The triceps are involved in the stability of the elbow and responsible for the final extension of the elbow to lock out the bench press. Securing the dumbbell, lie on the bench with your torso across it so that only your shoulders make contact with the surface and your upper body forms a cross. In an earlier article, I discussed in depth the importance of unilateral training, for all segments of the body. While the bench press is often seen as a “bro-sesh” kind of movement, it can truly develop the upper body strength and muscle mass needed for most strength, power, and fitness sports. Muscle hypertrophy can be accomplished by adding training volume (more reps), time under tension, and/or training towards fatigue. Try to keep your elbows from flaring out. What Muscle Does a Dumbbell Fly Work?. The dumbbell floor press is a dumbbell bench press variation that is done by lying on the floor rather than a bench. From a lying position on a flat bench, hold the dumbbells over your chest with your arms fully extended. Muscles Worked: Chest. If this is the case, a barbell is often used to stress maximal strength with dumbbells being used in more strength/hypertrophy training blocks (see below). Lifters who are looking to increase bench press strength and upper body mass can build in overhead pressing to diversify their pressing strength and better balance out upper body training programs. Checkout our privacy policy for the full story on how we protect and manage your submitted data! Below are the key exercises stressed during the dumbbell bench press. We’ll be taking a look at variations of triceps extensions that you can perform using dumbbells, E-Z or straight bars, as well as the exercises that you can perform on pulley-machines. Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension (Lying French Press) Lying dumbbell triceps extension (double dumbbell lying triceps extension) works all three heads of the triceps brachii equally. Keep your elbows in and your upper arms stationary (don’t let them flare out as you lower the dumbbells down). We are a group of bodybuilding enthusiast and this is our effort to have all the details about bodybuilding at a single website. Seated dumbbell press how to: Step 1: Get in a standing position with your feet in a shoulder-width stance. While allowing a slight … The dumbbell bench press can be done as a main strength lift for the day, similar to that of the barbell bench press. World records, results, training, nutrition, breaking news, and more. Join the BarBend Newsletter for everything you need to get stronger. Seated Tricep Press Muscles Worked. Some lifters may want to train greater muscle endurance (for sport), in which higher repetition ranges and/or shorter rest periods are recommended. This means that your form will be better then when doing standing or seated extensions. With dumbbells, some lifters may find that they can go into deeper ranges of motion during the eccentric aspect of the lift, fighting the demands placed upon the chest muscles. The dumbbell bench press is a movement that offers fitness goers a wide array of muscle and strength building benefits. Bodybuilding Wizard will make your dream body your reality. It is important to note that many variations can exist (incline pressing, single arm, pauses, etc) that will alter which muscle group below is specifically targeted, but nonetheless here are the muscles worked: The pectoral muscles (chest) are the primary muscle groups involved in the force production needed to perform the dumbbell bench press. Below are three primary training goals and programming recommendations when utilizing the dumbbell bench press into specific programs. The Dumbbell Chest Press is a great exercise for overall strength, size and power development of the upper body muscles. This site uses cookies: By using this site you agree to the use of cookies for analytics, personalized content and ads. Pause and squeeze the triceps. The muscle involvement is almost identical as in the lying E-Z bar triceps extension, although some studies have suggested that the lateral head works a little harder. Rather than for a lifter to either (a) lift very light so that there is not pain train with regular loading and risk further injury and/or discomfort in pressing movements. There are various types of triceps extension movements. The dumbbell bench press is a bench press variation that can be done to boost overall strength, enhance muscle hypertrophy, and isolate areas of weakness in the bench press. In doing this, you restrict the overall range of motion in the pressing movement, increasing the demands on the triceps to assist in the lockout position. Unlike the dumbbells, the load is not independently managed, making it easier to use heavy loads and attack maximal strength in the pressing movement. Refer to the below section for sets, reps, and weight recommendations. In the below section we discuss how coaches and athletes can integrate the dumbbell bench press into current training programs. Common mistakes: moving the elbows to get help from the chest and back muscles, not positioning the elbows vertically to counteract the effect of gravity, and opening your elbows too wide. The dumbbell floor press is a dumbbell bench press variation that is done by lying on the floor rather than a bench. Muscles Worked by the Incline Dumbbell Press Primary Muscle Groups: The incline dumbbell press primarily targets the pectoralis major, which is the largest muscle in our chest. Bench pressing in general can create some serious strength and hypertrophy gains. The dumbbell press falls within the horizontal pressing domain, which also includes: barbell bench press, push ups, and angular variations (decline, incline, etc). It’s a great exercise to widen the chest and build a broad, strong physique. Start the exercise by placing a dumbbell (weighing about 20-25 lbs) on a flat bench. Lying dumbbell triceps extension (double dumbbell lying triceps extension) works all three heads of the triceps brachii equally. The key difference that separates the lying shoulder press to other variations is the need to keep the arms externally rotated throughout the entire exercise. The incline dumbbell press is an essential exercise for people of all fitness levels. In addition, it can help individuals establish a deeper understanding of how to stabilize the upper back during the movement. The butterfly dumbbell press or dumbbell flyes is an isolation exercise that focuses on the pecs. Below are five huge reasons why powerlifting, strongman, Olympic weightlifting, and yes, CrossFit athletes should be doing the dumbbell bench press. BarBend is an independent website. It works the triceps from the elbow all the way to the latissimus dorsi. Below are three (3) dumbbell bench press alternatives coaches and athletes can use to increase chest and triceps strength and muscle hypertrophy. Join the BarBend Newsletter for workouts, diets, breaking news and more. The overhead press is a movement that targets the shoulders, triceps, and upper chest, and can have a significant impact on total body strength.