Push-ups and dumbbells have similarities and differences. A push-up is a body resistance exercise that is commonly used in fitness testing and military protocols. Dumbbells are cast iron or steel weights that range from 1 to 120 lbs. If you are new to fitness, learn more about push-ups and dumbbells to see if they will help you achieve your goals.
Exercises
A basic push-up is performed from a face-down position on the floor. After placing your hands approximately shoulder-width apart and feet together, simply lift and lower your chest by bending your elbows. To increase the challenge, elevate your feet on a chair or bench, perform plyometric push-ups by forcefully lifting your hands off the floor with each rep or do them with one arm or one leg lifted.
Dumbbell exercises are done from standing, sitting or laying positions. A dumbbell curl, for example, is done from a standing position, a front press is done from a seated position and a chest press is done while laying on the floor. With most exercises, the dumbbells are held by the handles in the center, but they can also be held from one end or both ends. For example, a sumo squat is performed from a standing position while holding the inside of one weighted end. A side chop is performed from a standing position while holding one dumbbell on the ends.
Muscle Groups
Push-up and dumbbell exercises vary greatly when it comes to the muscles being worked. The main muscles with push-ups are the pectorals--the chest muscles. They also target the anterior deltoids which are on the front of the shoulders and the triceps on the back of the upper arms. No matter what variation of push-ups you do, your abs are always engaged to maintain proper alignment with your body.
Dumbbells also require ab contraction to maintain good posture, but they also work many more muscles. You can work every major muscle in the body with dumbbells. With some exercises, more than one muscle is being worked at the same time. T clean and press, for example, is performed by grabbing dumbbells off the ground, lifting them to chest height and then pushing them straight overhead. This works the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, deltoids and triceps.
Convenience
Push-ups can be done anywhere, any time. This makes them valuable when you are at home and can't make it to the gym or are away on business and are confined to a hotel room. That being said, dumbbells are also convenient. When working out at the gym, you can easily grab a set of dumbbells, do an exercise, then grab a different set and do another exercise for a different body part in a matter of seconds. If all you have is a few sets of dumbbells at home, you can literally get a full body workout with them. You can also blend push-ups and dumbbell exercises in a workout.
Overload Principle
With push-ups you only use the weight of your body. If you want to increase resistance, you need to wear a weighted vest or challenge yourself by doing different variations. Even then, you will only get the resistance that your body and a vest will offer. Because dumbbells go all the way up to 120 lbs., you can continue to increase your weights as you adapt to exercises. This will enable you to progressively gain size and strength.
Benefits
Because push-ups are bodyweight exercises, the biggest benefit you get from them is muscular endurance. This is the ability to perform multiple muscle contractions for a long session. With dumbbells, the biggest benefit you get is muscular strength. But by increasing your reps and using lighter weights, you can also improve muscular endurance as well. In both cases, this can be felt in everyday tasks.
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