- Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
- Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.
- Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
Caution: When you are done, do not drop the dumbbells next to you as this is dangerous to your rotator cuff in your shoulders and others working out around you.
Just lift your legs from the floor bending at the knees, twist your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing each other and place the dumbbells on top of your thighs. When both dumbbells are touching your thighs simultaneously push your upper torso up (while pressing the dumbbells on your thighs) and also perform a slight kick forward with your legs (keeping the dumbbells on top of the thighs). By doing this combined movement, momentum will help you get back to a sitting position with both dumbbells still on top of your thighs. At this moment you can place the dumbbells on the floor.
Variations:
Another variation of this exercise is to perform it with the palms of the hands facing each other.
Also, you can perform the exercise with the palms facing each other and then twisting the wrist as you lift the dumbbells so that at the top of the movement the palms are facing away from the body. I personally do not use this variation very often as it seems to be hard on my shoulders.
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Tip: Dumbbell Bench Press
Feb 10, 2012 4:10 PM: Great Excercise, very realistic and good for athletic gains. I recommend this for anyone looking for developing a beast-like chest.
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Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Feb 8, 2012 10:03 PM: How much weight should I lift?
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Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Jan 14, 2012 5:53 AM: I like this one :D
of people found this tip helpful
Tip: Dumbbell Bench Press
Jan 13, 2012 9:38 AM: its better to rotate your hands as you push up and at top your DB should look like this || then squeeze your chest then as you lower DBs turn it back .. best tip believe me :)
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Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Oct 22, 2011 2:34 PM: keeps both sides honest
of people found this review helpful
Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Oct 8, 2011 12:44 PM: I have had great progress since I included this exercise in my routines
of people found this review helpful
Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Sep 1, 2011 9:38 AM: I really enjoy this exercise, it feels like I'm working more of my muscle compared with the barbell press. Plus you don't need a spot, if it's too heavy you can just drop the weights.
of people found this review helpful
Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Aug 4, 2011 9:52 AM: Working each side independantly, really can feel the difference compared the flat bar press.
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Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Aug 1, 2011 7:19 PM: This is by far my favorit chest exercise. Try putting your feet up on the bench to concentrate more on your chest.
of people found this review helpful
Review: Dumbbell Bench Press
Jul 25, 2011 11:55 AM: DB way harder than a regular barbell makes you use your chest muscles to lift the weights and control them from doing all over the place, very intense workout