If you've read any of
my articles on dumbell bench press, you know I'm a big
fan of doing the exercise on the Swiss ball rather than
on an actual flat bench.
The reason is NOT because
of the instability of the ball - that's incidental to
me (though it is useful). The reason is because of the
SHAPE of the ball (round, in case you were wondering...
:)
With a round ball, you
can more easily wrap your back around the ball and expand
your rib cage. This helps keep your shoulders back,
putting your chest in a much better position to perform
the exercise. If you can't feel much in your chest on
the flat bench, you need to use the Swiss ball NOW.
This tip today is an explanation
of how to best get the dumebells into position to do
the exercise. I've been doing this exercise for a LOT
of years and this is the best way, by far, I've found
for getting the dumbells into position.
I find it much easier
to work with heavy dumbells when on the ball. One thing
you DEFINITELY want to make sure of before doing any
heavy dumbell work on the ball is that you have a GOOD
ball - no Wal-Mart Denise Austin "toning"
ball here.
You want something that
is thick rubber and anti-burst (meaning if it leaks,
it's not going to pop - it'll just leak slowly, giving
you time to set your weights down). Nothing good happens
when a Swiss ball pops while your under load.
So make sure your ball
is good quality. Get yours from an actual training equipment
like "Resist-A-Ball".
I got my red one that I'm using in the videos from SportSmith
(that link goes to the exact ball I've got - you'll
notice it's anti-burst).
Another good one is available
through Power Systems, called the Power
Versa Ball (rated to 2000 lbs).
Anyway, once you've got
your ball, grab some dumbells. Start with lighter dumbells
at first - once you get the technique down, you can
really get into some heavy weights. I'm using 125 lb
dumbells in the demo here.
Set them a little in front
of the ball and stand in between them.
Squat down and grab them
like you're about to do a dumbell deadlift (which you
are).
As you stand up, rest
the ENDS of the dumbells on your thighs.
Now sit on the ball with
the dumbell on end on your thighs.
Kick your right leg out
until it's almost straight.
Then kick your left leg
out.
Now comes the FUN part...you're
going to very quickly and forcefully roll yourself forward
on the ball so that you're laying back. As you're forcefully
laying back, lock your elbows so that you bring the
dumbells with you as you lay back.
That puts in the position
you see in the picture below - just beside your chest.
Continue their backward
momentum and swing your elbows out to the sides until
you're in the bottom position of the bench press.
Very quickly press the
dumbells to the top, converting some of that backwards
momentum into upwards force. You don't want to get stuck
at the bottom.
Now you're at the top
and ready to start your set! Do as many reps as you
want to or are able to do.
When you've completed
your set, you're ready to set the dumbells down again.
Bring them in towards your chest again.
Now set them on the ground
like you're doing a negative dumbell curl. Control the
drop but don't try and actually do a real negative with
heavy weights like this!
You're done! Simple and
effective and, in my opinion, better than doing them
on a flat bench.
