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Dumbbells tend to be more JOINT friendly.
The dumbbells allow for a more natural movement of the joints because your not gripping on to a very “static” bar. This allows for tweaking the exercise for the least joint aggravation.
Easier to balance out weak body parts.
Both the left and right sides of the body are forced to work with the same workloads. As opposed to using barbells where one side of the body can compensate for the other weaker side of the body. This usually leads to injuries.
Some dumbbell exercises are safer than their barbell counterparts.
An example would be dumbbell squats versus barbell squats. Say you squatting with a barbell and you get stuck your in big trouble if you have no spotter. On the other hand say you’re squatting with dumbbells and you get stuck you can simply drop the weights.
More exercise variations using dumbbells.
The freedom of movement dumbbells allow help the user to work the muscle from many different angles. This in turn allows for better muscular development.
Dumbbells cause more muscle activation.
Without getting too scientific dumbbells allow for a slightly greater range of motion than barbells.
The dumbbells allow for a more natural movement of the joints because your not gripping on to a very “static” bar. This allows for tweaking the exercise for the least joint aggravation.
Easier to balance out weak body parts.
Both the left and right sides of the body are forced to work with the same workloads. As opposed to using barbells where one side of the body can compensate for the other weaker side of the body. This usually leads to injuries.
Some dumbbell exercises are safer than their barbell counterparts.
An example would be dumbbell squats versus barbell squats. Say you squatting with a barbell and you get stuck your in big trouble if you have no spotter. On the other hand say you’re squatting with dumbbells and you get stuck you can simply drop the weights.
More exercise variations using dumbbells.
The freedom of movement dumbbells allow help the user to work the muscle from many different angles. This in turn allows for better muscular development.
Dumbbells cause more muscle activation.
Without getting too scientific dumbbells allow for a slightly greater range of motion than barbells.
Barbells allow you to lift heavier.
Lifting heavier enables you to maximize mechanical tension to a larger degree than dumbbells can. This means muscular growth.
Barbell movements require less stabilization as you press.
For example lets compare dumbbell press with barbell press. With dumbbell press you waste a lot of energy before you even perform your first rep. Compare this to barbells, all you need is a small lift off and you’re ready to start your set. This allows for more energy for muscular stimulation.
Some barbell exercises just fit better biomechanically.
For example The Squat is just biomechanically better to do with the barbell. The positioning of the bar on the back leads to a safer way to squat with heavier weights. This goes for numerous other exercises as well.
Barbells are great for compound movements.
Compound movements such as Clean and Jerk, the Squat, and Deadlifts, are great for involving many large muscle groups at a time. This is a great way to develop strength and muscle mass as well as stability.
Lifting heavier enables you to maximize mechanical tension to a larger degree than dumbbells can. This means muscular growth.
Barbell movements require less stabilization as you press.
For example lets compare dumbbell press with barbell press. With dumbbell press you waste a lot of energy before you even perform your first rep. Compare this to barbells, all you need is a small lift off and you’re ready to start your set. This allows for more energy for muscular stimulation.
Some barbell exercises just fit better biomechanically.
For example The Squat is just biomechanically better to do with the barbell. The positioning of the bar on the back leads to a safer way to squat with heavier weights. This goes for numerous other exercises as well.
Barbells are great for compound movements.
Compound movements such as Clean and Jerk, the Squat, and Deadlifts, are great for involving many large muscle groups at a time. This is a great way to develop strength and muscle mass as well as stability.
The Conclusion:
There is no concrete conclusion to this question because it must depend on your exercise needs. That being said there are definitely times where dumbbells will fit your needs better than barbells and vice a versa. For example if your lifting at home with no spotter, dumbbells are definitely your answer, same if you're looking to balance out unequal body parts. But if you’re looking to build as much strength as possible then you need to go with barbell training.
The knowledge you need to take away from all this is that the best well rounded workout program for you will probably consist of a well thought out combination of barbell and dumbbell training.
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