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Barbell Jay Cutler -- Took Flat Bench Out

Alan Mackey said:
I guess it depends on the lift.

For vertical pressing and any type of row, I find kettlebells way better than dumbbells. The latter, however, are much better for horizontal, incline pressing and curls.
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I've tried benching with KBs, feels weird.

And still unwieldy to get into position.
 
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LukeV said:
Shoulder impingement is inevitable for me, every time I program heavy on flat bench. It can happen on the first rep (yes, that has happened!) or in the fourth week, but it always happens. Dumbbell presses are no problem
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Have you tried floor pressing or board pressing. Most impingement is in the last 3-4 inches of ROM. Eliminate this and you can bench much better. I will also say, when my shoulder gets cranky I will switch to incline press with a fatter than usual bar and close in the grip by a few inches and within a month I am back to baseline for another 6 months.
 
DocMike said:
Have you tried floor pressing or board pressing. Most impingement is in the last 3-4 inches of ROM. Eliminate this and you can bench much better. I will also say, when my shoulder gets cranky I will switch to incline press with a fatter than usual bar and close in the grip by a few inches and within a month I am back to baseline for another 6 months.
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Yes, floor press was my ‘go to’ for quite a while and the change in ROM helped my shoulders a lot. However, dumbbells were for me a better option as the ROM is more complete, the neutral grip much more comfortable, friendlier on the shoulders and elbows, when going heavy. I found the same benefits with the Swiss Bar but a lot of gyms don’t have one so dumbbells win all around
 
watchnerd said:
I love dumbbells.

But...

I start to find them unwieldy >30 kg per side for pressing as you have to do some special maneuvers to get them into position.

DB rowing not an issue.
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Getting into position with dumbbells when going heavy on pressing is an exercise in itself. And for OHP, I find the starting clean does take a bit out of me, interfering a little with performance particularly on subsequent sets. Another thing worth considering when going heavy is that, if you get in trouble, dumping a dumbbell is not as easy as it looks. With a barbell, you just tip and the length of the bar both protects you and takes care of the rest. With a dumbbell, the weight is just going straight down and even if you’ve got some sideways motion so your body and feet are okay, your hand and arm are still under the weight. I’ve had a couple of near death experiences with barbells but I was never scared until I lost control of a dumbbell
 
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