A quick googling of Starting Strength will tell you that it is essentially a barbell training exercise. Barbells are the best way to build strength, as it allows for incremental progress, where you add weight every workout. However, can dumbbells replace barbells? Let us take a look.
Barbell set-up vs Dumbbell set-up
In land-starved Singapore, I find that a full barbell setup simply takes up too much space at home. I guess in the US, a lot of people have garages that they can convert into a home gym. Practically nobody has personal garages here in Singapore. To have a home gym set-up for Starting Strength, at the very minimum, you will need a bench, a squat rack and the barbell and weights.
I did research for interest purposes on the costs required. I used Homegym.sg for reference purposes.
BENCH + SQUAT STAND + OLYMPIC BARBELL AND WEIGHTS (2×1.25kg, 2×2.5kg, 2x5kg, 2x10kg, 2x15kg, 2x20kg) – $1,200
Total cost is $1,200, without any assembly service. Further additional costs may be required:
Extra weights – I saw that most people on Starting Strength can progress up to 200-300 lbs in their lifts, so perhaps you will need more weights in the future as well, with one 20kg plate costing $84.
Flooring – You might also need some mats to protect the flooring, which do not come cheap (possibly another $100+).
Both the cost and space requirements of this barbell set-up are quite substantial. The cost is comparable to one year of gym membership. The space taken up is semi-permanent – the barbell, weights, bench and squat rack all take up space, and there’s a limit to how much can be “folded” away when not in use. This is in comparison with a dumbbell set-up, which only requires the adjustable dumbbells and a bench.
A more detailed write-up on the barbell home gym equipment is here: https://stronglifts.com/5×5/#Home_Gym
Pros and cons of dumbbells vs barbells
- Linear progression
First and foremost, as stated above, barbells are best for increasing strength, because it allows for linear progression. You can micro-load on the bar every workout, whereas for dumbbells, the jumps may be more uneven. You can progress in 1 – 2 kg increments in barbell workouts by micro-loading the bar. The set of dumbbells you have access to will generally not be in such small increments.
- Lifting heavy
Dumbbells simply don’t go as heavy as barbells. This is especially when you are doing compound movements which require heavy weights. People on the Starting Strength programmes can frequently deadlift, squat or bench up to 100+ kg. Your home set of dumbbells will seldom go up to such weights.
- Safety
On the other hand, dumbbells are safer if you are lifting alone, especially if you don’t have a power rack available. What if you fail on your set? With dumbbells, you can simply toss the weights to the side. With a barbell, you may end up trapped under the weight. This can be extremely dangerous.
- Muscle activation
Due to the greater range of motion, dumbbell exercises tend to have more muscle activation. While you may not be able to lift as much weight as using a barbell, you would be able to build a more balanced physique due to recruitment of more muscles in your workout. Dumbbells also allows you to build a more symmetrical physique as you will be using the same weights on both sides, as opposed to a barbell where you may be tempted to cheat. Dumbbells also engage more stabiliser muscles in your workout, which may lead to fewer injuries in the long run.
- Variety of exercises
Personally, I feel that dumbbells offer me greater variety of exercises. Barbells routines tend to be quite fixed. Load, lift, repeat. Whereas for dumbbells, they would allow for a greater variety of exercises, such as dropsets, supersets, pyramiding, etc. You can switch weights rapidly with the different dumbbells you have, as opposed to adjusting the weights on a barbell. Dumbbell exercises also take up less space, as opposed to swinging a 2m barbell around. I also like that dumbbells can also be used for HIIT exercises such as Insanity Asylum, whereas I am less familiar with HIIT routines incorporating barbells.
Ultimately, I decided to use dumbbells as a substitute to barbells. The total all-in cost for my dumbbell set-up is $880, which is >$300 less expensive. Equipment required is bench (foldable), dumbbells and mats, which are easy to store. Furthermore, my goal is not to become as strong as possible, but rather, to simply achieve and maintain a high level of fitness, whether it be strength, power or endurance. Dumbbells will serve my purpose sufficiently without taking up significant space in my house, and can be utilised for both HIIT workouts or simple weight training routines. In terms of space required and safety, both of which are my paramount considerations, dumbbells are superior to the barbell.
Fitness in SG 