Db bench press

[gtjacko]

basically i've started getting a bit of pain in my outer chest and front delt. I tried doing each rep with my palms facing each other the whole time, and this was loads more comfortable, no pain. I was wondering though, if using this grip hits the pecs as much as the regular palms forward grip?

cheers for the help

 

[BlondBomber]

No, neutral grip DB will not hit your pecs as hard. They will help your bench and is one of the few DB press exercises the powerlifting guru Louie Simmons recommends. You will be able to use more weight usually, I personally attribute this to greater recruitment of the delts (that is where I feel it more with neutral grip).

 

[gtjacko]

No, neutral grip DB will not hit your pecs as hard. They will help your bench and is one of the few DB press exercises the powerlifting guru Louie Simmons recommends. You will be able to use more weight usually, I personally attribute this to greater recruitment of the delts (that is where I feel it more with neutral grip).

well, do you think the fact that you can use more weight will compensate for the fact that it is not hitting your pecs as hard, in that a secondary muscle is being recruited to a greater degree? And do you think that in the long run using a neutral grip will result in muscle loss, or just the slowing down of muscle gains? trouble is with me i feel like im using my front delts too much as it is with a palms forward grip (i dont like bb press for this reason too) at least with dbs i can get a realy good contraction at the top! i guess i will just stick with the neutral grip for a while, and see what the results are!

cheers for the advise

ps has that louise simmons got much info on the net?

 

[H_T_]

you won't get great contractions from any pressing, cuz the movement is not in isolation, if you want contraction for chest, do flyes and try to touch your wrists together.(you won't, but one you get proficient in doing this, you'll know what i mean.)

 

[gtjacko]

i have always done my flyes after my presses, but i have seen some guys superseting them together, what do you reckon?

 

[curgeo]

A lot of people try and press with dumbells while holding them away from the side of the body. When you do this you place a lot of stress on the area you are talking about having pain at. Can you do a normal (palms facing feet) bench press with your hands in tighter to your body without pain? See if you can....you just may be stretching the pec/delt too much without realizing it.

 

[gtjacko]

sounds like good advise, i will give it a try and see if the pain in still there. what is a good guide line, ie should the inside plate be touching my shoulder at the botton of the lift, something like that, instead of out to the side?

 

[curgeo]

Yeah, give that a try. Never do an exercises that causes you joint/tendon pain. Just keep the dumbells in tight to you body. Get the stretch on the pec from coming down with the weight, not away from the body. Remember, it is not a fly, it's a press. The pec/delt area is very sensitive to tears or strains. Find out what groove that you have that doesn't hurt and use that.

 

[gtjacko]

curgeo

do you agree that pressing with your palms facing each other through the whole lift isnt good enough for the chest, as this is the most comfortable for me?

cheers

 

[bignate73]

how about pressing with your elbows at more of a 45 degree angle from your body instead of flaring the elbows completely out to the sides?

usually thats where people strain something. they tend to have weak rotators and try to lower too far down, you'll get way more ROM the smaller the angle of the upper arm away from the body.

ask a PL'er if they get enough "chest". its not a concern...but at the same time, you'd be hard pressed to find a good PL'er that doesnt have some solid development. just my opinion but the whole "elbows flared" thing has been perpetuated for far too long. its lead to tons of people swearing off BB bench press, and generally leads to a number of injuries because usually rotators arent taken care of...because they don't show in the mirror.

my $.02. take it or leave it.