Dumbell Press Vs. Pushups

If you've ever participated in a chest workout, chances are you've done dumbbell presses and pushups. These classic exercises primarily target the pectoralis major -- the large fan-like muscle that spans your chest wall. Both are effective when your goal is to target the upper body. Which one you choose depends on your overall fitness goals.

  1. Muscle Activation

    • The American Council on Exercise published a study in October of 2012 comparing nine of the most common chest exercises in terms of their ability to activate the pectoralis major. The bench press turned out to be the gold standard for chest activation, with the pushup being only 61 percent as effective. While the study used a barbell bench press, research in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research," published in May 2005, noted that barbell and dumbbell presses are interchangeable in terms of muscle group activation. If your goal is to optimally target the pectoralis major for size and strength, dumbbell presses are a superior choice.

    Total Body Work

    • The dumbbell press targets the muscles located in the upper body only. Along with the chest, the move uses the front of the shoulders and the arms as assisters and stabilizers. The pushup uses a greater array of muscles for assistance and stabilization, including the fronts of the shoulders, the arms, the abdominals and the muscles along the spine. Training these muscles together with the upper body helps you develop a foundation of strength and gives you a sense of your strength in relationship to your body weight.

    Function and Convenience

    • Pushups provide functional strength for a wide range of exercisers. Athletes use pushups to develop power while the elderly might use pushups to develop the strength to brace themselves in a fall. A dumbbell press doesn't give you the same functional muscle memory. You can drop and do a set of pushups just about anywhere, so it is a convenient way to fit in a strength-training session at home or in a hotel room. Dumbbells and a weight bench aren't always available for presses.

    Beginners

    • Although almost anyone can train to do a pushup, the move can be hard for a beginner. You can do pushups on your knees or against a wall, but if you have wrist or shoulder discomfort, even these variations are not possible. The dumbbell press offers a way to train the chest, shoulders and arms without having to bear all your body weight on these joints. Beginners can use 8- to 10-pound dumbbells to build initial strength in the upper body and then move on to the pushup to develop greater strength.