If you’re looking to build strength, what’s the difference between using dumbbells vs. kettlebells vs. barbells?

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So which isyourbest option?

Dumbbells are designed to be relatively easy to maneuver, which makes them super versatile.

woman sweating in the gym

certified strength and conditioning specialist, founder ofCozy Athletics

They can move in any plane of motion.

They can fire up multiple muscle groups at once incompound exerciseslike asquat press.

At a certain point, youll want to move on to a different piece of equipment.

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

(Jones says her personal cutoff for dumbbells is 30 pounds.)

She adds that shell often grab kettlebells formobility worklikehalos.

Kettlebells design also makes them particularly ideal for power training with ballistic moves like the classickettlebell swing.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

Youre working to decelerate and then accelerate against the momentum of the bell, she says.

With the handle, all of the heavy weight hangs down, Jones says.

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certified strength and conditioning specialist, founder ofCozy Athletics

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Know that kettlebells have a bigger learning curve than dumbbells.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

Jones says that there are particular techniques to using kettlebells correctly that dont always come naturally.

I see a lot of people use kettlebells incorrectly or they hurt themselves, she says.

Theres a big range in the kettlebells, Larson says.

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

Its not just about the amount of weight you could lift, though.

And, with a well-built Olympic barbell, theres virtually no upper limit, thanks to 1000-pound-plus weight capacities.

you might pretty much do any exercise with the landmine, Jones says.

A barbell can be a really challenging piece of fitness equipment.

Jones recommends testing yourself by squatting with 45 pounds worth of dumbbells first.

Barbells can also just be hard to come by at times.

For some people, barbells simply feel too intimidating.

I would never make a blanket recommendation that everybody should try barbells, Larson says.

If somebody is curious about lifting a barbell, absolutely do it.

And every one of them will engage your stabilizer musclesmore than a weight machinewould.

Its going to challenge your torso, and its also going to challenge your joint stabilizers, Larson says.

This builds the kind of all-around strength that can help keep us healthy as we age.

I think its completely reasonable for anybody to try any of these modalities on their own, she says.

Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and web connection Meta-analysis.

Med Sci Sports Exerc.

2021 Jun 1;53(6):1206-1216. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002585.

Erratum in: Med Sci Sports Exerc.

2022 Feb 1;54(2):370. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002838.

PMID: 33433148; PMCID: PMC8126497.

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