Exercise description of the dumbbell bench press.  Learn about the dumbbell bench press with video and pictures.  Also learn how the dumbbell bench press can increase your sports performance.

Primary muscles worked:   Pecs

Synergist Muscles:  Deltoids, Triceps

Mechanics:  Compound

Equipment:  Dumbbells and Bench

How to perform the exercise:  The first step of the dumbbell bench press is first grabbing a pair of dumbbells and sitting on the edge of a flat bench. Next, the athlete will bring the dumbbells towards their chest and lay back on the bench. Once the back is flat on the bench, the athlete will begin to press the weight up so that the arms reach full extension; however, there are several steps that the athlete must perform quickly on the very first rep to set up the rest of the exercise. First, the athlete must allow their upper arm to make a 90 degree angle with the middle of the body, this will put the elbows in line with the shoulders. At the same time as this motion, the athlete should keep their forearms positioned under their elbows, this will require a bit of balance and coordination. Once this position is reached, the athlete may then press the weight up. This motion will utilize the muscles of the chest, triceps, and shoulder. As the athlete nears full extension, the dumbbells should be brought together so that the dumbbells together each other once full extension is reached. The athlete will then perform the next rep by lowering the weight back down so that their elbow is flexed to 90 degrees, the upper arm is in line with the body, and the forearms positioned above the elbow. Once the desired number of repetitions are complete, the athlete with slowly lower the weight down as if to complete another rep, then the athlete should move their elbows in tight, towards the body. The athlete will then lower the weight one arm at a time towards the floor and will then release the weight. The athlete should be sure no other people are within the drop area for the weights.

Spotting the exercise:  The spotter for the dumbbell bench press can assist the athlete in several ways. First, the spotter may allow the athlete to lay flat on the bench and hand the athlete the dumbbells. This is safer than having the athlete lay back with the weights in hand, especially if the athlete is utilizing heavy weights. During the lift, the spotter may assist the athlete if he / she begins to struggle by grabbing the wrists, and guiding the athlete's arms; however, their may be dumbbell designs which may prevent grabbing of the wrist. If the spotter can not grab the wrist, the spotter should grab the athlete's forearms as close to the wrists as possible. Finally, after the athlete has completed the desired number of repetitions, the spotter may assist the athlete by grabbing the dumbbells from the athlete's hands one at a time. Again, this is safer than allowing the athlete to drop the weights to the floor.

Sport specific application:  The dumbbell bench press is a great exercise that will develop balance, strength, and coordination in the pectoral muscles. The triceps and shoulders will also benefit heavily from the exercise. Sports specifically the dumbbell bench press provides a more unstable arm movement and control position which is vital to sports. Any sports movement that requires the arm to go from a fully flexed and in tight position to full extension can benefit.