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Thread: strength on barbell vs dumbbell

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    strength on barbell vs dumbbell

    whats up all...I was just wondering why my strength on heavy dumbell excersizes like shoulder press, flat db chest press, incline chest db press, etc. is good, but when I do barbell for these excersizes it seems so hard to get the strength up...whats up with the bar that makes it so much harder for me?

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    should be the other way around. proably has to do with the fact that you dont use the barbell often enough.you are probably using the dbells to often

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venum
    whats up all...I was just wondering why my strength on heavy dumbell excersizes like shoulder press, flat db chest press, incline chest db press, etc. is good, but when I do barbell for these excersizes it seems so hard to get the strength up...whats up with the bar that makes it so much harder for me?
    I am able to go up in weight with dumbells faster than with the barbell too. I think it might have something to do with the fact that I have really strong arms and am able to use them more with the dumbells to "cheat". I suggest you tighten up your form with the dumbells and you might find it harder again. That worked for me.

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    is using the smith machine for flat bench a good way to start brining my strength back up on barbell? i will be working out alone today so I will probably hit up the ol smith

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venum
    is using the smith machine for flat bench a good way to start brining my strength back up on barbell? i will be working out alone today so I will probably hit up the ol smith
    If you don't have a spotter the smith machine is a good choice so you can push yourself harder. But I wouldn't use it exclusively, you need to use the barbell to improve with the barbell.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venum
    is using the smith machine for flat bench a good way to start brining my strength back up on barbell? i will be working out alone today so I will probably hit up the ol smith
    NO!!!! the smith machine doesnt allow you to use your stabilizer muscles, best way to work your flat barbell press is to do flat barbell press variations

  7. #7
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    if you have acess to a power cage, put a movable bench in the cage, set the pins just low enough that the bar doesnt touch when you are pressing, now lets say you miss a rep, let the bar drift back above your chest, but below your face, the bar will land on the pins and you can just crawl out from underneath and re-set the bar for another set if you choose, does this explanation make sense? is it a clear expalantion? i have done this by myself many times with weights into the lower 400's upper 300's. it works if it is set up right

  8. #8
    Its sounds backwards but I found that if I did not lower the bar at a correct angle and drive up with a small angle backwards I struggled. I monitored some folk and corrected it.
    Good luck to you.

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