One of the most beneficial exercises you can do for the upper body is the bench press. We know it’s a great compound exercise that targets many different muscle groups. For those new to strength training, maybe begin with a less challenging push-up exercise before progressing to bench press. Here is some additional information you may find helpful regarding the bench press. We highlighted both barbell and dumbbell variations.
Barbell Bench Press
Exercise Notes
As the bench press exercise becomes less challenging over time, consider changing up your hand placement. Also, slow down the speed (tempo) of the movement over time. Try a wider and more narrow grip which in turns emphasis more outer chest, shoulders and triceps respectively. As this becomes more manageable, try incline and decline versions of the bench press as well as an unstable surface like a stability ball bench press.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Exercise Notes
There are a few additional benefits of performing dumbbell bench press exercises compared to using a barbell. First, they are great if the person is working with any strength discrepancies between left and right sides of the body. Secondly, they are much faster changing out than weight plates.
According to ACE Fitness, “dumbbell exercises can create both inter and intramuscular coordination, leading to greater levels of muscle activation. Intermuscular coordination is the ability of a number of different muscles to work together to produce and stabilize joint motion. Also, exercises with heavy dumbbells can increase the force production capacity of the contractile element, while multiplanar movement patterns with light dumbbells can enhance the resiliency and strength of the elastic component.” Finally, using dumbbells allows you to focus on one side of your body at a time.
Final Thoughts
Both barbell and dumbbell bench press have their place in gym or home workouts. Using a combination of both offer great strength benefits when working just about any muscle group. Here are just a few Jefit strength workouts designed with either both pieces of equipment in mind or individually.
- Home or Gym Dumbbell Workout
- Pyramid Strength Workout
- 5×5 Strength Program
- 4-Day Strength Training Program
Stay Strong Together
Jefit app comes equipped with a customizable workout planner and training log. The app has ability to track data, offer audio cues, and features to share workouts with friends. Take advantage of Jefit’s exercise database for your strength workouts. Visit our members-only Facebook group. Connect with like-minded people, share tips, and advice to help get closer to reaching your fitness goals. Try one of the new interval-based workouts and add it to your weekly training schedule.
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