Trainer Tip – Dumbbell Chest Press

The dumbbell chest press is one of my favorite exercises to build strength in my chest, and my triceps as well as my shoulders see a strength benefit from it as well.  However, a common error that I see people doing when doing this exercise inhibits their strength gains, and puts their shoulders at risk for injury.  The error I most commonly see is having the dumbbell way too high on the chest or over the neck, and not the center to bottom half of the chest.  Using your overall chest to press from, instead of your shoulders will allow you to add more strength to your chest, and will take unnecessary pressure off the shoulders.  The first tip I can give, is to bring your shoulders down (think about depressing the shoulders).  This will automatically bring the dumbbells down a little lower.  Secondly, a quick fix is to turn the dumbbells to about a 45 degree angle.  Doing this will bring your elbows in a little tighter, and will bring the dumbbells down a little as well.  Remember, you should always be getting the most out of your workouts!

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