Title:

Dumbell Bench Press

Introduction & Description:

The dumbell bench press is prefered by many over the barbell bench press, this variation employs the stabalizer muscles to a much greater extent. It also allows for a deeper strench when the weight is lowered. Another advantage is safety. Dumbell presses can be performed without a spotter more safely than barbell bench press. The knuckles can be rotated also which enables a more natural flexion of the ulnaris in the forearms. Dumbell benches feel more natural in the incline and decline positions and becuse the employ more stabalizer control they also activate the nervous sytem more. One interesting application is when the upper body is not symmetric. While this is more common in the limbs it can happen in any muscle group. So by using more weight on one dumbell the lagging side can be developed.


Anatomy & Biomechanics:

The bench press is an exercise in which the lifter lies on his/her back on a weight bench, lowering the dumbells directly above the chest. It is intended for the development of the chest, or pectoral muscles , frontal shoulders, serratus, but a variation exists for the triceps. In weight lifting , however, where the focus is to achieve a single very heavy repetition, the force for a bench exercise is exerted by the pectoral, deltoid and tricep muscles. 

Step By Step Technique:

Sit on the edge of a flat bench with the dumbbells resting on your knees. In one smooth motion, roll onto your back and bring the dumbbells up to a position slightly outside and above your shoulders. Your palms should be facing forwards.
Bend your elbows at a ninety-degree angle with your upper arms parallel to the ground. Press the weights up over your chest in a triangular motion until they meet above the center line of your body. As you lift, concentrate on keeping the weights balanced and under control. Follow the same path downward. The upward motion should be performed explosively while the lowering of the weights should be slower. Inhale while raising the weight and exhale while lowering it.

Dealing With Injury:

Pectoral tears are a very serious injury requiring a long time for recovery. As the pecs are employed during almost all upper body exercises you can appreciate the seriousness of this. A bad pec tear will pretty much spell an end to your weight training for some time.
Stretching and deep tissue massage are good precautions to prevent tears and sprains. Rotator cuff exercises are also importatnt as improperly performed benches place too much strain on the frontal shoulder joint. Get a pole for stretching and perform isometric stretches. Plyometric and static stretches should also be omployed prior to each set. This primes the nervous sytem for maximum exertion. Always squeeze the traps to position the shoulder joint in the safest manner. It may sound silly but dropping the weights on yourself is always a possiblity . Like wise the plates should always be fully secured on the bar with collars. Its very annoying to be half way through an exercise and find the plates are not secure.

Variations:

Dumbell benches can be performed on an incline or decline bench and are more comfortable to perform ion these awkward positions than the barbell variation as they afford greater muscle control. A variation used less commonly is to alternate the raising of the dumbells so the right is raised and lowered, then the left for a trotal of required reps on each side. The exercise can be performed in combination with a dumbell fly so the fly is immediately followed by the press. This is an effective means of combining the two exercises.

Training Tips & Secrets:

Always squeeze the trapezius of the upper back together when benching. This will isolate the pectorals and prevent too much stress on the shoulders. It will also enable you to lift more weight. Try this for a few sessions and you will notice your poundages begin to increase dramatically without any extra effort. this is because the shoulder muscles are small and weak compared to the pecs.
 
Perform your bench presses carefully and slowly. Do not use the momentum of the downward movement of the dumbells to let them bounce at your chest and push them explosively back upwards. Unlike the barbell bench press this exercise need not be performed with a spotter to catch the bar in case it is dropped on the chest. 

Once you are no longer able to perform any further full repetitions of the lift you can perform partial reps. With dumbells these are done at the bottom of the movement with the weight near the chest. There is still strength in this position so why not use it to squeeze out a few more reps.

Resouce Box
