Dumbbell squeeze bench press
Exercise details
- Target muscle: Sternal (Lower) Pectoralis Major
- Synergists: Clavicular (Upper) Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, Triceps Brachii
- Dynamic stabilizer: Biceps Brachii (short head only)
- Mechanics: Compound
- Force: Push
Starting position
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit on a flat bench and rest one dumbbell on each knee.
- Lie back on the bench and squeeze the dumbbells together, holding them above your chest. Your elbows should not be pointing out the sides; rather, they should be close to your body.
- Spread your legs and plant your feet firmly on the ground.
Execution
- Keeping the dumbbells squeezed against each other, exhale as you press the dumbbells upward until your arms are almost fully extended.
- Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position, still squeezing them against each other.
- Repeat for the prescribed number of repetitions.
Comments and tips
- The dumbbell squeeze bench press is great for burning out your chest at the end of a chest workout. Your chest muscles are put through an extended period of tension during this exercise because you have to constantly squeeze the two dumbbells against each other.
- Do not round your shoulders, as this will recruit more of the deltoids than your chest muscles. Instead, arch your back and bring your shoulder blades down and back.
- Drive through your legs, back, and up through your arms to help you press the dumbbells up. This gets your entire body behind the exercise.
- See also the Svend press and the machine chest press.
Dumbbell squeeze bench press video
The demonstration of the dumbbell squeeze bench press is only until the 0:34 timestamp.
