I love this exercise for a lot of reasons. It gets really challenging once you have a good weight. And even though you have less range of motion, it’s harder than a DB bench press.
I like doing it with a dead stop at the bottom, this makes sure I eliminate any possible momentum. I rest at the bottom long enough for me to get an extra breath in so I can use my air to help drive the DBs up.
The more you turn your elbows in, the more triceps you will recruit, which makes it a great exercise to replace a close grip press.
If you’re coming off a shoulder injury or you have cranky shoulders when doing bench press, this is a great substitute to use. You can still do your chest presses and keep your shoulders happy.
The easiest way to get into the set up is to have one DB resting on a bench (or any riser will do), while I bring the other DB up to my shoulder from a standing position. From there I get to the ground, lay down and grab the second DB from the bench. This will take away any stress on your shoulders or elbows when trying to get the second DB into the starting position. This becomes more important as you reach your max weight.
Other things to remember – keep your wrists straight (fists should be pointed up to the ceiling).
Feet are flat on the floor and I’m pushing them into the floor as I drive up with the weight.
Push your belly button/lower back into the floor.
Perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
