Neutral hammer grip dumbbell bench vs Regular dumbbell bench

[u_e_s_i]

I have a few questions

What are the main differences between neutral hammer grip dumbbell bench press and regular grip dumbbell bench press?

Should neutral grip dumbbell bench press be given the same priority as regular grip dumbbell bench or is it less beneficial and better viewed as something you switch to temporarily to help surmount plateaus?

If flies and normal grip dumbbell bench are staples of mine, is there still any point in doing neutral grip dumbbell bench?

And lastly, if there’s worth doing, do you have any tips for them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Carnivorecon]

By hammer grip do you mean that the elbows are tucked? Or do you literally press with elbows flared out inline with the shoulders but using a hammer grip instead of normal grip. I use hammer with elbows tucked to completely replace regular dbell bench due to shoulder issues and its much safer and cause less wear on the shoulder joint. Also if elbows are tucked i believe you get better upper pec activation due to it being a similar mvmnt to rev grip bench

 

[Rad83]

The benefit of dumbbells is a deeper stretch than barbell...But that deeper stretch and too heavy of a weight can be dangerous!

I like higher rep, with a lighter weight, db work to add volume after heavy paused bench reps.

I use a 45 degree angle (tho sometimes that neutral position you’re talking about too) to bring the db’s slightly lower than the pecs for that deep stretch I mentioned...

 

[Rocket3015]

I have been thinking of buying a Swiss Multi Grip Bar to do these

 

[Resolve10]

It will adjust the positioning of the shoulder during the movement. This can be also altered by the amount of tuck/flare of the elbows.

Generally I find for most individuals a more neutral grip can alleviate shoulder discomfort.

I wouldn't say it is better or worse than other potential grips or variations. Use the variation that allows you the least discomfort, constant progression, and optimal muscle recruitment, but neutral grip (or similar with different style bar) can be a great option for many people.

 

[celc5]

With full neutral grip and elbows tucked, you reduce pec activation, increase triceps activation, and reduce cuff/labral strain.

With palms down grip (traditional), you increase pec activation, decrease triceps activation, and increase injury risk to the cuff and labrum.

Switching grip thinking that you are changing what pec fibers you are hitting is probably wishful thinking.

But switching a 45* angle (as Rad suggested above) will pull your elbows in without fully tucking. That should keep good pec activation and good triceps activation with some reduced shoulder injury risk.