STOP Doing Dumbbell Press Like This

The dumbbell bench press is arguably the best exercise for building your chest!

But to better target the chest and avoid shoulder injury, you want to avoid making this mistake. Many people use a very wide arm path and press the weight up and down. This can not only increase risk of shoulder discomfort and potential injury, but it also just doesn’t stimulate the chest very well. Instead, to maximize chest activation, you want your arm path to line up in the same direction that most of the chest fibers run. To do this, tuck your elbows to about a 45–60-degree angle away from your body and allow your grip to turn in slightly with your elbows.

Just keep in mind that when you apply this form, the dumbbells will no longer move straight up and down but rather forwards on the way down towards your mid-chest and backwards on the way up towards your shoulders. Don’t be afraid to lighten the weight to ensure you are using the correct form.

Try this out on your next workout and you’ll feel a difference right away!

[Jahsurfer]

Spot on, I learned this by trying different angles, grips, and paths. These tips are perfect and will save your shoulders and work your chest to the max.

[jamestateIII]

I was wondering WHY am i not feeling anything in my chest ... i was doing it 90% wrong. Jeremy...you are the man!

[fluppdxs]

I did this mistakes and now i know what's wrong. Thanks !!

[chillchilli]

You know youre doing it right when you can feel the stretch in your chest

[Diggie_J]

Absolutely! I used to use that wide out to the side grip, but been using the 45ish degree angle for a while now finding that I feel it more in the chest and all of the shoulder pressure and discomfort is gone! Super useful tip!

[powehi]

Subbed for this. Made a huge difference, made some significant progress in my chest despite having to go down in weight first and just getting back to where I was now

[xxsupastarxx]

My shoulders have been painful when doing this, I think this will help me correct my form.

[billking]

Great advice. I got better gains concentrating on dB press rather than barbell. For aging injury I now swap between the two, as well as flat v incline.

[jjmuti]

Figured this out a few years back before that I always wondered why chest press machines that had angled handles gave me a better contraction. Only reason people press dumbbells straight on is because they did barbell bench pressing first as beginners.

[lial]

I was doing this wrong, thanks for correcting. Wasn't feeling it in my chest earlier

[Blingcheese]

Your top five in YouTube fitness gurus bro, respect

[ryanward]

This gave me a crazy difference in gains and fast too

[suplexurmudda]

Yes sirrrr, I have been preaching this for so long. You can lift more as well.

[JackLearman]

Tried this instantly and felt my chest purely and my shoulders slightly whereas before I would barely if not at all feel my chest and heavy activation in my shoulders

[Jeremy-lhlc]

Great teaching, I don’t really feel my chest even push to max, indeed is my posture wrong
Thanks so much!

[k.i.s.s..]

Thank you

I play golf but i want to get more buff (for the ladies😎 not so much for golf) and I've been tearing my shoulders up. I needs my shoulders for golf!
I think this is why

[arpitshivhare]

This 45° degree thing works good for me. Earlier I used to do it with wide grip which led to clicking and pain in my shoulder joints.

[justinbehrenshausen]

Just started incorporating the twist on the way down and MAN does it fire up my chest way better

[katerin]

I recently tried that and it helped me a lot .. my shoulders didn’t pain and the next day I felt my chest burning 🔥

[sugar]

This is the one I really struggle with really finding it hard to correct my form, I’ll give this a go thanks 👍🏻