Triangle dumbell press helped me blast threw plateau.

[brownstown89]

ok so any of you guys do this? basically i read in an article awhile ago that the way normal dumbell bench is preformed doesnt build power and is bad for your shoulders.. What you do is keep elbows 45 degress to your body just like a powerlifting bench. When you push up the dumbell there is like a triangle at the top, with the edges of the circular parts touching, Instead of the regular 2 circular ends of the dumbell touching compltely.

Also with this type of dumbell the bottom part of the press is really hard and goes way deeper then you would with regular form 90 degree dumbell bench. last year i use to get stuck benching right of my chest do 4-5 reps and 6th bam stuck at the bottom. Now i can get a little above half way and then get stuck on lockout but i know floor bench and rack lockouts quickly fix that.. anyways just wanted to see if anyone else does that.

 

[americanmusul]

i never thought of it but i db press just like that. although i never really thought anything of it. not tho mention i didnt db press in general to often. its something to keep in mind though thanks.

 

[brownstown89]

i use to hardly dumbell bench and ive always dones it the same way. and now i constantly have DB benched for a month and 1/2

i was doing 80s for 5-7 reps as my first workout in december and now im doing 100 for 4-5 reps after max effort on flat bench barbell.

and yea bro were way ahead of the curve haha ^^

 

[tnubs]

im having a hard time picturing this anyone got a video??

but in general dumbell bench saved my barbell bench when i hit a plateau. i switched to dumbells for a month and i added like 15 pounds to my 5rm

 

[americanmusul]

sorry cant get a pic but this is the best i can discribe it. instead of placing your hands in the center of the db you have your hands so your thumb is touching the inbord side of the grip. upon pressing this will cause the outboard side of the dumbell to be lower because there will be more weight on the outside or (side furthest from the body). your wrists will have a bend in them with the index finger higher than the pinkey. while observing someone pressing like this from behind their head you can clearly see that the end of db's closest to body (the inbord sides) are higher than the sides further from the body. forming a triangle at the top of the press when you touch the db's against each other. another pos side affest from pressing like this is upon failure during the press the dumbells will fall away from the body and will not come crashing down on your chest.

 

[brownstown89]

FOUND A VIDEO!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81N8yi64v4&NR=1"]YouTube - EliteFTS.com - Stability Ball DB Presses[/ame]

 

[tnubs]

hmm, i tried to do them like that the other day, with more tilt than in the video, it felt unstable on my wrists, maybe cuz i have no forearms.... lol but i like the traditional way better. it just allows you to go deeper, right?

 

[brownstown89]

hmm it shouldnt hurt ur wrist at all and yea it lets u go way deeper using the way hes doing it in the video.

 

[stullsy]

you can also try pressing with your elbows tucked at your sides and palms facing inward. this is good for adding power in your triceps and your lockout at the same time.

 

[brownstown89]

^^^ nice brother i want to try this u think after a ME chain bench doing those for 3 sets of 5 or so reps would be straight?

 

[SRS2000]

I do all my DB work in the range of the DB's being ~45 degrees to palms facing. I don't try to go extra deep though. That's just a bad idea for my shoulders and pecs. There have been plenty of people who have wrecked their shoulders or pecs trying to go deeper with DB's or barbells, so be careful with that aspect of things.

 

[brownstown89]

nice so keeping the elbows from going below paralell it would use more triceps correct and if i do the palms in dumbell press that should really hit tris right?

 

[SRS2000]

nice so keeping the elbows from going below paralell it would use more triceps correct and if i do the palms in dumbell press that should really hit tris right?

Roughly speaking yes. Avoiding the really deep presses saves the shoulders and pecs, but doesn't necessarily work the triceps more. The palms facing in does seem to hit the triceps harder.

 

[brownstown89]

nice trying them out wednesday since tommorow is an off day damn i hate off days.

 

[stullsy]

I do all my DB work in the range of the DB's being ~45 degrees to palms facing. I don't try to go extra deep though. That's just a bad idea for my shoulders and pecs. There have been plenty of people who have wrecked their shoulders or pecs trying to go deeper with DB's or barbells, so be careful with that aspect of things.

i dont know if i agree that the fact that people wreck their shoulders and pecs is because they go to deep? If anything id think its because their not going deep enough. I have found that most people that fuk their shoulders up have weak rotator cuffs.

 

[stullsy]

which i will add. rotator cuff exercises are a good way to increase your bench as well.

 

[SRS2000]

i dont know if i agree that the fact that people wreck their shoulders and pecs is because they go to deep? If anything id think its because their not going deep enough. I have found that most people that fuk their shoulders up have weak rotator cuffs.

Not every shoulder or pec injury, but I've seen numerous. I've seen more than one torn pec from doing cambered bar benches. I've also seen numerous shoulder injuries from illegal wide benches, which put a greater stretch on the anterior side of the shoulder (like going extra deep). These things seem to be especially true of stronger people. If you are benching less than 300, it's probably not as big an issue, but in those strong enough to handle decent poundages, it can certainly cause problems.
Here are many of the common issues I see that lead to shoulder problems:
1) Too much pec and anterior delt work and very little upper back and rear delt work (imbalance across the joint = impingement)
2) Pushing too hard too often and not listening to your body
3) Trying to handle heavy weights going "extra deep"
4) Lack of rotator cuff work

The risk vs. reward of going extra deep just doesn't add up for me, but everyone has to decide for themselves.

 

[stullsy]

Not every shoulder or pec injury, but I've seen numerous. I've seen more than one torn pec from doing cambered bar benches. I've also seen numerous shoulder injuries from illegal wide benches, which put a greater stretch on the anterior side of the shoulder (like going extra deep). These things seem to be especially true of stronger people. If you are benching less than 300, it's probably not as big an issue, but in those strong enough to handle decent poundages, it can certainly cause problems.
Here are many of the common issues I see that lead to shoulder problems:
1) Too much pec and anterior delt work and very little upper back and rear delt work (imbalance across the joint = impingement)
2) Pushing too hard too often and not listening to your body
3) Trying to handle heavy weights going "extra deep"
4) Lack of rotator cuff work

The risk vs. reward of going extra deep just doesn't add up for me, but everyone has to decide for themselves.

My bench press is over 300 raw and Ive never really had any shoulder problems, I get most of my pain in the elbows, but i do do rotator cuff work and heavy negatives which i believe are the reason my shoulders are in good shape. How would a wide grip barbell bench compare to a dumbell bench when the ROM on the barbell bench press from any point, especially a wide grip, is a lot less?

 

[brownstown89]

stullsy- i did the palms facing in DB bench and i did 75 x 5 easy so i figured id be able to hit 95s like i do on regular flat DB bench and i struggled for 3 they were tough! so i dropped to 80 x 7 so i equalled out 15 reps i did alot of speed work so the endurance wasnt there maybe but loved the pumps! thanks for the tip big ups

 

[stullsy]

stullsy- i did the palms facing in DB bench and i did 75 x 5 easy so i figured id be able to hit 95s like i do on regular flat DB bench and i struggled for 3 they were tough! so i dropped to 80 x 7 so i equalled out 15 reps i did alot of speed work so the endurance wasnt there maybe but loved the pumps! thanks for the tip big ups

no problem man, youll actually have to give mike wolfley a thanks as well, cause hes the one that told me lol

 

[brownstown89]

haha, stullsy can u check out my Question regarding WSBB in my chian bench thread? im having trouble figuring out when to flat barbell bench max on westide. I was thinking

weeks 1-3 use Chain Bench Press as ME
Week 4 deload
Week 5 max

then do another mini cycle
week 1-4 CG bench as ME
week 5 deload
week 6 max?

would that work

 

[johnyq]

you can also try pressing with your elbows tucked at your sides and palms facing inward. this is good for adding power in your triceps and your lockout at the same time.

This is how my routine (beginner westside written by wendler) has me doing DB bench.

 

[SokVichet]

Dropping your elbows in tight and facing your palms along the same line (parallel with your body) is a great changeup for triceps indeed!

I've always done my dumbbell bench presses this way (elbows at a natural 45 degree angle, palms following the same line) due to a work-related rotator cuff injury (college injury, before I started lifting in earnest). The "normal" dumbbell bench does put an unnecessary amount of pressure on the shoulders.

 

[brownstown89]

i bee doing palms in dumbell press the reason i love it is the constant tension on ur tri's if u slack even if ur using 55s u will have a hard time getting it back up... big ups on the tip stullsy

 

[Chubbinmuffin]

That's about how I lift on DB press. Can press 90's for about 10 good form reps. Wish I could post a video of it for anyone doubting that the 135 pound guy can do that. All I have is my phone, it might work. But anyway, with the "V", it feels like you get a way better contraction at the top.

 

[brownstown89]

i hit 90s for 3 after flat bench buckeye blast style last year and i was weight around 150 so its believable u did it