When you see bodybuilders pumping iron, they’re usually working with barbells or dumbbells, two effective ways to add resistance and make a strength-training workout more challenging. However, there’s more than one way to get a strength workout and there are pros and cons of each approach. Let’s look at six different types of resistance you can use to build strength and the advantages and disadvantages of each are.
Barbells
Barbells are intimidating because people see them as the domain of serious bodybuilders. They can help you build significant strength, but they aren’t the best way to strength train when you first begin. It’s best to start with bodyweight strength exercises, like bodyweight squats, to get your form right. Then, transition to light dumbbells. Only after you’re comfortable with dumbbells and mastered your form with them, should you progress to barbells.
What are the pros of barbells? Working with them allows you to generate the maximum force possible. The downside is they’re intimidating to work with, and they don’t work your core muscles as much as dumbbells. With dumbbells you hold a dumbbell in each hand, creating an unstable situation where your core muscles have to work harder to stabilize. Plus, a barbell is easier to grip, making it much more versatile to use than dumbbells.
Barbells are “customizable” too. With standard dumbbells, you’re limited to lifting only the weight of the dumbbell. In comparison, when using a barbell, you can vary the resistance by adding more weight plates on each side of the bar.
Dumbbells
Among the most popular accessories for adding resistance are dumbbells. As you know, dumbbells come in various weights. To increase the resistance, you pick up heavier dumbbells. However, there are adjustable dumbbells too. With an adjustable dumbbell, you can increase or decrease the resistance to accommodate your needs. They’re a space saver because you don’t have to buy multiple sets of dumbbells.
For most exercises, you hold one dumbbell in each hand. As mentioned, gripping a weight in each hand creates a more unstable position that recruits the stabilizing muscles in your core more. So, you get more core focus when you use dumbbells as opposed to a barbell. However, you won’t be able to lift as much weight with dumbbells because they create more instability. If you’re trying to maximize strength gains, you might, after working with dumbbells for a while, introduce barbells to your training. You might also work with both.
Resistance Bands
Resistance bands may not look as challenging as dumbbells and barbells, but you can still get an effective workout with bands and they have advantages that dumbbells and barbells don’t. For example, you can work your muscles from different angles with resistance bands, whereas you’re locked into a defined path with a barbell. Even dumbbells restrict movement more than bands.
Plus, resistance bands hold tension throughout the full range-of-motion of an exercise. When you do a biceps curl with dumbbells or a barbell you lose tension on the muscle at the top of a curl. This doesn’t happen with resistance bands. The tension stays high throughout the movement. Resistance bands are also portable and safe for beginners and carry a lower risk of injury.
Kettlebells
Kettlebells have some advantages over other forms of resistance. With kettlebell swings, you can boost explosive power by moving a kettlebell through space quickly. That’s ideal for perfecting the hip hinge movement that’s so critical for kettlebell swings. Getting the hip hinge right will help you when you do other exercises such as squats. Plus, kettlebell swings elevate your heart rate more than working with dumbbells, barbells, machines, and resistance bands since it’s a dynamic movement.
Bodyweight exercises
Bodyweight exercises are ideal when you have no equipment. You can always do push-ups, dips, squats and wall squats using your own bodyweight. The limitation of bodyweight exercises is it’s hard to increase the resistance. Eventually, your body adapts to bodyweight exercises, even if you increase the repetitions and volume.
You can make some bodyweight exercises harder, such as push-ups, by placing your hands closer together or raising your feet when you do the exercise, but you’ll eventually reach a strength plateau. That’s why it’s important to include some form of resistance in your strength-training routine as you advance.
Exercise Machines
Machines are most appropriate for beginners. Once you’ve trained for a while, add dumbbells, bands, barbells, or kettlebells to your routine, so you don’t become too dependent only on machines. Weight machines restrict your range of motion and that makes it difficult to train your muscles in a way that maximizes gains.
One advantage to machines is they make it possible to lift heavier because you’re in a stable position. Plus, many exercise machines are helpful for isolating certain muscle groups that are difficult to work with free weights.
The Bottom Line
All of these weight training accessories can be valuable to your strength gains. Which one you use depends on how advanced you are and what your goals are. When starting out, machines, resistance bands, and light dumbbells are safest. But once you’re more advanced and want to maximize strength and how much you can lift, barbells cab help you achieve that.
Machines are the most limiting because they hold you in a fixed position, so you don’t have to work as hard, but they can be useful if you’ve never worked with weights before or want to focus on individual muscle groups. You might also discover that you enjoy mixing the different forms of resistance for variety and to work your muscles a bit differently.
References:
• Westcott WL. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2012;11(4):209-16. doi:10.1249/jsr.0b013e31825dabb8.
• Lyons TS, McLester JR, Arnett SW, Thoma MJ. Specificity of training modalities on upper-body one repetition maximum performance: free weights vs. hammer strength equipment. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Nov;24(11):2984-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e726c6. PMID: 20940634.
• WebMD.com. “How to Start Strength Training”
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