Flat dumbbell chest press

In the gym, every fitness enthusiast will choose different fitness methods according to their own fitness needs. If you are a fitness enthusiast who wants to develop your chest muscles, you can choose the flat dumbbell chest press method. However, this method can only be performed by enthusiasts with sufficient arm strength, because if the arm strength is insufficient, it is very easy to get injured. Next, let’s learn the correct way to do the flat dumbbell chest press.

Flat dumbbell bench press standard action

1. Lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet flat on the ground; bend your elbows, hold the dumbbells with your fists facing each other, and your palms facing the direction of your legs. The axis of the dumbbells should be above the nipples (middle of the pectoral muscles) and against the chest.

2. Push up, bring your elbows inward, and squeeze your chest while squeezing your elbows. The dumbbell moves upward and slightly forward, forming a parabolic trajectory. When your arms are straight, the center of gravity of the dumbbells is close to the support point of the shoulder joint. But don't stay exactly on the support point of the shoulder joint, otherwise the bones will support the weight of the dumbbells (this situation where the weight is supported by the bones rather than the muscles is called "locking"), which will relax the chest muscles and affect the exercise effect. Then, stretch your arms out to the sides, slowly bend your arms, and let the dumbbells fall vertically. When they reach the lowest point, do the push-up movement. repeat.

3. Breathing method: Exhale through your nose when pushing up, and inhale through your mouth when returning to the original position.

What should you pay attention to when doing dumbbell bench press?

The dumbbell bench press is a bench press performed with free equipment. If your arm strength is not enough to control the stability of the dumbbells, it is easy to get injured. For safety reasons, dumbbell bench press is not recommended for beginners. It is best to use a Smith machine for barbell bench press.

Do not arch your back and hips or hold your breath during the bench press, as this can cause a dangerous loss of muscle control.

Note that the wide-grip bench press primarily works the pectoralis major, while the narrow-grip bench press primarily works the triceps. Of course, if the triceps are not strong enough, you cannot bench press heavy weights, and you cannot develop a well-developed pectoralis major, so the dumbbell bench press requires strong triceps as a basic guarantee.

Flat dumbbell bench press weight

1-5RM: This is a standard method for improving maximum muscle strength. If your goal is this, I suggest you practice 1-5, and the weight you lift is about 85% of your 1RM (maximum weight). This method is not recommended for beginners! Because incorrect posture can easily cause injury under heavy weights!

6-12RM: This is the most common and classic training number, and it is also the training number used by most fitness enthusiasts! Focus on increasing muscle volume! The weight is about 70-84% 1RM

13+: The weight is below 70% 1RM, which is biased towards muscle endurance! Suitable for beginners! This is the best number of times for beginners. Such a number of times can cultivate the correct posture and movement control. Therefore, it is recommended that those students who are not yet proficient in the movements start with 13+ times and wait until the time is right before considering weight bearing!