Dumbbell bench press is a primary exercise routine for developing the chest. A well developed chest is one of the greatest inspirational factors why men indulge in bodybuilding. Women also benefit from a strong chest through strength development and body toning. Many chest exercises such as bench presses strengthen not only the chest muscles but also the surrounding musculature. The overall development of the upper torso improves performance in sports such as net ball, basketball, rowing, rugby, volleyball, and swimming. Primary chest muscles are the Pectoralis Major and Pectoralis Minor, collectively and commonly called pectorals. These muscles are responsible for a number of movements of the shoulders and upper arms like flexion, inward rotation and adduction.
A dumbbell press is the most common exercise for developing the pectorals. To perform this exercise, lay on bench with the back flat against it. Place dumbbells of suitable weight at the sides of your trunk, as close to the chest as possible. Grip them tight and with a swift motion, bring the dumbbells straight up. Extend your arms until they almost lock and make sure your arms are at a right angle with the body. The dumbbells must touch each other end to end. After a few seconds up, slowly bring the weights down to complete one repetition. Bring the weights as low as possible until you feel a slight stretch on the chest. Allow the weights to at least touch the ends of the shoulders. This will maximize the range of movement of your arms. Furthermore, your arms must remain vertical at all times. Avoid moving the weights over your head and prevent them from wiggling over to the sides. At all times, keep the action steady and stable.
The execution of this exercise must be smooth and controlled, forming a slight arch as the dumbbells move up and down. Avoid jerking the movement or bouncing off the weights from the chest. Jerky movements will not end up to the results that you want and may even cause injury. It helps to keep your ankles and legs securely locked on the bench. A spotter may also be helpful for beginners or if you are adding more weight.
Over a barbell press, a dumbbell chest press provides a greater range of motion and a greater stretch of the chest muscles. It also gives your shoulders more freedom of movement, which produces a better contraction at the top.
Variations of the dumbbell bench press are the inclined dumbbell press, declined dumbbell press and the flat dumbbell press. The inclined and flat presses focus more on the upper and mid chest, while the declined press stimulates the lower chest muscles. Performing all three variations ensure that you give your pectorals an even workout. Concentrating on inclined and flat presses will make your lower chest look relatively underdeveloped.
The dumbbell press targets mainly the pectoralis major. However, the deltoid and triceps also act as synergists and the biceps as dynamic stabilizers. Thus, when you perform bench presses, you get to develop the nearby chest musculature, not only the chest itself.
