View Full Version : Shoulder Press: Dumbbells vs. Barbells
jrgainey
02-01-12, 12:50 pm
Which, in your opinion, is better for building mass in the military press?
Aggression
02-01-12, 1:03 pm
I'm not so sure that any one is better than the other. What would be best would be to alternate every now and then. Do dumbbells if you like them. But throw barbell presses in there every now and then for a different stimuli.
Problem with db's is kicking them up there once you can go real heavy. I've strained biceps doing this so if I don't have a partner it's bb or hs lately for me.
Carrnage
02-01-12, 7:04 pm
Which, in your opinion, is better for building mass in the military press?
It depends on how you execute the movement. I say this because if your like most people, just worrying about how much weight your using / progressive overload theory then you'll just end up letting your secondary muscles dominate the movement. We want the targeted muscle to dominate the movement remember that.
But to answer your question, dumbbells put your rotator cuff muscles in a more natural position/range of motion, it will recruit more deltoid muscle fibers / higher motor units than the barbell would, thus stimulating the CNS better for hypertrophy aswell.
But personally I use the barbell most of the time. Once you get past the 100-120 pound dumbbells it is a workout itself just getting the dumbbells up to the starting position even with a spotter.
C.Coronato
02-02-12, 11:12 am
I use all of them. Smith, BB Military, Machines, and DBs. Thats the best way to really hit everything.
pushin weight
02-02-12, 11:50 am
I use all of them. Smith, BB Military, Machines, and DBs. Thats the best way to really hit everything.
BOOM.....
I tend to do DB Presses most, and sometimes go straight into side raises after, but I try to mix it up every now and then.
For me dbs just feel a lot better. Yeah its difficult to get them up on the first rep, but you have the ability to go deep on them and really get some blood in the delts. Personally, I make sure they are warmed up really good be4 I hit them. There is no way I can jump in on them without hitting some side raises first.
Tauscheck
02-04-12, 1:52 pm
Warming up the shoulders is a must, I used to do straight DB's but later on i started doing more barbell presses like i used to do in High school. and now i do both That way i get the best of both worlds
None is better.Both are good.Just change them all the time...one or few workouts dumbell then change to barbell...then do same thing on machine....Change is always the best.
Carrnage
02-06-12, 12:08 am
It depends on how you execute the movement. I say this because if your like most people, just worrying about how much weight your using / progressive overload theory then you'll just end up letting your secondary muscles dominate the movement. We want the targeted muscle to dominate the movement remember that.
But to answer your question, dumbbells put your rotator cuff muscles in a more natural position/range of motion, it will recruit more deltoid muscle fibers / higher motor units than the barbell would, thus stimulating the CNS better for hypertrophy aswell.
But personally I use the barbell most of the time. Once you get past the 100-120 pound dumbbells it is a workout itself just getting the dumbbells up to the starting position even with a spotter.
I hope everyone got to read this. lol
jrgainey
02-07-12, 11:28 pm
I hope everyone got to read this. lol
Someone's high on himself....
Carrnage
02-08-12, 1:44 am
Someone's high on himself....
Understood.
The best exercise, is the one you dislike doing the most. Maybe you find it harder, less stable, can't push as much weight. But the key is to overcome your weaknesses. So if you love barbell presses, but your stability on dumbells is whack, then master the dumbells and vice versa. Then alternate between the two, for both seated & standing, when you plateau. I personally use machines only for a burnout set at the very end, or for pre exhaust. Had major gains in my delts, which were a weak point, but now my best bodypart.
The best exercise, is the one you dislike doing the most.
Maybe you find it harder, less stable, can't push as much weight. But the key is to overcome your weaknesses.
So if you love barbell presses, but your stability on dumbells is whack, then master the dumbells and vice versa.
Then alternate between the two, for both seated & standing, when you plateau. I personally use machines only for a burnout set at the very end, or for pre exhaust.
Had major gains in my delts, which were a weak point, but now my best bodypart.
I will be switch off my stand bb press that ive been doing for months over to my wobbly db press next shoulder session. good post.
my question is to start with standing db or seated?
mcbeast
02-17-12, 12:40 pm
I think they all have there place. Personally I love the standing overhead press. Its one of the forgotten lifts and I put it up there with the bench,sq and deadlift. Now, you also need to consider what your goals are. Im in a "permabulk" meet prep state, and standing overhead is really helping my bench, and I have seen tremendous gains doing them. If I ever do db, I do single standing overhead press.This works your entire core like the bb version, and works stabilizers at the same time. I dont see ever sitting back down for overhead presses, like many have mentioned once you get to a certain weight its mortaxing just
getting the weigh to your shoulders.
As for your last question, give standing single db a try let us know how it feels for you.
It also depends on your goal with the movement.
If moving weight is the goal, the barbell press uses more front delt and less side and allows more weight to be moved.
The DB's will actually hit the side delts that the bb press 'misses' to a great deal.
If it's side delt mass you are after, dump the bb presses, hit the DB's or the smith, these will allow you to keep upright, not lean back and let the front delts (which are not a weakness in most of us) to take over.
I do the Smith, 7° straight overhead and bring it down where it will pop me in the nose, a quick head lean back at the bottom, but as soon as it clears my face my head is vertical again
The difference in side delt recruitment is actually VISIBLE in the mirror between the "leaning back bb military press" and the much more upright smith press.
But I also like the DB's, I just haven;t been able to go heavy with them since the leg surgery (I knee them up and down, I never drop weights like some of the posers in my gym)
So Smith presses or DB presses, side laterals, head down on a bench rear laterals (or I swing), then face pulls (I hate them)
But I am after side delt size, I'm not worried about moving as much weight as possible, the 100lb db's are enough for me to handle on this, when I can...
quick question, i know its not really related to the OP but its still about shoulders so here goes. I recently joined a gym that has a smith machine, and ive never used one for anything, and ive been experimenting with shoulder presses on it, but i find that i can only use about 60% of what i normally use when i do seated military press with a bb. Ive always heard it should be easier to do with a smith machine or that you can do more weight... why do i struggle so much with it?
quick question, i know its not really related to the OP but its still about shoulders so here goes. I recently joined a gym that has a smith machine, and ive never used one for anything, and ive been experimenting with shoulder presses on it, but i find that i can only use about 60% of what i normally use when i do seated military press with a bb. Ive always heard it should be easier to do with a smith machine or that you can do more weight... why do i struggle so much with it?
Hmmm that's strange...maybe you do easier free weights because you did them most of time so your body got use to it, and machines ( i mean on machine shoulder press ) you haven't done till recently.Dunno what else could be a reason because it's a first time I hear someone can do more on free weight then on machine LOL . But no problems just keep doing shoulder press on machines every few workouts and I'm sure you will progress on it really fast.
Problem with db's is kicking them up there once you can go real heavy. I've strained biceps doing this so if I don't have a partner it's bb or hs lately for me.
x2 on this. It's getting them in position that always makes me cringe.
quick question, i know its not really related to the OP but its still about shoulders so here goes. I recently joined a gym that has a smith machine, and ive never used one for anything, and ive been experimenting with shoulder presses on it, but i find that i can only use about 60% of what i normally use when i do seated military press with a bb. Ive always heard it should be easier to do with a smith machine or that you can do more weight... why do i struggle so much with it?
Depends on the machine. One gym I used to go to they didn't grease the glider rod that held the bar in line and it had a friction resistence to it and made it harder
LegendKillerJosh
02-22-12, 10:42 am
Since I use basically exercise as a max effort move and look only to increase strength, I would say alternating them weekly is a great idea. The far range of motion dumbells allow and the strict nature of the exercise when done seated will increase your strength for doing heavy barbell military presses. As far as for mass, I doubt it matters they are both excellent exercises and when you reach failure in either one of them your shoulders should feel like they are on fire.
LegendKillerJosh
02-22-12, 10:46 am
Depends on the machine. One gym I used to go to they didn't grease the glider rod that held the bar in line and it had a friction resistence to it and made it harder
You are right there, there are some smith machines where you can lift the bar overhead with your pinky finger and some where the bar is much harder to move. Also I don't think smith machines are easier than a regular seated barbell military unless you do a short range of motion, like lockouts just from the forehead up or so. Once you go below the chin the strictly north/south range of the smith machine can make it hard. Setting the bench about 60 degrees makes it easier too without really bringing the chest into it.
Enforcer
02-22-12, 11:56 am
Which, in your opinion, is better for building mass in the military press?
Both. Hit them all different ways: seated, standing, on a smith mahine...any of these these with heavy as weight will add mass to them shoulders
quick question, i know its not really related to the OP but its still about shoulders so here goes. I recently joined a gym that has a smith machine, and ive never used one for anything, and ive been experimenting with shoulder presses on it, but i find that i can only use about 60% of what i normally use when i do seated military press with a bb. Ive always heard it should be easier to do with a smith machine or that you can do more weight... why do i struggle so much with it?
because with the free bar, you are leaning back and using more upper chest and front delt, with the smith, you may actually be upright and focusing on the side delts, which are not as strong as the upper chest/front delt combo. So do them both. I use the smith because i want side delt development.
Both. Hit them all different ways: seated, standing, on a smith mahine...any of these these with heavy as weight will add mass to them shoulders
This.
I always "feel" DBs more so I tend to do those most often, but its always good change things up.