x(10-6) reps
- Pulldowns-3x(10-6) reps
- Chest press-3x(10-6) reps
DAY 5
- Reverse flys- 3X8 reps
- Arnold Press-3X8 reps
- Upright row-3X8 reps
- Hammer curls-3X8 reps
- Tricep Kickbacks-3X8 reps
- Tricep extensions-3X8 reps
You probably noticed that most exercises listed for full body are compound movements. The reason behind is that research proves muscles such as triceps, biceps grow more with compound lifts than when isolated. However DAY 5 completely focuses isolate movements just so the compound lifts are strengthened.
Although we are aware that barbells result in larger muscular growths, dumbbells if used methodically and consistently will help your fitness goals for sure. To conclude Dumbbell Home Workout Plan, a final word of advice would be “combining cardio with strength training will result in strength increment+ endurance build”. So train cardio at least twice a week.
