The dumbbell bench press is an excellent basic exercise that successfully supersedes the classic barbell bench press. The reason lies in the functionality of the muscles, because when working with the bar only the lower parts of the chest are involved, while with dumbbells you can work out all segments of this muscle. And if you use different angles of inclination of the bench, you can simultaneously work out other stabilizer muscles.
Exercise bench press dumbbells freely included in women's training programs, as it actively explores such problem areas as the crease area in the armpits and the inside of the shoulder. In addition, it is much easier for ladies to perform an exercise with dumbbells, because not every girl can lift a bar weighing 20 kg.
Biomechanics exercises
When bench press dumbbells most actively involved in the work of the chest, namely the middle and upper segments. Also, part of the load goes into the triceps and the front delta. Even if you slightly change the angle of inclination of the back of the bench, you can increase the effect on certain muscle groups:
- in a horizontal position, the middle chest bundle receives the most load;
- under a slight slope of 30-45 degrees, the load is gradually shifted to the upper chest;
- the lower part of the chest is connected when doing the bench press in the upside down position, on the backward inclined bench.
Dumbbell Bench Press - A Great Start For Beginners
The dumbbell bench press is an easy and affordable way to improve your strengths. After all, not everyone can immediately go to exercises with a bar weight of 20 kg, especially if it concerns girls. Although this exercise is basic, it is not at all complicated, which means that it will not be difficult to master its technique. What is the advantage of dumbbells over the bar:
- Extended amplitude. In exercises with a barbell, the motion vector is very limited, which means that muscle stretching is almost minimal. With dumbbells, you can allow the maximum amplitude of movement, which will have a very positive effect on the effectiveness of the exercise.
- More working muscles. Since we work with a free and dynamic weight, many stabilizer muscles are included in the work.
- The moment of peak contraction. This is only possible with dumbbells, because we have the opportunity to bring our hands together in an arc.
Dumbbell bench press as a way to "finish" the muscles
After hard training for large anatomical groups, it is often necessary to “clog” the working muscles to failure. However, there is simply not enough strength for exercises with a barbell or simulators, and it is always easy to perform a couple of approaches of the bench dumbbell press. Moreover, you can always choose the minimum working weight. Exercises with dumbbells usually close the training process and allow you to work out the muscles to a complete failure.
Benefits and features of working with free weight
The main drawback of the bench press is the even distribution of the working weight between the hands. If one side of your body is stronger than the other, you will not be able to effectively complete this exercise. After all, one hand will not be able to fully squeeze the weight, and the other will receive an insufficient load. The advantage of dumbbells is free, and most importantly, separate weight for each arm. Both halves of the body perform the exercise independently of each other. Another plus is the need to maintain balance and constantly balance. This means that, in addition to the target muscles, numerous stabilizing muscles will participate in the exercise. And if you perform the usual dumbbell press while lying on the bench, but already at an angle, then the legs and pelvis will take part of the load, but this is relevant only for working with a very large weight.
Technique recommendations: bench press
The effectiveness and efficiency of the dumbbell bench press lying on a bench depends on the correct technique:
- Choose the appropriate dumbbell weight and bench for the exercise.
- Lie on the shell, head, shoulders, pelvis and lower back completely lying on the bench. Legs are widely spread apart and rest with heels on the floor. Once you have chosen a comfortable pose for you, return to your sitting position.
- Place the dumbbells at a convenient distance for you, you should freely reach them from a sitting position, as well as freely lower them back. Move the dumbbells to your knees and return to the supine position.
- Simultaneously with the change of position, move the shells on your chest. Lift the dumbbells in front of you, lining them in a line at chest level, your elbows can be slightly bent.
- Slowly begin to lower your hands down, while it is necessary to gain air into the lungs. Watch the setting of the elbows, they should go along a straight path and look strictly sideways.
- As soon as you feel the maximum stretching of the pectoral muscles, stop the movement of the hands for a few seconds and just as smoothly return to the starting position. At the point of maximum muscle contraction, begin to exhale slowly.
Before performing the main exercise, be sure to do several warm-up approaches with a small weight.
Features of the exercise technique at different angles
When doing a dumbbell bench press lying on an inclined bench, remember some technical nuances:
- In order not to roll down when pressing at a large angle, be sure to raise the lower edge of the seat, otherwise the technique of the exercise will suffer greatly.
- Press movements must be performed strictly in a vertical trajectory. Do not roll your arms or lead dumbbells in an arc. The distribution of load on muscle groups occurs only due to the angle of the bench.
- For stability, spread your legs as wide as possible and rest your heels on the floor.
When pressing a dumbbell lying on an inclined bench upside down, it is also worth considering some features:
- This body position is enhanced by a rush of blood to the head, which means that during pauses between sets, you must definitely get up and walk a bit. For your safety, do not perform this exercise with large weights.
- Feel free to ask your roommates for help. After all, taking dumbbells in this position is not very convenient, especially when it comes to a large working weight.
Common Training Mistakes
Even with light basic exercises, minor difficulties may arise. Here is a list of frivolous but fairly common errors that are best avoided:
- Inadequately selected weight. If the dumbbells are too heavy, you will involuntarily make jerky movements with your hands, and this will negatively affect the technique and work of the joints.
- Keep your hands at right angles to the body, do not press them against the body. If the trajectory changes, then the exercise becomes simply useless.
- When doing the dumbbell bench press lying on an inclined bench upside down, be sure to take advantage of help and do not try to take dumbbells yourself. Otherwise, you can earn sprains or dislocations.
- The head should be completely on the bench, the face is looking strictly up. Looking away or turning your neck, you create torque in the spine, which, combined with a heavy load, can lead to joint injury or pinching.
- For non-standard execution of the press upside down, be sure to fix your legs, otherwise you will simply slide down and injure your neck.
- Do not perform the exercise at a high level of intensity. Speed is not as important as the right technique. The movements should be smooth and focused, concentrate on the work of the target muscles.
Dumbbell Bench for Muscle Growth
If you want to provoke muscle growth, then do a dumbbell bench press at an angle of 30 or 45 degrees. However, you should not rely only on this type of training. This is a good basic exercise, but it will not be enough for proper growth of the pectoral muscles.
Before you purposefully train individual segments of the pectoral, you must first tire the bulk of the muscles. To do this, do the classic bench press with barbell and push-ups with weights. With the help of dumbbells, you can "finish off" the working muscles or use this type of training to maintain the body in good shape.
In addition to the main exercise, you can add French bench press with dumbbells to the program . Triceps and deltoids work fine in this type of training. Exercising these muscles is especially important, because the effectiveness of all bench exercises depends on them.
Single Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell bench press lying on a horizontal bench is a complex exercise, both hands must be involved in it. However, this is not always true. Very often, one half of the body lags significantly behind the other, because a person is, in principle, very disproportionate. In this case, you should either take dumbbells of different weights, or load the stronger part of the body with additional repetitions with one hand. However, this is not the only reason why you should try the bench press of one dumbbell.
This method can be used in order to maximize the feeling of muscle work and understand the biomechanics of the exercise. After all, with two dumbbells you are too focused on technology and may miss the brain-muscle connection. Try different angles of the bench, experiment with a grip and legs, choose the most comfortable position for you in which you feel the maximum stretching and contraction of the working muscles. Remember that if you do not properly feel the load on the target muscles, then the exercise is wasted.
Alternative Exercise Methods
There are several other methods for doing this exercise without using a bench:
- Dumbbell bench press lying on the floor. This is a great alternative to the classic version. In this position, the entire load goes precisely to the pectoral muscles, since there is no additional support in the form of legs and lower back. The short trajectory of the exercise allows you to work primarily on strength, this variation is great for working with a record working weight.
- Dumbbell bench press on the gym ball. Using the ball helps significantly relieve back and lower back. This option is suitable for people with injuries and even pregnant women.
When doing the exercise, always remember the safety precautions: the gym is not a place for setting records and boasting; always adequately evaluate your strengths and capabilities.