What is Better for Shoulder Development – Barbell or Dumbbell Press?

Nicely shaped, broad shoulders represent one of those body parts that immediately set us apart from the crowd, silently stating that we are serious about training and in great shape.

Various versions of shoulder presses, lateral raises, and rear deltoid flyes, upright rows, and shrugs are excellent exercises that will surely bring you close to your goals. However, the two exercises that will definitely do the best job and give you the highest return on your invested time are the barbell shoulder press and the dumbbell press.

Many variations and execution techniques are associated with these two most popular exercises, which is not surprising given their ability to build muscle mass in the shortest amount of time, as well as support the execution of other exercises.

Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, which we will present below to ultimately rule in favor of the best one.

Barbell Shoulder Press

This exercise is many people’s first choice when it comes to increasing shoulder muscle mass, as it stands alongside other popular and effective exercises like squats, deadlifts, chest presses, and rows – which are considered the fundamentals of every good resistance training program.

As a multi-joint exercise, the shoulder press allows you to load up with heavier weights and thus achieve an increase in muscle mass and strength over a longer period of time, following the principle of progressive overload.

You can perform it seated or standing, with the execution technique being almost identical. It is important to grip the bar firmly with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width so that the forearm can remain vertical. Start the movement at the base of your neck with the bar positioned in front of your face. However, keep in mind that there are different variations for the grip and bar position depending on the specific characteristics of each individual, so always adjust the movement to your body.

Position your elbows inward and push the bar up in one controlled motion along a slightly inclined path, finishing the lifting movement above your head. Without locking your elbows, squeeze your shoulders and slowly and controllably return the bar to the starting position.

Advantages:

Like all other multi-joint exercises that involve multiple muscle fibers and motor units in the movement, this exercise has the ability to primarily develop strength like no other connected to shoulder development, precisely because it allows the use of heavier weights, leaving plenty of room for progress and challenge.

Also, through greater activation of the front and middle heads of the shoulder as agonists in the press execution, this exercise has an advantage due to the use of heavier weights in building muscle mass and strength of other adjacent muscle groups that participate in the movement as synergists – the trapezius, triceps, and upper chest.

Disadvantages:

With all the mentioned advantages in building strength and muscle mass comes the disadvantage of a higher risk of injury. Namely, the very method of performing this version of the press, due to the tendency of excessive weight accumulation, can be dangerous, even more so if performed incorrectly.

It is not uncommon to see various consequences of performing this exercise, which often occur precisely because of carelessness and overdoing it, especially at the beginning of training. It is also important to highlight the lack of shoulder and thoracic mobility, which often affects poor execution and further increases the risk of injury in some people, as well as the danger of lumbar hyperextension in the standing position, which occurs due to the inability to manage the body with heavy weights.

 

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

The dumbbell press is another effective and frequently seen exercise in gyms, often preferred primarily for its convenience, i.e., the greater availability of the equipment itself. And not only that, this exercise is truly effective for a complete, balanced development of shoulder muscle mass due to the even and greater activation of all heads of the deltoid.

As with the barbell press, you can perform this exercise in a standing or seated stance, but for the purpose of this article, we will consider the seated version.

After properly positioning yourself on the bench, carefully pick up a pair of dumbbells of appropriate weight from the floor (if it’s easier, lift them to your knees first), and swing them with a controlled movement to bring them in line with your shoulders. With your elbows positioned to the sides of your body, press the dumbbells upwards, above your head, ensuring you don’t lock your shoulders or touch the dumbbells together. Lower them back to your shoulders with a controlled movement and then perform the set number of repetitions.

Advantages:

Since you are using two separate dumbbells, this exercise requires greater attention to maintaining balance. Unlike the first exercise, due to the position of the elbows, you will target the middle and rear heads of the shoulder more, thus contributing to a more balanced development of your shoulders. Also, due to the lower possibility of using heavier weights, the risk of injury will be smaller.

Disadvantages:

One of the disadvantages of performing this exercise is the dispersion of energy spent on stabilizing the load, unlike the barbell press, which means it is not a good choice for you if working on strength is your priority. If you perform it with a limited, partial range of motion to push out heavier weights, you could experience a greater risk than this exercise carries on its own.

Difficulties with initially lifting heavier weights overhead in this manner also pose a problem for some, and care must be taken to keep the back firmly against the backrest during execution to ensure your body remains in an upright position, thereby minimizing the danger of a possible injury or, at the very least, inadequate performance of the exercise itself.

 

Conclusion

Of course, as always, the decision on which of these two exercises to include in your training regimen depends solely on your personal preferences, goals, and past and/or present injuries. Each of them has its advantages, as well as disadvantages, and requires a certain level of control and technique, but the most important thing is – both will serve you well.

Make the most of each by rotating them from workout to workout: save the barbell press for days when you are working on strength, and the dumbbell press for days with a higher number of repetitions focused on hypertrophy (muscle growth) to ensure you have done everything in your power to achieve your goal.

Just pay attention to the correct execution technique and ensure that your degree of mobility corresponds to the demands of the exercise you choose.