Many professionals attribute the dumbbell bench press on an incline bench to the most effective basic exercises. It carefully studies the pectoral muscles, and also involves several joints at once. This exercise is a closed chain of identical movements of several dozen repetitions. Dumbbells are used as weighting. This exercise is suitable for people who have already played sports or do it professionally.
Difference from bench press
Unlike the bench press, the dumbbell bench press allows you to increase the range of motion, which will be more beneficial for the muscles. In addition, stabilizing muscles are perfectly involved in this exercise, since it is necessary to control the position of both hands with dumbbells. Although it seems that the dumbbell bench press and barbell have many similarities, they still have very different effects on the muscles. As it turned out, the chest area is worked out more efficiently by the dumbbell bench press on an inclined bench.
The arms are bent at the elbow joint, the dumbbells reach the chest line, lingering for a while, and then return to their original position, the arms are fully extended.
Working muscles
During the execution of the press, the shoulder blade is involved, namely the anterior dentate muscle, the small muscle of the chest. The shoulder joint, which includes the biceps, and the trunk (stomach, buttocks, rhomboid muscles, trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscle) also works.
If you feel that the exercise is being done too easily, and you are not making the proper effort to complete it, you can complicate it. For example, you can try to perform not on an incline, but on a horizontal bench.
Preparing the place for the exercise
- We have dumbbells next to the bench.
- Take the dumbbells in the starting position for deadlift, and then straighten.
- Next, we fix the dumbbells in the front of the hips and carefully sit on the bench. After that, the dumbbells will be located in the hips.
- Take the starting position with a sharp jolt, taking a breath. During the beginning, as soon as you complete the first repetition, difficulties may arise, so it may very well be that you need someone else's help. Often you need another person who will hedge when you perform the dumbbell bench press.
Equipment
- First of all, you need to install an inclined bench. A dumbbell bench press is performed lying at an angle of 15-35 degrees (30 degrees). This is the most optimal position for the muscles of the chest. In addition, in this position they will be maximally involved, since the work of deltas and triceps is reduced to a minimum.
- The advantage of dumbbells is that, unlike the barbell press, there is no neck that interferes with movements. This provides an increase in amplitude, which is very beneficial for the muscles.
- To begin the exercise, you need to take the starting position on a bench fixed at the right angle: lie down, straighten the spine, put your legs on a bench or floor for stability, and press your back against the surface of the bench. During the press, it is important to monitor the position of the hands: they must move strictly parallel to each other.
- If you have performed this exercise with a barbell before , then with dumbbells you will have a new sensation: when your arms reach the lowest point, you will certainly feel how your chest muscles are stretched. Also stabilizing muscles will be connected here, the work of which was not done before because of the neck.
- It is also important not to rush while doing this exercise. When your hands are at the lowest point, hold on for a couple of seconds, giving your chest muscles the best possible stretch.
- To distribute the load evenly throughout the chest, keep your elbows extended and directed towards the ears.
Recommendations and Tips
- Please note that the benches in the gym are often not set at the angle you need, so before you start work, make sure that the equipment is installed correctly.
- Do not rush to increase the load. To begin with, learn how to correctly perform the dumbbell press on an inclined bench, because only correct execution is a guarantee of success.
- Make sure that all the load is only on the muscles. Do not perform the exercise due to vibrational movements of the hands.
- The chest should be straight and shoulders apart.
- At the highest point, the dumbbells should not touch each other. The distance should be maintained at about 15 cm. Do not straighten your arms to the end so that the triceps do not take on extra load from the chest muscles.
- As with all strength exercises, exhale during exertion. That is, in this exercise while lifting a dumbbell.
- During the whole approach, the elbows should have a strictly vertical trajectory, which is at shoulder level. If you bring them closer to the sides of the body, then you are in danger of getting injured.
- If you take too much weight, then the deltas, legs and torso will be more involved in the work, which will reduce the work of the chest muscles, which this exercise is focused on. Also, when you are doing a dumbbell press, the weight should correspond to the level of your training.
- The shoulders and head should not be torn off the bench. It is important to control that the extensor muscles are in constant tension. The natural curvature of the spine should also be maintained.
- It is best to do a dumbbell press on an inclined bench at the beginning of a workout on the chest muscles, since it is the base. After it, it is best to perform only bench presses with a downward inclination and dumbbell wiring.
- The optimal number of repetitions: 3-4 sets of 8-10 times.
Negative point
In addition to such a huge number of advantages, this exercise has one, but a serious drawback. It consists in the fact that with dumbbells it is difficult to progress the load. The fact is that in the gym are most often represented, for example, dumbbells of 30, 35, 40 kg and so on. That is, between them the difference is 5 kg, which is a huge indicator. So, when it is already easy for you to do the work with the available weight, and the time comes to take a heavier load, then at first these 5 kg will be quite difficult to master. But when working with the bar, such a problem will not arise, since there are always small pancakes, which will help to easily progress the load. And this point is important, since it is progress that causes stress in the muscles, which helps them grow.
One-handed dumbbell bench press
This exercise is almost the same as the two-handed press. Regardless of this, you need to monitor the correctness of the execution technique. The downside is that the hands do not work simultaneously, but in turn, from which fatigue appears faster.
In principle, everything is done the same way as when working with two hands. It is worth recalling only a couple of highlights:
- Downward movement lasts twice as long as upward movement.
- Do not grab too much weight immediately to avoid personal injury.