#Switchup workout to build muscle how to#

Unless you’re prioritizing muscular endurance, there’s no real reason to press with one arm at a time. Leave your ego at the door and start extra-conservatively if you’re new to dumbbell training. If you start off trying to match your barbell bench press weight (two 90-pound dumbbells if you bench 180 pounds, for instance) you might be surprised at how hard it is to control. Since you’re working with two separate implements at once, dumbbell exercises come with a larger stability demand. Here are a couple of common errors to avoid when performing the dumbbell bench press. It may not be as intricate as the snatch, or even a powerlifter’s bench press, but things can still go sideways with dumbbell work. For Beginners: 3 sets of 10 reps with a light to moderate weight.For Strength Gains: 4 to 6 sets of 5 to 8 reps with at least two minutes’ rest.

For Muscle Mass: 3 to 5 sets of 7 to 12 reps, leaving 1-2 reps in the tank each set.

That said, you can still ensure you’re working in the right rep ranges. Since dumbbells lack the fine-tuned loading potential of the barbell, you may find it difficult to progress your strength with them in the same way. Here are some set-and-rep options for the dumbbell bench press to help you make the kind of gains you want. What exercises you choose to do in the gym is important, but how you go about performing them from a programming perspective is what really drives progress. Your hands should end up back on top of your shoulders. Once your back is tight, and the weight is sitting at chest level, drive the dumbbells up and inward.Keep your elbows under your wrists at all times. Lower until your upper arm is parallel (or lower) to the floor, or the weights themselves come to chest height. The weights should fall both down and out to the sides. Slowly lower the dumbbells down toward your chest.Squeeze your shoulder blades together and ensure your feet are actively pressing into the floor.

You should start with both dumbbells over your chest, with your arms fully extended. (Be careful not to launch the dumbbells too hard and risk hitting your head.) As you drive the last dumbbell up, lay back down on the bench. Kick one knee up to drive a dumbbell to your shoulder.

Grip each dumbbell firmly, and then squeeze your shoulder blades together.

If you’re using light to moderate weight, your best bet is to lift them from the floor to your knees. Ideally, a friend would hand you the weights once you’re already lying down on the bench.

Before you even initiate the press, you need to get the weights ready.

#Switchup workout to build muscle how to#

Here’s an in-depth, step-by-step breakdown of how to do the dumbbell bench press optimally. Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Dumbbell Bench Press - Form, Muscles Worked, and Benefits () How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press Check out our video guide for even more information on how to execute this pec-builder flawlessly. The dumbbell bench press is an excellent move for any lifter of any skill level. Muscles Worked by the Dumbbell Bench Press.It builds strength and muscle in the entire torso, can improve your barbell bench press, and may even help you grow more muscle across your chest as well.īelow, we go over each step of the lift to help you execute a pristine dumbbell bench press, variations of the movement, the anatomy of the muscles worked, and variations. That said, gymgoers of all skill levels can benefit from this move. Generally, lifters will have an easier time setting up and controlling two relatively lighter weights. The dumbbell bench press is the cousin of many people’s favorite compound movement - the barbell bench press.