Ok, so I need some help from the experts. I have started weight training fairly recently. I'm trying to tone up my body but overall just be a stronger healthier individual. So far I've only been using dumbells...is this ok? I kind of want to start trying barbells but I'm scared to death of them. Not that they're harder just that I'm going to look like I have no clue what I'm doing. I work out with my boyfriend (who has even less experience with weights than I do) so I have a spotter, not a lot of risk as far as injury. Should I go for it? Where should I start? How do I know what weight to throw on the first time? Help! Thanks ladies.

Both barbells and dumbbells are good additions to a lifting routine.

Dumbbells work each side independently, so that your weaker side has a chance to catch up to your dominant side. Barbells also work your weaker side because you have to concentrate on balancing the bar. Many exercises can be done with either type of weight. I quite often mix them up- example rotate chest press with dumbbells then with the bar.

When starting the barbell for the first time, do the exercises without any weight on the bar. At my gym, there are the light 10 lb bars, then the same bars with weights already added (15, 25, 35, 45, 55, etc), as well as the heavy 45 lb bars to which you add whatever weight you want. I started with the no weight added, until I was used to the balance of the bar. Then I just worked up a little at a time. Don't increase the weight until you have the form down pat.

Generally speaking, you can double the weight for the bar from what you use in dumbbells. For example, if you can lift 10 lb dumbbells each arm, then you should be able to lift a 20 lb barbell. Bear in mind however, that a barbell has a different centre of gravity, so you may have to go a little lighter to begin with.

Don't be afraid of the barbell. One thrill I had was when I was moving the 25 lb bar to the bench in order to do a warmup set. One guy asked me if I wanted him to move the 45 lb bar out of the way. I said to him- no thanks, I'll be using that one next.

Hope this helps...

Let me see if I can get this link right. This lady is AWESOME! She has a workout that is all dumbells and some very good instruction about barbells, routines etc.
www.stumptuous.com

Depending what you are doing, there aren't a whole lot of good reasons to switch for upper body exercises. Chest presses and shoulder presses are safer on your shoulders and wrists using dumbbells than barbells, even if you have a good spotter. Other than the "coolness" and macho factor, bench presses and military presses have very little to recommend them unless you are an orthopaedic surgeon. The bar locks you into a position which may or may not be good for you. The dumbbells give you more leeway to adjust for your anatomy.

Lower body exercises are a whole different topic. Freebar squats with the long bar (an empty 45 pound bar is a good place to start) teach your body a lot more than dumbbells. The same holds true for deadlifts. Make sure that you get someone to teach you proper form. It's even more important with a free bar than it is with dumbbells. And if you have the space to do them, walking lunges with a full bar are in a category all by themselves!

Mel

I would say you can usually handle at least 10% more than the combined weight of the dumbells on a barbell. This would assume that you are equally proficient in each exercise and doing the same ROM.

The fact that you can handle more weight on the barbell exercises is the main reason I use barbells much more frequently than DB's. Otherwise I would say that DB exercises are superior.

It is just this kind of advice that makes this site so invaluable. Thanks Mel; I needed that. I mainly use dumbbells myself, although I'm about to move up to squats with a barbell.

This is good to know. I'm just getting used to the dumbbells, now I know there’s no rush to move onto the barbell if I don't want to. It is a bit scary lookin'.

Doing barbell bench presses is what killed my forearms. 3 months later, I'm still suffering from the after-effects. Admittedly, I was lifting a tad heavier than most of you other than Robert What he said about being able to go heavier with the bar is very true. I did 3 reps at 140 pounds. There is NO WAY that I could possibly lift two seventy pound dumbbells at all. The most I've ever done with dumbbells is 55 pounds and that's a on a good day with a spotter I trust with my life.

Mel

Oh great! This helps a lot. I guess what was pushing me towards the bar was that that's what you see the majority of exercises demonstrated with and I wanted to make sure I wasn't "wussing" out by using the dumbells. I'm using 12 or 15 lbs for most exercises now so I'm definatey starting to get stronger considering I started with 8 lbs. With squats, I use dumbells occasionally but I am often just using my body's own resistance. Is that ok? Thanks for all the help.

Definitely not. I find heavy dumbells much more intimidating than a heavy barbell. The only question is whether or not you are using a challenging weight on the DB's.

It is also more difficult to make small increases on the DB's unless you have a set of Platemates (small magnetic weights in 1.25# increments). 5# on dumbells can be a big jump, whereas on a barbell it is barely noticeable.