At Omaha Barbell we’re all about dispelling stereotypes that get in the way of you achieving your fitness goals. One of the most common we’ve come across that’s worth setting straight is the idea that strength training, barbells and weight-lifting are only meant for men. There are plenty of good reasons for women to integrate barbell strength-training into their exercise regimens, and our fitness team at the #1 gym in Omaha is here to help you understand exactly what these reasons are.
Dumbbells and barbells are equally effective in building strength and lean muscle mass, but they do function differently, and some exercises are better suited to one than the other. In order to know which is best to use for any particular exercise, it helps to first understand each system’s mechanics.
Here’s a quick rundown from our Omaha Barbell team:
Dumbbells Simulate Real Life Situations
In the course of a typical day, your body moves through three planes of motion: frontal, sagittal, and transverse. Dumbbells allow you to mimic the natural movements your body goes through every day and build strength and endurance for those situations. If you’ve ever found yourself carrying a tired child home from the park while secretly thinking “Why can’t this kid just walk by himself?,” exercising with dumbbells would help you.
Dumbbells Improve Your Balance and Symmetry
Because dumbbells allow you to work one side of your body at a time, they’re useful in giving you better control of your muscle and joint strength gain. Using only a barbell for exercises like shoulder presses and rows wouldn’t be ideal, because one side of your body could end up doing more work than the other. By separating the movements, you can force each side to do equal work.
Barbells Allow for Safer, Heavier Lifting
Again, it’s all about control. If you perform exercises such as a bench press or deadlift with heavier dumbbells you could potentially lose control of one or both sides, leading to a dangerous situation that could result in injury, which would definitely get in the way of your progress toward your fitness goals. At Omaha Barbell we recommend using a barbell as it allows you to start with the weight in a safe holding arrangement (such as a rack or raised platform) and gives you more control throughout the motion of the exercise.
Let the #1 Omaha Gym Help You with Barbells
Omaha Barbell’s team of weight training experts want you to know that whether you stick with dumbbells or start using a bar, it’s vital that your lifting regimen become progressively harder over time. The only way to get stronger is by gradually increasing the stress you put on your body through strength-training! This keeps your body continually adapting, and over time will give you the healthier, stronger frame you want.
Come on down to Omaha Barbell, Omaha’s best gym for strength-training, and let us help you start out with barbells. With a good understanding of why and how to use them, barbells are an effective tool in your fitness training routine. Call us today at (402) 594-4485 to schedule an appointment, or just stop in at our location, 8935 J Street, Omaha, NE, and see all the equipment and expertise we have to offer!
