Barbell Or Dumbbells For Your Home Gym?

The age old question….. A barbell or dumbbells for your home gym?

When setting up your home gym you may be wondering what equipment to purchase and this will solely depend on your personal goals, what exercises you enjoy doing but also the space you have available. A decision you may make is whether to buy a squat rack, bench and barbell or buy a bench and dumbbells. Both of these popular pieces of equipment both have their place, however if you could only pick one or the other what should you choose and why? By the end of this article ‘barbell or dumbbells for your home gym’ you will hopefully have more of an idea to decide which one is right for you.

Benefits of dumbbells:

Quick and easy to use: There is no need to load & unload plates onto a barbell. Dumbbells are fast to grab and quick to continue your workout
Good for limited space: Useful for home gyms with limited space or if you are using a shared space like your lounge
Access more exercises: dumbbells provide a greater range of exercises including one handed and also exercises that add a greater range of motion
Easy to store and move: dumbells take up little space and are portable so you can exercise anywhere
Isolate specific muscles: train individual arms or target chosen muscles
Greater individual muscle use: more muscles are used to stabilise dumbbells during exercises and imbalances can be improved

Drawbacks of dumbbells:

Higher price point: can be particularly expensive especially once you start getting multiple sets of dumbbells or heavier dumbbells
Limited capacity to hold weight: unless you have lots of different dumbbell sets you are limited with progressing to heavier weights if your goal is to increase strength over time

Benefits of barbells:

Add heavier weight: plates can be added to increase total weight so you can lift heavier loads
Use in a rack with spotters: so you can easily and safely train to failure
Good for compound exercises: bench press, overhead press, squats, deadlifts, rows etc.
Good for building overall strength: with heavier loads, progressive overload can be applied

Drawbacks of barbells:

Takes up more space: a dedicated space is generally needed to store and use your barbell
Muscular imbalances: may occur if you are not performing exercises with good form
Limited range of motion: exercises are performed with limited movement of the bar

Conclusion

When deciding on barbell or dumbbells for your home gym it comes down to and depends on your training style, goals and preferences

Do you enjoy strength training sessions including bench pressing, squats, over-head presses etc.? If so barbells allow you to load much heavier loads and will be the better option for progressing in the long term. Or do you enjoy having access to varied HIIT and isolation exercises then dumbbells might be for you. It all comes down preference, do you want and are able to dedicate space for a home gym setup and include a rack, barbell and bench or do you just want to perform some HIIT exercises and have added resistance using dumbbells.

If your serious about your training and have the dedicated space and budget go for both a barbell and dumbbells.  Both can work well together and complement each other. Having dumbbells adds more isolation exercise options to your compound exercises which can mix up your training and keep it interesting. If you do get both if gives you access to a huge range of strength and toning exercises.

If you are on a limited budget and looking to improve your overall strength a barbell can be better value for money although this does depend on your goals.

If you are new to strength training exercises and looking to include bench pressing, overhead shoulder pressing etc. a barbell can provide added support having both arms on the bar and with lifting overall heavier weight this will build more strength and muscle.

A good option for small or minimalist home gym owners or if you have limited space are adjustable dumbbells with these you have access to a whole variety of different weight levels in minimal compact form without needing to have lots of different dumbbell weights and a dumbbell rack to store them. Adjustable dumbbells are the most space saving option as they take up hardly any space and can be easily stored away under your bed, in a cupboard or even in the trunk of your car.

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Enjoy building your home or garage gym! 🙂 barbell or dumbbells for your home gym? Why not both!