Anthony Mychal

It has been twelve days since you stopped doing any barbell presses and it just makes you feel unhappy.

Your rehabilitation protocol for the muscles of the articular bag of the shoulder girdle is very depressing. You're missing a load, a big heavy iron, and oh my god, what about your shirts? Can't be allowed to pectoral muscles and the shoulders started to shrink as you just switched to XL.

However, you cannot press through pain. Having made a wise decision, you refrained from it.

What if I told you that there is a bench press that can change your life? The bench press, which acts in this case not as a destroyer, but as a healer. A bench that can add serious dimension to places that no other bench press can.

If you think you are asleep, then it's time to wake up, because this exercise needs to be added to your program, regardless of the condition of the shoulders.

Barbell problems

Complaints related to bench presses and shoulder pain are widespread, and of all types of presses, barbell presses cause the most problems because they alter the correct relationship between wrist, elbow and shoulder work.

There are people who do bench presses and overhead presses without problems. I know in the old days everyone used a barbell for bench presses and overhead presses and never had a problem, or at least that's what everyone tells me.

However, you may not be in this category of people. No need to worry if this is the case, and do not force yourself to do these exercises at all costs. You just have a different anatomy and body structure.

Whether you are training yourself, clients, students, or athletes, pain cannot be ignored. I’m sure if Tiger Woods paid you millions of dollars to coach you, you would by no means force him to do something that could jeopardize his game.

So why force others to do this? A forced skip at work because your coach shook you up last night is not hard training, this is violence.

So what can we do to break the bench press impasse? Swiss bars and push-ups are common methods for doing presses with shoulder problems, but not everyone has bars, and weighted push-ups are extremely frustrating.

Use one-handed dumbbell presses while lying on the floor, a new / old solution to pressing problems.

Why with one hand?

Exercises that use one arm are often considered less effective than their bilateral counterparts because they cannot use the same heavy weights. Also, due to the asymmetry of the load, more reliable stabilization of the whole body is required. This means that sometimes the difficulty can be caused by something other than the main motor muscles. Those who have tried bench dumbbell presses know what I mean.

For this very reason, athletes often perform standing presses. They strive to use the entire kinetic chain in their work in order to simulate movements performed both in sports and in real life. This might be called "functional" nonsense, but something tells me that engaging the gluteal muscles and stabilizing the core to perform shoulder movement- it's a good idea.

Due to some of the difficulties associated with strengthening the torso, the one-arm version works more efficiently. I even have a very scientific theory explaining the reason for this fact, which is as follows - you cannot walk and chew chewing gum at the same time.

All available attention is focused on one hand, which is 50% more for math gurus than for the bilateral version. This reminds us that we are not just doing an exercise, we are striving to achieve a specific goal.

Another advantage is freedom of movement and adjustment of body position. If, during the bench press, you lose tension in the upper back when you release the bar from the stoppers, then it will be impossible to return it back.

Dumbbells are easier to set up, however, when you use both of them, they swing over your face, making you look like you’re trying to scratch your back at the wrong time. But during the work of only one shoulder, it is already easier to take the correct position.

Great benefit

But what if you possess flawlessly healthy shoulders and with the development of the upper chest are you all right? Well, Mr. Franco Columbu, this exercise is great for triceps and elbow extension, among other things, just like any variation of the floor press.

Dumbbell presses on the floor will help you develop strength so you can use more heavy weights while doing various presses, and heavier weights are usually a plus.

Thus, you have a choice. You can do back straightening with dumbbells while standing in a bent over to develop triceps or the aforementioned floor exercise. However, in the latter case, you will be grateful not only for the triceps, but also for the shoulders and upper chest.

Healthy shoulders

One-handed floor presses protect the shoulders because the lower range of the press is missing here, and that’s the whole point. In the lower section of the amplitude, the shoulders rotate uncontrollably outward, entering the pinched zone. Slow and controlled descent turns into a ballistic bounce. It is better to exclude having beaten off, even if the amplitude of movement is reduced from this.

However, the real magic happens in the off position. The dumbbell presses the shoulder into its glenoid fossa and appears to correct postural problems. At correct technique the shoulder blade should lie completely on the floor, and the whole body should remain stationary.

Another beauty of this exercise is that the dumbbell sways slightly back and forth. The shoulder stabilizes, as it does during more specific movements for the muscles of the shoulder girdle bursa.

Develop the top of the chest
Guys can feel insecure for many reasons, but nothing beats a lack of upper chest development.

Those who suffer from this try everything. Breeding hands, standing hands in a crossover, presses on incline bench... Most often, these exercises do not help, because, as in other lagging parts of the body, there is no neuromuscular connection. Most compound exercises force you into an unfavorable position for optimal activation, and this includes incline presses. With a combination of poor activation and suboptimal mechanics, you won't be able to get a good contraction.

One-handed floor presses develop your upper chest because this exercise solves both problems. Firstly, one arm remains free, so during the presses you can feel this part of the chest, and now it is no longer just to hope that these muscles are contracting, but to know for sure that this is so. Plus, sensory connectivity will enhance activation.

Secondly, this biomechanics causes more effective activation of the upper chest. Dr. Clay Hight explains in his article “Building a Bodybuilders Chest”:

“At least one study has shown that using a narrower grip improves upper chest activation even more than the angle of the bench. This is due to the fact that applying a slightly narrower grip causes the elbows to move slightly closer to the body (that is, adduction occurs humerus), and does not diverge to the sides.

In this regard, the clavicular pectoral muscles are in a more favorable mechanical position to perform their main functions - contraction and horizontal adduction. "

Dr. Hite means more narrow grip when using a barbell. However, when using a barbell, no matter how tight the grip is, there is still a tendency to spread the elbows to the sides, since the arm is pronated, so the load is shifted to the lower chest.

But with a dumbbell, keeping an eye on the elbows is easier because the wrist is in a neutral position, thereby allowing the upper chest to take on more work.

Preparing for the exercise

The most tricky part in the bench press on the floor - this is to take the starting position with the dumbbell in the off position, without hurting yourself. There are two ways.

The first option is the flip method. You don't have to be a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion to do it, so don't be intimidated. You need to know just a few principles so as not to twist the spine into a pigtail.

Lie on your side, bend your knees and press the dumbbell against your body. This will reduce the leverage and reduce the bending moment that occurs in the spine. You need to hold the dumbbell with both hands, but grab the handle upper arm, and the second performs a supporting function.

After that, you begin to roll over, looking over your upper shoulder. Where the head goes, the body goes there, so the head always leads. Once you feel the pull of the dumbbell, use your hands to roll it onto your chest and abs. Here she should lie down comfortably.

Straighten both legs and use your hands to move the dumbbell to the desired position.

Photos are good, but videos are often more effective. Here's a video showing flips and bench presses

The second option is the "one-two took!" Spread your legs out to the sides in a "V" shape and place a dumbbell between them.

Tilt it so that the side closest to you is on the ground and the other in the air.

Clasp your fingers together around the handle. Lean forward with force, and then lean back, lifting the dumbbell to the off position.

And again another video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF6ww2LDeUo&feature=player_embedded

Starting position

Regardless of the method you use, you will end up in the off position with your legs straight. Reduce gluteal muscles and abs to stabilize the body. As the operating weights increase, the importance of this stabilization increases.

Place the dumbbell in the right arm and make sure your shoulders are pulled back and down. Simply put, the shoulder blades should be flattened and flat against the floor.

Keep in mind, however, that since you are only working with one dumbbell, you have more freedom of movement. If necessary, you can fidget back and forth to get your shoulder into position; this is one of the benefits of this exercise.

Once you are sure that your shoulder is in proper position and your shoulder blade is completely on the floor, either place your free hand on your chest or hold it in the air to further improve your balance. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds and simply "feel" how the head of the shoulder is pressed into the glenoid fossa, while the upper back tenses. Now you are ready for the actual exercise.

Movement technique

After an isometric hold in the off position, lower your arm while keeping your elbow close to your body. When the shoulder area of ​​the arm reaches the floor, pause for a second, while contracting all the muscles, as in the squat on the bench. Just because you've hit the bottom of your amplitude doesn't mean you can take a nap.

After a pause, straighten your arm to the starting position, reminding yourself to press the shoulder blade to the ground. This will help you put weight on your shoulder. The elbow remains close to the body; don't let him step aside.

After finishing the approach, hold the dumbbell in the off position for 5-10 seconds. If you want to work on stabilizing your shoulder, you can do what I call a compass. After completing the set, move the dumbbell slightly to the north, south, east and west. It can be dangerous when used. heavy weights so save this technique for warm-up sets.

Completion

After completing the one-arm set, return the dumbbell to your chest. Grab it with your other hand, but use both to reach the off position. After both hands have completed the set, return the dumbbell to the floor using reverse order actions of any method of taking the starting position.

If you are reversing a roll, place a dumbbell on your chest, bend one leg to the side (to which you are about to roll), look over your shoulder, roll over, and place the dumbbell on the floor.

If you reverse the “one-two took!” Method, hold the dumbbell in the off position with both hands, create a momentum in the thoracic spine, then, using force, direct this moment forward and sit with the dumbbell between your legs.

Call to action!

Add muscle mass triceps, swing your upper chest and increase the shutdown force while restoring shoulder health.

Stop floundering about your pressing problems and start solving them. Maybe you can't do overhead presses or bench presses only temporarily, so take care of your concerns and increase strength at the same time. Regardless of your goals, dumbbell floor presses are worth your attention.

Fitness expert Sergei Strukov translated Greg Dea's text about better exercise for the shoulder.

One-handed kettlebell press suits everyone

Whether you are looking to improve power and strength, or do pattern recovery rehabilitation, the one-handed kettlebell press is suitable for all of these purposes.

I used this exercise to compensate for the high volume of shots, holds, serves and contacts in volleyball and handball players. international level... Athletes who systematically perform single-arm presses within training program, increase the power of blows and endurance.

But even if you're just doing fitness, you can use it to improve your posture and increase shoulder strength.

The one-arm press is the best as it meets the following criteria:

1. Safe start and end position.
2. Safe movement pattern.
3. Development of "push" power.
4. Identification and protection of weak links.

Now let us explain in more detail each of the listed advantages.

Safe start and end position

The starting and ending positions of the one-handed press are safer than other popular strength exercises for the shoulder, such as lifts in front of you and over the sides. A long lever, when lifting weights in front of you and over the sides, often forces the scapula to move away from a stable position at the beginning and at the end of the movement. It is like lifting a crane off the ground before lifting a load onto a tall building.

Rises in front of you and across the sides cause more shoulder problems than any other exercise, targeting the muscles that try to hold the shoulder blades in relation to the neck and torso (trapezoidal and diamond-shaped).

The main role of the scapula is to support the arm. She can move freely to maintain correct position glenoid fossa in relation to the head of the shoulder. With a "pterygoid" scapula (the medial edge moves away from the chest or tilts forward), or the medial / upper part of the scapula is higher than the lateral part, which puts the glenoid fossa in a position that limits the lifting of the arm. This is wrong and not stable. In this position, the blade loses the required orientation.

The one-handed press, in contrast, suggests the correct position. With one-handed presses, the scapula is dynamically stable, there is unlimited freedom of movement with situational support and maintaining the correct position.

The movement begins in a stance, with the kettlebell directly in front of the shoulder. The kettlebell is placed on the forearm, with outside hand clenched into a fist, the elbow is directed forward. The palm of the hand is directed towards the face. In the final position, the kettlebell is strictly above the shoulder, the elbow is straightened. Both of these positions, starting and ending, stabilize the position of the scapula.

Safe movement pattern

Press from starting to ending position should be vertical. The elbow in the initial position is directed forward, and in the final position - to the side. This means that the shoulder joint moves from a neutral position to an outward pivot position, while the scapula moves in a safer retraction and upward rotation position, opening up space for the shoulder joint to rotate and slide in a well-balanced position.

Another useful overhead press that the author of the article advises: Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Presses for Solid Shoulders

One-handed kettlebell press - "clean" movement... It is almost impossible to determine the correspondence of temporal parameters, sequence and coordination of the movement pattern. However, if the pattern is unstable, abrupt, or splits into stages, we call the movement "dirty and heavy." The opposite motion is essentially smooth, which we call "clean and light."

One-handed press position does not lead to dovish movement: Many shoulder strength exercises that require lifting from behind the head result in an attempt to remove the weight from the neck. The result is a movement reminiscent of the movement of a pigeon's head, hence the name "pigeoning". Pigeon movement displaces the joints and activates the muscles in the upper neck, resulting in pain and limited movement of the head and neck. If you want to avoid the “pigeon” movements, watch your neck when pulling to the chest or lifting in front of you. When you press a kettlebell with one hand, the kettlebell is squeezed out of the normal position of the neck over your head, so there is no “pigeon” movement.

In the bench press pattern, the scapula is further tilted back, freeing up space for the rotator cuff to work and minimizing the risk of collision. In addition to tilting back, the scapula pivots upward, opening up even more space. To implement the rotation of the scapula, a coordinated contraction of all the muscles of the back is required.

Jogging power development

This is a great exercise for developing "pushing power". Power is work done per unit of time, so it requires strength, speed and control of movement.

The advantage of the vertical press is the ability to lift more weight than when lifting in front of you or over the sides due to the relatively short lever. The stimulation of the upper limb is greater and the scapula remains stable. When the load is too large, the movement loses speed, which means power. It becomes dirty and difficult. In this situation, the bench press can do more work with a stable shoulder blade and more weights than with competing exercises (pulls to the chest, lifts over the sides or in front of you).

By the way, Zozhnik also has a review scientific research American Council on Exercise That study, however, did not test one-handed kettlebell bench press.

Weak links protection

The final advantage of this great exercise is the ability to eliminate weak links that are associated with the risk of injury.

The thoracic spine and rib cage, and whatever is attached to them, are involved in the one-handed press in the same way as in the two-handed press. It is difficult for us to understand and imagine precise joint movements that require complex coordination between stabilizers and main movers. When someone can no longer perform reps or the weight lifted reaches a plateau, we assume that they have simply reached their limit. But fatigue is not always the reason.

If you succeed different amount repetitions of the kettlebell press with the left and right hand, we understand that the cause of asymmetry can be in the thoracic spine, chest, all associated muscles, neck and shoulder girdle... Identifying the difference in sides guides us towards improving function in these areas, removing barriers to bench improvement. When a weak link is identified in dirty and heavy repetitions, we can change the weight and conditions of the performance to further improve.

When the burden is too large for a normal pattern, compensatory movements appear. Most of the compensation comes from leaning the person back to turn the movement into an angle press for the pectoral muscles. In this case, the neck makes a "pigeon" movement, the lower back flexes, and the shoulder blade moves away from the optimal position. "Pigeon" neck - dysfunctional compensation that impairs the stability of the trunk. It can lead to pain, limitation of movement, and impaired motor control - three well-known risks of injury.

There are two easy ways to fix a similar error:

1. Sit down and complete the approach... This reduces the demands on the hips and pelvis while providing a stable position for the lower back. Or you can stabilize your hips and pelvis by placing one foot on a chair or bench. The bent hip of the raised leg reduces the likelihood of the pelvis tilting forward and arching in the lower back.

Placing your foot on the bench will help.

If the lower back is still arched, simply raise your leg above the chair or bench to prevent this. I prefer this one-legged option as it involves surface pressure through the feet, ankles, knees and thighs rather than the six pelvic bones. This is a more complex exercise that does more than just the shoulder girdle.
Placing your foot on a box can help correct pelvic rotation.

2. The second method is to reduce weight and cleanly complete the set... Is not the best choice as long as the person compensates a light weight chasing repetitions. It is also a less favorable strategy as it requires conscious control of the technique. Self-restraint methods are preferred for adaptation over conscious control methods. This helps keep the pattern in your nervous system better than weight loss.

Balanced Leverage - Strong Leverage

If you want to good shoulders then you need to switch to the one-arm press in your bench workout.

I have used this simple strategy for many years to train athletes with a lot of shoulder work. The combination of position, pattern, and power adjustment provided protection for athletes in pre-season training, as well as combining with other core exercises. With the one-arm press, I improved the throwing ability of the Chinese national handball superstar with ruptured lip and rotator cuff tendon. I used the bench press for my own development and had no problem surprising the big guys with starting weights greater than their maximum lifts in front of me.

Despite the apparent complexity of positions and pattern, none of my athletes who pressed to failure suffered injury or post-exercise pain. Try this exercise. It is working.

One-handed dumbbell bench press is very comfortable and useful exercise to train the deltoid muscles. It allows you to work each deltoid muscle separately. This is especially useful if one of the deltas is lagging behind in strength or muscle mass.

Thus, the dumbbell press puts much less weight on the lower back, since you are holding the rack with your free hand. This prevents the torso from deflecting and helps maintain a stable position.

Starting position

Take a dumbbell in your hand and stand next to the racks. Feet shoulder width apart. Grasp the rack with your free hand, and hold the dumbbell in your arm bent to the shoulder. The forearm of the working hand should be upright and pressed against the chest. Turn the hand with the dumbbell with the palm towards you.

Dumbbell bench press, execution technique

Powerfully squeeze the dumbbell up, trying not to tilt the body to the side. Immediately, without stopping, smoothly return the dumbbell to starting position... Lock it in a stationary position and squeeze again. Perform the desired number of repetitions with one hand. Then, move the dumbbell to your other hand and do the same number of reps.

One-handed dumbbell bench press. Starting position.
One-handed dumbbell press. The finish.

One set of bench press is the full number of repetitions for both arms.

Breath

Squeezing the dumbbell up - exhale, lowering the dumbbell down - inhale.

Exercise develops the front and side deltoid muscle, triceps, upper trapezius and pectoral muscles, develops

By training the shoulders, we, as basic exercise, most often we use the army press. It perfectly loads the front and middle deltas, and allows you to show the maximum strength potential of the shoulders.

Meanwhile, for the sake of diversity, you can use another no less effective exercise - standing dumbbell bench press.

Target muscles

The muscles involved in the exercise are listed below in order of decreasing load on them:

• Anterior bundle of deltas
• Medium beam
• Posterior beam
• Triceps (acts as an assistant muscle)

Execution scheme

• Stand up straight with your feet wide apart. Straighten your back and bend your knees slightly. Take a dumbbell in your hand, and rest your other hand on the side to maintain balance.
• Inhale and begin to squeeze the dumbbell upward, while trying not to tilt your working shoulder.
• Exhale after overcoming the heaviest section of the amplitude.
• At the top of the exercise, take a short pause, fixing the weight above your head.
• Return the dumbbell in a controlled manner to its original position. After completing all the planned repetitions with one hand, shift it to the other.

• Perform one-handed bench press with the very first in the complex for training deltas - no more than 3-5 sets of 6-8 times;
• Do not relax your abs throughout the set, this will allow you to keep your body straight. If you start the movement with a "nod" of the body, then part of the load will be taken over by the pectoral muscles and a dangerous overload will occur in the lumbar region;
• When working with a lot of weight, spring with your knees - this will allow you to take some of the load off shoulder joints, significantly reducing the likelihood of injury;
• Apply periodically

Take dumbbells and lie on the bench. Push the dumbbells with your hips and lift, keeping them shoulder-width apart. Slowly lower the weight, as you exhale, squeeze it up.

Dumbbell bench press with one hand lying: video

Exercise rules

1. Lie on a horizontal bench with a dumbbell on your hip.
2. Then lift your hips to lift the dumbbell up. Keep the dumbbell shoulder-width apart. Use your non-working hand to maintain the correct dumbbell position.
3. Rotate your wrist forward so that your palm is facing away from you. This is your starting position.
4. As you inhale, slowly lower your weight to the side. Keep the dumbbell under constant control. Tip: Use your non-working hand to maintain the balance of the dumbbell, as this can be difficult initially. Use this help only when needed. Otherwise, let it just lie there.
5. As you exhale, squeeze the dumbbell up using your chest muscles. Fix your hand at the top of the exercise, squeeze chest, pause for a second, and then begin to slowly lower the weight. Tip: This should take at least twice as long as the upward movement.
6. Repeat the recommended number of times.
7. Change hands and repeat the movement.

Caution: After doing the exercise, do not drop the dumbbells near you, as this can be dangerous for the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Just lift your legs off the floor, bending them at the knees, turn your wrist so that your palms are facing one another, and place the dumbbells on your hips. When both dumbbells touch your thighs, squeeze out at the same time upper part body up, and also perform a small forward kick (keeping the dumbbells on the hips). In this combined movement, inertia allows you to return to a seated position while keeping the dumbbells on your hips. At this point, you can place the dumbbells on the floor.