Dumbbells, Kettlebells, or Barbells: Which Is Best for Building Strength?

Dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells can all be effective tools for building strength and power. But there are nuances between each of these three free weights that can affect which one works best in different scenarios, so we asked top strength coaches to break it all down for us.

Whether you’re just entering your strength-training era or you’re looking for an edge that’ll help you hit a new PR, here’s what you need to know when choosing between dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells for your next workout.

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Dumbbells are a tried and true strength-training staple

If you’ve only ever used one kind of free weight in your life, it was probably a dumbbell. They’re typically available in even the most basic hotel gyms, and have a beginner-friendly design that evenly distributes weight on either side of your hand, making them ideal for most standard strength-training moves. “The balance distribution of a dumbbell can be really helpful, especially if you’re somebody who feels nervous about the need to stabilize,” says trainer Kristie Larson, CSCS, founder of Cozy Athletics.

Dumbbells are designed to be relatively easy to maneuver, which makes them super versatile. They can move in any plane of motion. They can fire up multiple muscle groups at once in compound exercises like a squat press. And they’re your best free weight option when you want to target a specific muscle with an isolation exercise—like a biceps curl—Larson says.

But keep in mind…

Once you start lifting bigger and bigger dumbbells, they become more difficult to handle. “The heavier the dumbbell, the more tilty it can be—you [end up] lopsided,” says strength and nutrition coach Roxie Jones, CFSC, owner of BodyRox. At a certain point, you’ll want to move on to a different piece of equipment. (Jones says her personal cutoff for dumbbells is 30 pounds.)

Kettlebells’ unique design offers unique perks

What makes kettlebells different from either dumbbells or barbells is that all the weight is centralized at the bottom and connected by a handle, rather than two weights separated by a bar and evenly distributed on either side of your grip. That means your body has to work extra hard to stabilize a kettlebell’s weight as you move it through space. “If someone wants to work on balance or on dynamic control of the weight through a range of motion, I would reach for a kettlebell,” Larson says.

She adds that she’ll often grab kettlebells for mobility work like halos. “Because you're having to work so hard to stabilize, it can be a great way to fire up your rotator cuff and really find that mind-muscle connection before you go into heavier pressing exercises later on in the workout,” she says.

Kettlebells’ design also makes them particularly ideal for power training with ballistic moves like the classic kettlebell swing. “If you want to work on your power, your explosive strength, kettlebells are amazing for that,” Jones says. That’s because having the weight all centered at the bottom allows for momentum to come into the picture, Larson explains. “You're working to decelerate and then accelerate against the momentum of the bell,” she says.

Plus, because there’s a larger area on the handle to grip a kettlebell than there is on dumbbells, it’s easier to do movements where you’re grabbing the weight with two hands (like goblet squats), or that quickly switch hands (like a hand-to-hand kettlebell swing).

The centralized weight also makes it easier to lift heavier loads than you could with a dumbbell since it won’t tilt awkwardly to one side in your hand. “With the handle, all of the heavy weight hangs down,” Jones says.

But keep in mind…

Know that kettlebells have a bigger learning curve than dumbbells. Jones says that there are particular techniques to using kettlebells correctly that don’t always come naturally. “I see a lot of people use kettlebells incorrectly or they hurt themselves,” she says. For instance, she says some people mistakenly fold their wrist back during a clean rather than keeping it straight, or they let the bell slam into their arm at the top.

Also be aware that whenever you hit up a new gym, the kettlebells there might feel different from what you’re used to. “There's a big range in the kettlebells,” Larson says. “It can be hard to know if you're going to find something rubber-coated or cast iron, and they function differently depending on what they're made out of and what the shape is.”

What’s more, you’re typically looking at larger jumps in weight between options than you’ll find with dumbbells or barbells, Larson adds. While you might be able to put down a 20-pound dumbbell and then grab a 22.5-pound one, your gym might not have anything between 16- and 24-kilogram kettlebells (about 35 and 52 pounds, respectively).

Barbells let you build serious strength

When you want to lift a massive amount of weight, you need a barbell. “You're never going to be able to lift as heavy with a kettlebell or a dumbbell as you can with a barbell simply because you can load the barbell,” Larson says. By adding weight plates, you can move hundreds of pounds (once you, ya know, build up the strength to actually do that). Plus, you’re able to load a barbell while it’s on a rack, so you can go right into moves like squats or bench presses without having to pick the weight up off the ground, which means you can work with far heavier weights.

Lifting this heavy not only makes you feel like a badass; it’s also the most efficient way to make serious strength gains. A 2020 meta-analysis¹ in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that higher loads are the most effective way to build stronger muscles.

It’s not just about the amount of weight you can lift, though. Barbells make it simple to follow the well-proven strategy of progressive overload, where you systematically increase the challenge of your workout over a series of weeks. All you have to do is add a heavier or additional weight plate to keep lifting more and more, rather than having to find a whole new dumbbell or kettlebell. And, with a well-built Olympic barbell, there’s virtually no upper limit, thanks to 1000-pound-plus weight capacities.

On the other hand, you can go for a tamer challenge with landmine exercises, where one end of the barbell is securely attached to a base on the floor. This decreases the weight you’re lifting and provides a little more stability, which can be helpful as you get used to exercises like bent-over rows or deadlifts. “You can pretty much do any exercise with the landmine,” Jones says.

But keep in mind…

A barbell can be a really challenging piece of fitness equipment. Larson says she typically starts out clients with dumbbells and kettlebells, then only progresses to barbells once they’ve built up enough strength and mastery of various lifts. Jones recommends testing yourself by squatting with 45 pounds worth of dumbbells first. “If you can get your thighs parallel to the floor, carrying weight up top at the shoulders, you’re probably ready,” she says.

That’s because even before you slide on weight plates, an Olympic barbell will weigh 45 or 35 pounds (whether it’s designed for men or women, respectively). If you don’t have enough mobility and strength to effectively maneuver that heavy of a load, you’re “likely to find little ways to compensate which, over time, could cause damage to the joint,” Larson says.

Additionally, in order to stay safe, you need a dedicated spotter (or two) to do challenging barbell lifts like squats or bench presses with heavy loads. “If you don't really know how to get out of the lift, if you're close to failure, that can be dangerous,” Jones says.

Barbells can also just be hard to come by at times. They’re one of the most in-demand pieces of equipment in many commercial gyms, and they’re rarely available at hotel workout rooms when you’re traveling.

For some people, barbells simply feel too intimidating. “I would never make a blanket recommendation that everybody should try barbells,” Larson says. “If somebody is curious about lifting a barbell, absolutely do it. And if you look at a barbell and you think, ‘Eh, not for me,’ there are plenty of ways around it.”

TL;DR: Try whichever weight intrigues you

When used correctly, dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells can all help you get in a solid workout and build strength. And every one of them will engage your stabilizer muscles more than a weight machine would. “It's going to challenge your torso, and it's also going to challenge your joint stabilizers,” Larson says. This builds the kind of all-around strength that can help keep us healthy as we age.

While it’s always ideal to have a trainer guide you—especially when you’re brand new to a piece of equipment—if you don’t have the resources to hire someone, Larson says you shouldn’t let that stop you. “I think it's completely reasonable for anybody to try any of these modalities on their own,” she says.

Larson recommends that anyone who’s curious about various free weights go ahead and try each, testing to see which ones they like best for which movements. “Remember that the more you explore, the more tools you have so that on days when the gym is really busy, you can be flexible with equipment,” she says.