Dumbbell bench press at an upward angle. Bench press on an incline bench. We study all the subtleties and secrets of the correct dumbbell press on an incline bench

Low bow, my dears! It’s been a while since we’ve been technical and haven’t dealt with the practical component of training. Let’s do just that today using the example of a debriefing exercise, the barbell press on an incline bench. After reading, each of you will learn everything about the advantages, technique, and secret tricks of the incline press. We will also find out what type of bench press is considered the best for the growth of pectoral muscles and in what...well, I won’t reveal all the trump cards in order to maintain the intrigue.

So, I ask everyone to take their seats in the auditorium, I give the third bell, let's go.

Bench press on an incline bench. What, why and why?

Believe it or not, the bench press exercise is the most popular exercise in any gym. As soon as Monday begins, all the guys rush to the gym as quickly as possible in order to be the first to stake a bench for themselves. Sometimes it gets straight to the point of ridiculousness: the corner benches stand untouchable and untouchable, but at the horizontal bench there is simply nowhere for an apple to fall, everyone stands and waits for their turn. In this article I will try to convince you that just doing horizontal bench presses won’t fill you up and you need to (even to a greater extent) work out the chest from different angles.

As you know, the pectoral muscle is usually divided into three sections - top, middle and bottom. To work out each of them, there is its own version of the basic bench press exercise:

classic (lying on a horizontal bench);
at an angle upward (incline);
at an angle downwards (decline).

The last two are significantly inferior in popularity to their more famous counterpart. This is not good, and then we will figure out why.

Well, we’ll start, as usual, with the basics, or more precisely, with the anatomical atlas of the incline bench press. It presents the following picture:

The pectoralis major muscle is shaped like a fan. Its fibers have different orientations and angles of tension from the upper to the lower part of the chest. All the fibers converge in one place on the humerus of the upper arm. The pectoralis major has two heads: the clavicular - located on the front surface of the clavicle and the sternocostal - on the lateral part of the sternum and 6 upper ribs. These two heads meet near the humeral head:

The clavicular head of the pectoral muscle receives contractile force when performing the press at an upward angle. In other words, in an upward inclined press, the fibers of the clavicular head of the pectoralis major muscle (PMC) are activated to a greater extent, while the horizontal press primarily involves the fibers of the sternocostal head of the PMC. It is also important to remember that when performing incline presses, you cannot completely isolate the fibers of the upper and lower chest.

Note:

All further narration on the topic “bench press on an inclined bench” will be divided into subchapters.

Why do you need presses at different angles?

Who do you think had the most developed chest in ancient times? That's right, among the gladiators, these guys knew how to achieve her ideal proportions, symmetry of mass and volume. The secret of their high-quality breasts turns out to be simple, and it lies in paying special attention to the lagging sections, in particular the upper one.

If there are variations of the same exercise, it means that someone needs it... and they need it, first of all, for a full-fledged (over the entire volume) development of pectoral muscles. The classic horizontal press is great for building overall chest thickness and specifically developing the lower and outer portions of the pectoralis major muscle. However, one-sided work with a horizontal press will not create a balanced muscle mass of the chest with a “thick” upper part.

The lower regions of the rib cage have more fibers and potential depth of development compared to the upper regions. Therefore, if you do not pay attention to incline presses, then there is a high chance of becoming flat-chested. The upward angled press is designed to build a “high chest” and thereby improve its balance and square shape, like those of gladiators.

Advantages

Let's look at what benefits we will get from doing the incline bench press exercise.

The advantages include:

development of several muscle groups simultaneously. The incline press simultaneously engages the pectoralis major/minor, anterior deltoids and triceps, allowing you to develop their strength and volume;
analysis of EMG activity of the angle press ( 40 degrees) upward showed significant inclusion of fibers of the clavicular head of the femoral bone;
helps overcome the plateau - improve bench press results in the classic variation of the exercise.

Execution technique

In order for the load to target the target muscle group, it is necessary to adhere to the correct execution technique. The following step-by-step instructions will help you with this.

Step #1.

Approach the bench and set the desired incline angle (30-45 degrees). Place the barbell on the rack supports, equip it with weight and secure the clamps at both ends. Lie down on a bench, grasping a barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bring her to straight arms. This will be your starting position.

Step #2.

Slowly (as you inhale) lower the bar until it touches your upper chest. Hold for one count, squeezing your chest muscles.

Step #3.

After a second pause, using the force of the pectoral muscles, squeeze the bar up and return it to the IP, while exhaling. Repeat the specified number of times.

In the picture version it looks like this:

in motion as follows...

The exercise has many variations of execution, for example:

depending on the width of the grip: wide – shifting the load on the shoulders, narrow – triceps;
depending on the angle of the bench: at an angle 30 , 45 , 60 degrees, upside down;
reverse grip press;
press up at an angle;
Incline dumbbell press;
Press at an upward angle in a power rack.

Here are some visual examples of all this mess:

The following tips will help you perform the incline bench press more effectively. (at an upward angle). So remember:

the barbell should not move in your hands, otherwise reduce the weight of the weight;
firmly fix your feet on the floor, focusing on your heel;
contact with the bench should be made at the following points: shoulder blades, sacrum, head, shoulders;
make sure that throughout the movement you maintain a natural arch in your lower back;
your shoulder blades should be kept together the entire time you perform the exercise;
the bar should clearly fall to the top of the chest (collarbone), for this in some cases it may be necessary to slightly move the head back;
dropping the projectile (eccentric phase) should occupy 2 times longer than rising (concentric phase);
at the lowest point the forearms should be vertical;
never bounce the barbell off your chest (quench inertia);
lying on a bench, bend your spine and stick your chest forward;
do not lift your chest and shoulders off the bench (meaning that they should be formed 3 fulcrum points - middle/bottom of trapezoids and 2 these are the shoulders. The chest does not come off the bench from the very top of the back).

Now let's go a little through the theoretical calculations.

Research: What's Best for Upper Muscle Development?

Now I will shock you a little with the news.

The bench press uses the full range of chest muscles. There is a belief that incline presses work better on the top/bottom of the chest, and flat presses work better on the middle. As I recently learned, this is not entirely true.

Below I will give calculations of one scientific work from the “Department of Human Movement Studies” and “Department of Anatomical Sciences”, University of Queensland, Australia.

15 years ago, a study was conducted using EMG (muscle electromyography). The purpose of which was to identify which muscles (and to what extent) affect certain variations of the bench press. So, it was found that the bottom of the pecs is best “hooked” by a horizontal press, in comparison with tilting the bench up or down. When it came to the top of the pecs, the study found that the upward angled press was slightly more effective than the flat or downward angled variations.

Variations of gripping the barbell were also studied and it was found that a narrower hand position in combination with an upward angle of the bench was best (of all analyzed) option for developing the upper pectoral muscles. The conclusion of the study is this: There are no huge benefits to developing the pectoral muscles when working at different angles... so don't show off :) press horizontally.

Which bench press is best for growing pectoral muscles?

If you are used to trusting science, then the above research results will help you decide on exercises for breast development. In addition, I would like to say that by changing the apparatus from the bar to dumbbells, you get a “deeper” range of motion and better stretching. These two factors are vital for good pectoral growth.

In total, to create massive breasts throughout the entire volume, be sure to include the following exercises in your training program:

horizontal barbell press;
at an upward angle;
Smith machine downward angle press.

Well, like this, in this spirit, in this way. This was the last thing I would like to report on, let's say goodbye.

Afterword

Today we got acquainted with such an exercise as the incline bench press. I am sure that now your breasts will “pop” in a completely different way, and after just a few workouts you will easily catch up with your girlfriend in breast size :).

That's all, I was glad to see and hear everyone, see you again!

PS. Friends, what do you think about incline presses? Do you use them in your training?

P.P.S. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in your social network status - plus 100 points towards karma, guaranteed.

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

Beginners and masters of strength sports use the floor-angle bench press to add volume to a flat torso, model the shape of the chest, and pump the inner edges of the fan-shaped muscles. It is with its help that bodybuilders eliminate asymmetry in the development of the right and left sides and polish their forms before competing in competitions. In addition, the development of the pectoral muscles affects the efficiency of pushing movements, throws, pulls, and lifts.

Despite the obvious benefits, there is a significant downside to the angled dumbbell press. flaw– weight restrictions. If you can press a barbell of 100 kg from a lying position, then it is unlikely that you will be able to lift 50 kg weights. It's all about the strength of the stabilizer muscles. The more tense they are, the lighter you need to take the dumbbells. Ideal the weight is considered to be 85% of the barbell.

For beginner athletes there are difficulties with increasing the load. If the weight of the barbell can be increased smoothly, adding 0.5 kg at a time, then its gap when working with dumbbells is up to 2 kg.

The best option– alternate both techniques and work out the chest mass with a barbell and apparatus.

What you need to know

When choosing degrees of inclination backrest, keep in mind that its position affects the load distribution:

when pressing dumbbells at an angle of 30° the central zone works;
when benching at an angle of 45° focus moves up;
at an angle of 60° the emphasis shifts to the frontal deltas and triceps;
the lower segment is pumped upside down.

Incline Press Technique

Work at a moderate pace and mentally control your movements.

Decide on the back angle.
Sit on a bench, press your lower back and squeezed shoulder blades tightly against the back. Place your feet firmly on the floor with your feet wide apart.
Grab the weights with an overhand grip and lift them closer to your deltoids with bent arms.
Inhale with all the power of your lungs, hold your breath, and with a coordinated movement, lift them along the trajectory of a wide arc.
Once you cross the midline, exhale.
Straighten your elbow joints, bring your hands together above your collarbone. At the climax, pause for a second.
Inhale and go into the negative phase.
Lower the projectiles to your shoulders and squeeze without delay.

Using this principle, perform lifts with one hand, trying to lift them as high as possible. It is not forbidden to tear the shoulder off the surface.

Comments

Watch your breathing. When lifting, holding the exhalation mobilizes the stabilizer muscles. This provides the body with immobility and increases the efficiency of the exercise.

Watch the placement of your elbows. Move them in a vertical plane, and when lowering, move them to the sides horizontally to the floor. Don't bring them closer to the sides - you're taking risks stretch your shoulder joints.

Straighten your arms at the top, bring the dumbbells together. Otherwise, it will not be possible to load the serratus muscles and thoroughly work the outer edges of the fan-shaped muscles.

Synchronize your hand actions so as to ensure smoothness and continuity of movements. This can only be done by using moderate weights. When working with heavy projectiles, the efficiency of the equipment decreases due to load redistribution.

When, how and how much

Go to the incline press after compound exercises, for example, after. To work your entire torso evenly, train according to the following scheme:

work with classic ones;
then set the backrest at an angle of 30° and perform 10 lifts in 3 sets;
set it to 45°, lose weight and repeat 2x10;
gain muscle.

Follow 10-14 times in 4 sessions.

Incline dumbbell press in video format

The classic incline dumbbell press is an exercise for developing chest muscles. This basic movement has been known since the “golden era” of bodybuilding. The dumbbells started pressing before the barbell. Many bodybuilders find the movement more beneficial for building outstanding volumetric muscles than the barbell press, because with dumbbells the muscles work through a fuller amplitude. Some individuals, however, manage to say that beginners should not press dumbbells, but only need to work in the gym. But in fact, there is nothing complicated in this exercise. It is only important to learn how to do it correctly from the very beginning.

It would seem that it could be simpler - we put the backrest on an incline of 30 degrees, sit on a bench, dumbbells in our hands, lower ourselves, press our shoulder blades and pelvis, bring the dumbbells up, lower them, squeeze them out. But here too there are “platforms for discussion”:

Some coaches consider the dumbbell bench press to be a technical error if the back is in a natural arch. They consider this deflection to be analogous to a lifter’s “bridge” and say that this does not allow them to pump up their chest;
Others argue that when the shoulder blades are brought together and lowered to the floor, and the pelvis is rigidly fixed, it does not matter where the athlete's lower back is located. There is no particular meaning in her “forcible” pressing to the bench. But the heads of the shoulders looking forward are a violation of the anatomical plane of the joint, and the cause of injuries

Does the chest work if the lower back is separated from the bench? Yes, because otherwise it is simply not possible to start from the bottom position of the bench press. In order to achieve emphasis, you should simply lower the dumbbells completely.

Is it possible to get injured if your back is arched during the bench press? Yes, too, but only when the athlete lies unstably on the bench, his legs are relaxed, and his top is “assembled”, but not correctly. This refers to the adduction of the trapezius muscle to the ears.

In fact, the correct technique is possible by:

Shoulders away from the ears;
Assembled blades;
Firmly rest your feet on the floor, without them slipping;
Work along the correct trajectory, without pushing the dumbbells towards the eyes

The back should be stable, not neutral. “Jumping” on the bench, attempts to push the weight up, and changing the position of the lower back are not allowed. If it is slightly bent and the athlete is comfortable in this position, it’s okay.

Technically, the bench press is performed like this:

The athlete sits on a bench, brings his shoulder blades together and removes his shoulders from his ears;
Then he lies down in his original position;
The assistant helps to bring the dumbbells to the level of a line passing through the plane of the middle of the chest;
Dumbbell bars are perpendicular to the spine, the grip is straight and closed;
Wrist creases are excluded;
As you inhale, lower the dumbbells to the lowest point of amplitude, if possible, closer to the point at which the bar of the bar could rest on your chest during a bench press;
As you exhale, you need to consciously tighten your chest and push the dumbbells up;
Another controversial point is the position of the elbows. Should I extend it completely or leave it slightly bent? If control over the implements is not lost with “soft elbows,” you don’t have to fully extend them. But those athletes who cannot hold dumbbells in a way that keeps their bars stable should use lighter weights and stick their elbows in.

Important:

When performing bench presses to work the pecs, pay attention to the angle of the bench. If the back is tilted at an acute angle, the load shifts to the front deltoids. It is ideal to place the bench at 30-45 degrees and no more;
There is no need to choose dumbbells that are too heavy. Heavy weight allows you to achieve significant hypertrophy, but if an athlete cannot keep the bars in one plane, “pulls” the dumbbells up on one side, and actively hyperextends his elbows, he provokes injury. A little muscle shaking and instability is allowed during the last reps.
Overload of the cervical spine should be avoided. Athletes who rotate their heads during exercise, try to put weight on the neck, and actively overload the cervical spine can cause a pinched nerve. If you have an irresistible desire to stand in a kind of bridge with support on your neck, do not flatter yourself - the dumbbells are too heavy, you should choose an adequate weight. If such a mistake is repeated regardless of the weight of the dumbbells, you should place a pancake or other support under the bench, since it is simply too low and the athlete “warps” because of this;
When lifting dumbbells on your own without the help of a spotter, they are not lifted onto the biceps or brought up from the floor. They are placed on the hips and raised by pushing the legs;
Before pressing dumbbells, you need to straighten your back on the bench and stabilize your body position, so that when lowering the dumbbells, your pecs are stretched

In order to achieve harmonious development of the chest muscles, both dumbbells should be lowered evenly downwards so that the movement does not require the use of the front deltoids to align the implements. If an athlete cannot work evenly, it is worth monitoring his posture. For scoliosis, it is recommended to press first with one hand and then with the other. The free hand is pressed against the body, or raised upward with the dumbbell, if the weight of the apparatus allows this to be done.

Selecting dumbbell weights is the most “painful” topic for beginners. After all, it is the bench press that serves as a certain measure of strength indicators and success in the gym. That’s why many people grab the heaviest dumbbells and try to press them with all possible violations of technique. This is a big mistake. The basic dumbbell movement is only effective if used in a technically correct manner. “Twisted” presses lead to nothing other than injury to the wrists and shoulders.

The exercise is performed with the help of a spotter; this is a more rational option. It makes no sense to press very light dumbbells of 10-12 kg, men with average physical development and a weight of 70 kg can start with 18-20 kg for 8 repetitions, or use a slightly lower weight during the warm-up, and gradually increase it for working approaches.

The movement should not be performed with an open grip, where the thumb does not wrap around the dumbbell bar and the implements may slip.

Does it make sense to perform a short curl of dumbbells at the top of the exercise’s range, as some bodybuilders advise doing? This is not always justified, or rather, it is not justified in most cases. When a person brings the dumbbells together so that their discs touch each other, not only the pectoral muscles are involved in the work, but also the trapezius and shoulders. Therefore, at the initial stages of your fitness journey, you don’t have to do this.

Correct positioning of the bar will help you avoid wrist creases. It should be placed in the middle of the palm, and not on the fingers, then the grip will be active, and the exercise will not be traumatic.

A separate topic is the delivery of projectiles to the head. Many people believe that the exercise should be performed in a trajectory as close to the neck as possible, but this is not so. The dumbbells should be lowered so that the pecs stretch as much as possible and can contract within the anatomically designed amplitude for them.

Working muscles

The main mover is the pectoralis major and minor muscles, triceps and anterior deltoid. The biceps, back muscles, and partly the serratus and trapezius muscles help the movement. The legs act as stabilizers.

Pros of Dumbbell Press

The exercise does not require special preparation; if the biomechanics of the upper body are impaired, you can perform the press with light dumbbells, even if the elbows bend differently, or the innervation is partially impaired, or the chest muscles are damaged. That’s why dumbbell presses are often included in rehabilitation programs.

The movement allows you to balance the development of the right and left half of the body, which is important both for aesthetics in bodybuilding and for strength in the bench press and powerlifting. The dumbbell press will eliminate the distortion of the barbell in the classic bench press, and will help to more actively engage the neuromuscular connection when it comes off the chest.

The dumbbell press helps to work the “top” of the chest, which is important for women who want to have good shape. The exercise cannot distort the shape of the breast, or in any way affect the mammary gland itself, so it can be safely performed by anyone who wants to improve their physical fitness.

The movement allows you to perform work over a larger amplitude, actively using the chest muscles, and not just the triceps and deltoids. In this sense, the incline dumbbell press is “better” than the barbell bench press, and can replace it for purposes related to body aesthetics.

The movement is difficult to perform if there is a curvature of the spine in the thoracic region. In this case, push-ups, push-ups from a platform, loops, support, or seated presses are recommended.

You can and should press dumbbells by actively tensing the muscles of your back and legs; if this is not yet available, you should choose exercises in simulators.

It is difficult to lift a lot of weight alone; you need a spotter, and for high-level athletes, two assistants.

But the main disadvantage of the exercise is not in it itself, but in the equipment that is purchased for fitness clubs. For people taller than 180 cm, a standard fitness bench is too low, and therefore it is almost impossible to get into the correct starting position. If benching is not convenient due to your height, it is worth adjusting the position of the bench by placing weights for the barbell under the stops.

You can control yourself using the following parameters:

The athlete touches the bench with the back of his head, shoulder blades and pelvis;
The projectiles are lowered into a line passing through the center of the chest, and can rise to the line of the collarbones;
The press trajectory is not linear, but elliptical;
During the movement, pushing the weight, unintentional pauses throughout the entire amplitude, and active assistance of the body are excluded;
Exhalation is carried out with effort, while inhaling it is necessary to lower the dumbbells, as if opening the chest;
Shoulders and elbows need to be strictly controlled, to prevent them from “breaking” and unnatural trajectory.

Errors

Technical errors in the dumbbell press are the movement of the projectiles both to the eyes and to the stomach, uneven press, displacement of the dumbbells and not a tight grip.

It is necessary to monitor the trajectory of the dumbbells, choose equipment that is adequate to your training level, and do not forget that the mechanics of movement consist of lowering and lifting, and an error in lowering (too high or low) can cause a violation of the trajectory of the press.

For a bodybuilder or fitness specialist, this may be the first exercise that builds both muscle mass and volume. The movement is performed in 8-15 repetitions, sometimes 4-6 repeated sets are practiced to develop strength.

If the movement is included in the program after the bench press, 12-15 repetitions are allowed. The number of working approaches depends on the level of the athlete. It is advisable to do at least 2-3 of them, more is possible if the athlete is recovering normally.

The dumbbell bench press allows you not only to build aesthetic chest muscles, but also strengthens the shoulder joints when performed correctly. Follow the technique and you will achieve your training goals.

Muscular chest is a sign of good health and strength. Surely every young man wants to have trained and strong breasts. There are quite a few exercises to achieve this goal. Today we will talk about one of them. Namely, about the dumbbell press on an incline bench.

Dumbbell bench press on a horizontal bench

By and large, this exercise is an alternative to the classic bench press. The technique for performing this exercise is quite simple:

Starting position: you lie on a horizontal bench. You hold dumbbells - they are at the lowest point.
Press the dumbbells with a powerful upward motion.
You don't fully extend your arms. At the top point you need to linger for 2-3 seconds. This is necessary in order to work out the chest muscles as much as possible.
After which, you smoothly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
At the lowest point, you must also hold the dumbbells for 3-3 seconds. This way we will achieve a good muscle stretch.
Perform this movement 12-15 times.

The dumbbell press differs from the barbell press only in that at the bottom point you can stretch the chest muscles much better. And at the top point you can rotate your palms or press this way initially. This will force more muscle fibers to work.

The main thing is safety. There are known cases when an athlete picked up dumbbells with an inaccurate jerk and suffered a sprain. Therefore, it is better for your friend to give you the dumbbells.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Incline dumbbell bench presses are performed to work the upper chest. To shift the load to the upper chest, you can set the angle of the bench. For example, at an angle of 45 degrees The upper chest will work more than at a 15 degree incline.

Typically, bodybuilders, after the classic bench press, perform various dumbbell bench presses at angles. The technique for performing this exercise is the same as for the horizontal press. The only difference is that here most of the work is done by the upper chest and front deltoids. As a rule, athletes can lift less weight with an upward incline than with a horizontal press.

Dumbbell Bench Press at Downward Angle

One of the varieties of pressing movements. Aimed at developing the lower chest. If you perform this exercise along with dips, you can pump up an impressive lower chest. By the way, this is the most noticeable part of it, so you should not neglect this exercise.

Generally, bodybuilders can lift the same amount of weight on this exercise as they can on a bench press. However, do not forget about the classic bench press. All the dumbbell incline presses would be meaningless without the classic barbell bench press. You definitely need to combine these exercises.

Incline dumbbell row

Quite often, after vigorous work on a certain muscle group, you want to work with its antagonists. For those who don't know, it's a muscle group that acts in the opposite way. For example, the chest is a pressing muscle, and the back is a pulling muscle. Accordingly, the chest and back are antagonistic muscles.

After your pectoral muscles have worked well, you will probably want to work on your back. This feeling can only be understood by a practitioner. Only those who constantly work out in the gym.

So, in order to work your back, you can do dumbbell rows on an incline bench. This exercise develops your back muscles, trapezius, and the back of your shoulders. The essence of the exercise is simple: you hold heavy dumbbells in your hands and pull them up. At the top point you linger for 2 minutes. It is enough to do 15-20 repetitions.

If you like this exercise, very good. However, you should not do too many approaches. After all, today is chest training day. Save your energy for a day of back training. Today, do two sets of deadlifts for your pleasure.

Breathe correctly. When lifting the projectile, you must exhale. When lowering, inhale. Never hold your breath while doing exercises.

When you deadlift, keep your back straight, don't slouch. Perform dumbbell exercises after barbell exercises. This will help pump a lot of blood into your chest and thereby increase the effectiveness of your workout.

Keep your training interesting. Training should never be a boring or routine activity for you. In addition to basic exercises, do others:

Various types of push-ups.
Exercises with cables.

Variety of workouts will give very good result. After all, it was not without reason that the idea arose that the muscles needed to be shocked.

Give yourself light training days once a month and train with dumbbells. On such days you need to take light dumbbells and do a lot of repetitions. This is one option for creating a shock to the muscles. And the dumbbell bench press is a suitable exercise for this.

Now you know what an incline dumbbell press is. The technique of this exercise is not very different from the technique of classic bench presses. Now you have the power to give yourself the breasts you want!

The dumbbell bench press is an exercise for pumping up all parts of the chest. To fully engage the top, bottom and middle of the pectoral muscles, it should be performed at different angles. Consider the bench press in a horizontal position, as well as at an angle of 30, 45, 60 degrees and upside down.

Working muscles

Essentially, the dumbbell press hits all the same muscle groups as the barbell press. The main load falls on the chest. Additionally, the anterior deltoids and triceps work. A large number of other muscles in this exercise are used in an auxiliary manner.

Depending on the position of your body, the load on the pectoral muscles may vary.

If you do the exercise on a horizontal bench, the middle part works.
By performing an incline dumbbell press, you hit the upper chest.
And if the slope is reversed, that is, you lie on the bench upside down, the lower part of the pecs takes on the main load.

What are the benefits of the dumbbell press?

Let's figure out why the bench press with dumbbells is so good. Why is it often preferable to the same basic barbell press?

In what cases is it necessary to press dumbbells on an incline bench, and when is it better to press on a horizontal bench?

Easy start for beginners

When you're at the gym for the first time, there's no point in lifting a barbell. Your body has not yet mastered the technique, and your muscles will not be able to fully contract to complete all the repetitions.

The Olympic bar weighs 20 kg, which can be a lot for the first bench press in life. Dumbbells will allow you to practice your technique with light weights, which is very important at first.

Over time, the weights will increase, and it will become possible to switch to a barbell. But even in this case, you should not forget about dumbbells. For example, you can perform a dumbbell bench press lying on an incline bench (or a horizontal version) after a barbell bench press.

The ability to “clog” muscles

After heavy basic exercises, you need to squeeze out the remaining strength from the muscles. Doing this with a barbell is sometimes too difficult. A beginner may not have enough strength to handle an empty 20 kg bar. Therefore, you can refine the muscles of the chest, shoulders and triceps using dumbbells.

The dumbbell incline press is a good last exercise in this case. After all, if the fly can only use the chest and part of the deltoids, then pressing dumbbells at an angle and horizontally allows you to distribute the load over the entire chest, triceps and anterior deltoid muscles.

For a full feeling of “refusal”, you can work with light weights 15–20 times in 2 approaches. The muscles will burn incredibly, followed by a proper feeling of fatigue.

No attachment to place

The point is that to press a barbell you need racks, you need a barbell. There is no mobility. It's the same with dumbbells.

The dumbbell bench press on a horizontal bench is the simplest in this regard. Just look for a bench. And you can bring dumbbells to her anywhere. At home, you can use stools lined up in a row. Lay down and work.

If you do the exercise in the gym, you don’t need to remove the weights from the dumbbells and put on new ones. If you plan to train with several weights, just place them next to each other. Once you’re done with some, you can immediately take others and do supersets, circuit training, etc.

If you plan to do a dumbbell bench press lying on a bench with a positive incline, or, conversely, upside down, it will be a little more difficult. Here you need an inclined bench. However, there are usually several of them in gyms, so this should not be a problem.

The advantage of split weight

When you press a barbell, the weight is distributed evenly between both hands. The downside to this event is that if one arm is weaker than the other, you may not complete the exercise. Because one hand will lag behind. And the second one is not able to squeeze the entire barbell - it’s hard.

When you work with dumbbells, each hand handles its dumbbell one on one. That is, if one arm is weaker, this will not prevent the other arm from pressing the weight.

In addition, when you work with dumbbells, you spend more energy holding the weights. Since each hand carries its own weight, you can easily lose your balance. If one hand does not have enough strength to squeeze the dumbbell, you are immediately unbalanced. Therefore, balance stabilizers are intensely strained and strengthened during such exercises.

When you do incline dumbbell bench presses (45 and 30 degrees), most of the weight is distributed between your heels and your pelvis. This position is more stable than lying on a horizontal bench.

Execution technique

To use an exercise effectively, you must first learn how to perform it correctly.

Flat bench press

We choose dumbbells and a bench. It is better to put a towel under your head and back.

The technique is as follows:

We lie down so that the pelvis, back and back of the head are on the bench. Nothing should hang!
We place our legs at an angle of 50–60 degrees, pressing our heels into the floor. Make sure that it is difficult to turn you onto your side in this position. If so, you are lying quite stable, and you can begin the exercise. Remember how you lay down. Now sit down.
The dumbbells should initially be placed in such a way that when you sit down, they are within reach of your hands. Take dumbbells and place them on your knees.
Lie down as you tried before. At the same time, you need to move the dumbbells to your chest. Now that you are lying down, straighten your arms so that the dumbbells are at the top, leaving a slight angle at the elbow joint.
You need to turn your arms so that the handles of the dumbbells are parallel and on the same line, as if you were holding a barbell in your hands.
From this position, we begin to smoothly lower the weight down, the elbows moving strictly to the side and down.
When your elbows are as low as possible and you feel a stretch in your chest, it's time to return the dumbbells to their original top position. We do this while exhaling, releasing air through the mouth. We inhale through the nose while moving the dumbbells down.

By the way, don’t forget about the warm-up approach - 10-15 times with light weight. Then we take up working weights and do 3 sets of 8–10 repetitions.

Angle presses

The dumbbell press on an incline bench differs from the horizontal one in several nuances: the angle of the backrest and your movements.

Incline dumbbell presses at 45 and 30 degree angles make sense to do after the basic barbell bench press.

Once a week, if the lower chest lags behind, you can practice dumbbell press lying upside down (30 or 45 degrees minus).

The technique is the same as with the horizontal version. Just pay attention to the nuances.

When performing on a bench with a positive incline:

Since you are not lying horizontally, you will slide down. To prevent this from happening, raise the edge of the seat slightly up. You will understand for yourself how to do it right, because you will stop sliding down.
Up and down movements are carried out strictly in the vertical axis. Thanks to the angles of 30 and 45 degrees, the loaded part of the chest changes.
Your feet should be placed wider than on a horizontal bench. This will make you sit more stable.

The dumbbell bench press with an incline downward from the chest also requires some knowledge:

When your head is lower than your body, more blood flows to it. This can cause increased intracranial pressure, dizziness, and darkening of the eyes. It is dangerous for elderly people to perform such stunts.
Taking dumbbells from this position is not very convenient. Here you will need the help of a gym mate or trainer.

The exercise is done in 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions. We work to capacity! If we are hammering a muscle, we work with light weights.

When you finish the dumbbell bench press, stand up slowly. If you stand up abruptly, there may be problems with your head - it will be dizzy.

Main mistakes

Pay attention to the following mistakes and try to avoid them:

If you choose too much weight, you will involuntarily jerk during exercise. The movement will be incorrect, it will be difficult to stabilize, and in the end you may simply not be able to support the weight.
A very important nuance - during the exercise, try to move your elbows to the sides from the body at a right angle. That is, the right and left shoulders in the lower position form one straight line when viewed from above. When you press your elbows to your body, or keep them closer to your head, the meaning of the exercise is lost.
Incorrect insurance. The problem is that most people don’t know how best to present dumbbells to an athlete lying upside down. So, he takes one dumbbell himself. Lays down on the original one, and then you give him the second one. Working at a positive angle of 45 or 30 degrees, a person will typically lift the dumbbells themselves.
Sometimes the following mistake occurs: the head is raised, glances to the sides, and sometimes it is simply hanging the head over the edge of the bench. The head should fit snugly with the back of the head on the bench.
An attempt to press dumbbells upside down without fixing the legs. You understand, this is fraught with your debut sliding down.
The correct speed of movement is an important component of the success of any workout. We make smooth, slow, clear movements. Technology is the key to achieving the desired results.

Dumbbell press and weight gain

Achieving a significant increase in muscle mass thanks to dumbbell bench presses alone, including at angles of 30 and 45 degrees, is almost impossible. It is advisable to give the muscles a complex load with weights close to or exceeding your body weight (for experienced athletes). We are talking about men. For women, of course, these frames will be smaller.

If increased mass growth is not one of your priorities, and you just want to keep your muscles toned, you can use dumbbells to quite effectively “drive the blood” both while sitting and lying down.

One arm press

It makes no sense to do dumbbell presses with one hand. Firstly, you strain yourself once again to keep your body in a balanced state. Secondly, why do you need a second hand then?

The one-arm dumbbell bench press is an exercise most likely for those who, for some reason, cannot use their other arm. Only in these cases should you resort to this option.

Dumbbell press on fitball

For people with lower back pain, doing bench presses can be problematic. In order to relieve the lower part of the spine, you can perform an exercise on a fitball. With very light weights, this version of the exercise can be done even during pregnancy.

The dumbbell bench press on a fitball is performed in the same way as a bench press: the technique is the same, you just rest your upper back on the ball.