Incline Dumbbell Press
Description
The purpose of performing incline dumbbell presses is to target the upper region of the chest. Incline dumbbell presses are actually one of the best chest building exercises that you can do. Ideally, you want to set the bench to a 30 degree angle. If the bench is angled too high, an increased reliance will be placed upon the front portion of the shoulder with less recruitment from the upper chest - which is the area you’re trying to target. Incline dumbbell presses are very similar to performing a barbell press except working with free weights gives you more freedom in regards to the range of motion. Since each arm is independently responsible for its own workload, more stabilizing muscles are recruited for assistance. This increased need for stabilization will develop functional strength, which can easily be carried over to athletics and daily activities.
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Execution
- Grasp an appropriately weighted dumbbell with each hand, sit on a bench with an incline of 30 degrees and rest dumbbells on the top of each thigh.
- Kick each dumbbell upwards with the thighs and lean back on the bench. You should be in a position with the arms at a 90 degree angle with palms facing away from you. (most likely towards the mirror).
- Exhale and drive arms up to an extended position. The extended position should have the sides of the dumbbells touching each other.
- Inhale and lower the weights down at a controlled speed. Beginners should never bring the weights lower than 90 degrees due to the added stress placed on the under-developed tendons and ligaments around the shoulder joint.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
Performing incline dumbbell presses using an exercise ball instead of a bench will increase the need for stabilization which will increase the difficulty of the movement. Click here for step by step instructions on how to perform this variation.
