Barbells Vs Dumbbells Vs Kettlebells

Is there a difference between barbells, kettlebells (KBs), and dumbbells (DBs)? Like does it really matter which one you are lifting with? We are about to dive into that. Because there are pros and cons to them all and hopefully once done reading these, you get a better idea of which makes most sense for you. Truthfully, I am a fan of incorporating them all and you’ll see why after reading! But also, it’s okay if you only use one. Especially due to access, sometimes all you have access to is a kettlebell or dumbbells and that's okay.

So let’s dive in!

Barbells

The Pros:

  • Due to the nature of barbells and the fact you add weighted plates on these are great if you are doing heavy strength training. You can add a whole lot of weight to a barbell. Like 100s of pounds. So this is great in terms of lifting heavyyyyyyyyyy

  • It is fixed and stable. So what this means is there isn’t really a stability aspect on your end to control the weight. This results in being able to move heavier weight vs the KB or DB.

  • The lifts with a barbell are not complex and truly anyone can learn them and learn them fairly easily. Olympic lifts, are a little more complex, but again with coaching and focus you can learn them relatively quickly, like in an olympic weightlifting class that is an hour or less

  • Ability to increase weight by small increments. There are .5lb weight plates out there, there are .25lb weight plates out! That means you can increase the weight evenly among both side by just 5lbs. These smaller plates are called fractional plates. Now not every gym has this small of plates, most commercial gyms carry plates to the size of 2.5lbs. However the option is there if you wanted and you can find these fractional plates more at crossfit and powerlifting specific gyms

The Cons:

  • One plane of motion. What this means in the barbell can only be lifted in one plane, the Sagittal, up and down. There are 3 planes of motion

    • Sagittal: Cutting the body in half vertically so there is a left and right side

    • Frontal: Cutting the body in half– through the body so there is a front and back (anterior and posterior) 

    • Transverse: Cutting the body horizontally- so there is an up and down (superior and inferior)

  • When lifting we want to think about all these planes and for a well rounded program, hitting every plane is ideal

  • Can be intimidating at first to a lot of people due to the fact, they are unsure how to lift and then unsure how to bail from a heavy lift. Learning how to bail from a heavy back squat is important and should be practiced before lifting super heavy. Yet with learning how to perform the lift and how to bail, they become less intimidating. (Check out The Free Lifting Guide, coming September to learn how!)

  • Not an accessible option for at home weight lifting to many. Barbells, squat racks, and weighted plates are costly. So this is not usually the go to for people who are lifting at home. Which means this type of lifting is usually left for the gym


Dumbbells

The Pros:

  • Can work in different planes. You could use dumbbells to work in every plane: Sagittal, Transverse, and Frontal. This helps stress the muscles differently vs a barbell and leads to more options in terms of what exercises you are able to do

  • Can do unilateral training. So you can only work on one side at a time. Like one arm dumbbell rows or one arm dumbbell overhead press

  • More accessible in terms of cost and being able to purchase your own to workout at home. This allows more flexibility if you struggle with getting to the gym on a consistent basis

The Cons:

  • You won’t be able to lift as heavy as with a barbell due to the unstable nature of dumbbells.

  • If you are keeping at home and you want to get a range of dumbbells, they do take up alot of space. So you would need to take this into consideration and/or buy a storage rack fo the dumbbells

  • Usually only come in 5 lb increments, sometimes gyms will have 2.5 increments, but that tends to be larger commercial gyms and will only have the 2.5 increments up to a certain weight before they switch to the 5lb increments

Kettlebells

The Pros:

  • Due to the shape and distribution of weight of a kettlebell, they are great for swinging exercises. So think KB swings, KB cleans, KB snatchines. Think explosive movements! Hello power training

  • Thanks to the shape of the handle and a ball, this also helps represent more functional movements like the everyday lifting you may encounter. It is rare that you are moving furniture or carrying groceries that have their weight equally distributed across the object. 

  • Not just strength, but cardio. Research has found doing kettlebell workouts can induce cardiovascular benefits as well when compared to other forms of cardiovascular training (1,2,3). So multi-functional depending on your training goals, if you are looking for strength and cardio training, kettlebells would be a good option in their versatility.

  • Like dumbbells, you can use them to train unilaterally and also in all three planes of motion

The Cons:

  • Their shape, while great for explosive movements and functional, can also be a con. They are more difficult to lift with vs dumbbells because of adding in an extra layer of stabilizing. So if you are beginner and just starting off, this can make lifting kettlebells a little more harder, due to the coordination aspect

  • Cost. Kettlebells are pricey, definitely more pricey than dumbbells. So if you are looking to buy weights, dumbbells may be the more cost effective option if price is being taken into consideration

To wrap it up, which one is best? They all have a place and use and have their benefits and cons. That’s why I am a big fan of incorporating all of them into your strength training routine. If I were to choose 2 to incorporate, the barbell and dumbbells, especially since not all commercial gyms have kettlebells. If  you are looking into how to lift with these weights and how to perform lifts, make sure to check out The Free Lifting Guide which is coming mid September! We dive all into it. 


Resources

  1. Williams, Brian M.; Kraemer, Robert R.. Comparison of Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Responses in Kettlebell High-Intensity Interval Training Versus Sprint Interval Cycling. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29(12):p 3317-3325, December 2015. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001193 

  2. Thomas, James F.; Larson, Kurtis L.; Hollander, Daniel B.; Kraemer, Robert R.. Comparison of Two-Hand Kettlebell Exercise and Graded Treadmill Walking: Effectiveness as a Stimulus for Cardiorespiratory Fitness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 28(4):p 998-1006, April 2014. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000345 

  3. Eckert, Ryan & Snarr, Ronald. (2016). Kettlebell Training: A Brief Review. Journal of Sport and Human Performance. 4. 1-10.

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