the flat bench press is the favorite of many partners, but as the flat bench press is practiced more and more, many partners began to complain how the chest is practiced more and more pointed? This is especially true for trainers who are still in the fat loss period and have some fat.
The upper chest is weak, the middle is developed, and there is still some fat, so it just looks more and more pointy! It's all because you don't do upward incline push-ups.
The perfect pectoral muscle must be developed in a coordinated way. For those who are not capable of doing the upper incline barbell bench press, dumbbells are a great option both in terms of safety and practicality.
the dumbbell upward incline bench press is a compound push that targets the head of the pectoralis major clavicle. The dumbbell is dropped at an angle somewhere between the frontal plane and the horizontal plane of movement. The anterior deltoid or triceps acts as a secondary muscle group in this movement.
The auxiliary muscle groups help the target muscle group during the movement. The short head of the biceps also plays a stabilising role in this movement. The stabilising muscles help to maintain posture or hold the joint in place by contracting so that the movement does not deviate significantly. When this movement is performed at the proper angle, the sternal head of the pectoralis major is not visibly engaged.
how do i perform an upper incline dumbbell bench press?
Choose an incline bench with an adjustable back, ensure there is enough room to perform the movement on the bench and adjust the incline bench and backrest angle. Adjust the backrest so that it is at an angle of 30-45 degrees to the floor. You don't need to measure the angle precisely, but it should be between a vertical and horizontal angle.
As the angle of the backrest increases and becomes more upright, you will transfer the stimulation to your shoulders. As the inclined bench becomes more level, the upper pectoral muscles will be stimulated more. Adjust the backrest so that the body is comfortable and the body is stable.
choose the right weight for the dumbbells. If you have just completed the barbell upward incline bench press, start with a lower weight. You will find it difficult to do two 40kg dumbbell overhead presses even if you can do an 80kg barbell overhead press. Make sure you choose two dumbbells of equal weight.
Unbalanced weights will not improve your training and can lead to injury. If you are training for the first time, choose a conservative deadlift and push up safely for 8 to 12 reps.
Once you have chosen a deadlift, pick up the dumbbells, sit on the upper incline plate and place the dumbbells on your thighs always holding them with the dumbbells resting vertically on your legs, one dumbbell on each side.
perform the movement at a smooth, controlled and fluid pace, lifting the dumbbells from your thighs and leaning your upper body back against the backrest. Straighten (but not hyperextend) your elbows as the dumbbell moves up and remains in the same plane as your shoulders.
When the dumbbell reaches its highest point, make sure you use the traditional square grip (fingers on the bar, palms forward). Lift your chest, sink your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades and upper back together. This is the starting movement.
Once in the starting position, take a deep breath, tighten your core and lower the dumbbells towards the sides of your upper chest under muscular control. As you lower the dumbbells, keep your chest up, shoulder blades tightened and upper back squeezed.
in the starting position, the dumbbells are aligned vertically with the shoulders, but during the lowering phase, increase the distance between the two dumbbells so that the inner side of the dumbbells is significantly wider than the shoulders. Once the dumbbells have reached the desired depth, pause for a moment with the dumbbells at or slightly below chest level.
At the lowest point of the movement, the forearms should be perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the floor. If you feel a sharp stretch in your chest and shoulders after descending to a certain depth, there is no need to go further down, otherwise the risk of injury increases dramatically.
holding the dumbbell at its lowest point, the dumbbell is pushed up and inwards until the arms and elbows return to the starting position. The dumbbells are lowered and pushed up on the same trajectory of movement. Some lifters choose to push up on the barbell or exhale between movements. Choose a breathing style that feels the most natural and comfortable.
This movement can be done using techniques such as pre-fatigue sets, decreases, rest-pause sets, supersets, triples, giants, half movements or slow centrifuges. As with other movements, the two most important parts of the movement are quality posture and increasing difficulty.
upper incline dumbbell bench press tips
1. Sustained contraction
if you want to increase the intensity then try holding the dumbbell in the lowest point position, in a straight line with or slightly below the chest, for 5 to 10 seconds. Muscle contractions not only stretch the chest, but also increase the time the muscles are under sustained tension.
Increasing the time under sustained tension is a great way to regulate progressive overload and enhance muscle growth.
2. Maintaining tension
maintain tension throughout the movement to minimise the possibility of injury. Start from the correct starting position and maintain tension.
Keep your chest up and shoulders down, squeeze your shoulder blades as hard as possible, plus breathe deeply and tighten your core to prevent impact before starting the movement to ensure your shoulders and pecs stay healthy for a longer period of time.
3. Avoid borrowing force
when the upper incline bench press is done under muscle control it will have very good results. Drop the ego again and don't immediately try a 40kg dumbbell upward incline bench press if the upward incline barbell bench press is 80kg.
Keep the tension on, with your head, gluteus maximus and upper back resting on the backrest, and don't let the dumbbell bounce at the lowest point of the movement. This borrowing of force significantly increases the likelihood of injury and minimises stimulation of the target muscles.
4. Don't empty your grip
unless a hand injury prevents you from using a solid grip (thumb wrapped around the knuckle).
although many of our partners are able to increase the load slightly with an empty grip, the dumbbell may slip off the palm of the hand. If you insist on using this unsafe grip, make sure you have a small partner to protect you in case something happens.
5. Don't touch the dumbbells together
many novices and intermediates believe that the movement is complete by touching the dumbbells together at the highest point. Not only does this clashing create momentum and minimise the engagement of the target muscle groups, it also increases the risk of injury to yourself and those around you.