Press dumbbells head down. Upside down press What muscles work?

The head-down barbell press is aimed at primarily developing the lower part of the pectoral muscle. This exercise helps to “separate” the chest muscles from the abs and get a beautiful relief. The exercise is used as a special preparatory exercise in American football, tennis, golf and gymnastics. It is rarely used in powerlifting and the bench press, since the range of motion of the shoulder joint is increased, and the athlete can be susceptible to injury when the bench press is too long.

The movement is more common in bodybuilding. The goal of the work is to draw the very “line” that separates the chest muscles from the abdomen. In terms of complexity, this is a fairly demanding movement. It requires the help of the belayer and the accuracy of the athlete himself. The exercise works the chest muscles, anterior deltoids and triceps. The back and leg muscles stabilize the athlete’s body in the exercise.

Initial position

Benches vary in the presence or absence of foot rests. If the feet are hanging in the air and the ankle is fixed with pillows, a technique should be used when, taking the starting position, the athlete pushes off the barbell in order to fix the shoulder blades firmly to the spine.

If the bench is a classic one, you first need to position your legs so that your feet are stable and do not slip. Then the belayer removes the barbell, the athlete collects his shoulder blades and rests them on the surface of the bench, and the back maintains a natural deflection.

For most benches, a bridge is not possible, but you still need to watch your shoulder blades. Movement when the athlete presses with shoulders rounded forward and lies on a relaxed back is not allowed.

The spotter removes the barbell from the racks, the athlete smoothly lowers it onto his chest until it touches. The trajectory of the elbows is from a neutral position along the ellipsoid a little closer to the body, and back. Moving your elbows to the sides, and even more so towards your ears, is a dangerous technique. Although this is exactly what bodybuilders usually do. What saves them is the use of small weights on the barbell.

A medium grip for this exercise is recommended. It is a mistake to think that only the triceps work in it. With a medium grip, it is possible to use the chest muscles and a targeted effect on the lower pectoral bundles, since the fall from the chest still occurs due to the chest muscles.

When lowering, you need to stretch your chest towards the bar. The projectile descends below the nipple line, closer to the solar plexus.

After touching, the barbell must be stopped on the chest and pressed upward in one smooth but high-speed movement. Only this technique allows you to get rid of the risk of the projectile falling and squeeze out quite a serious weight. Elbows should be fully extended. If they are overloaded and sore, the only way out is to not do bench presses for a while.

Sets and reps. The movement is performed in 3-5 working approaches in the number of repetitions from 5 to 10.

Lowering the bar occurs while inhaling, pressing while exhaling.

Traffic safety

There is an opinion that the back should be pressed against the bench in the lumbar region. In fact, removing the natural lordosis of the lower back will do nothing in terms of safety. But a relaxed upper back is the cause of an athlete’s unstable position and injuries. In order for the athlete to perform the movement safely, the back should be tense and the shoulder blades not spread along the plane of the back. The movement should not be done on a relaxed back, but lumbar lordosis is an acceptable thing.

The second point is that the sneakers should not slide if the exercise is done with emphasis on the floor, and the legs should not move along the surface. Leg support should be trained in all presses, as it is the key to the correct starting position of the athlete on the bench.

The assistance of the insurer is mandatory. In fitness gyms, bench press racks are made in such a way that only a person of a certain height can safely remove the barbell themselves. People below 170 cm and above 186 cm usually have problems with this. Yes, and lifting a barbell from the racks is a skill; if it is not trained, after independently picking up the apparatus, the athlete remains lying on a relaxed back, with his shoulders rounded forward, which is unacceptable due to safety regulations.

The warm-up for the incline bench press is usually a classic press. Or the athlete performs an incline press with an upward incline to target the upper chest first. The only point is that the first approach should not be performed with a working weight. Typically, any approach is preceded by rotation of the shoulder joint, that is, exercises to rotate the shoulder outward and inward, and warming up the elbows and wrists. Some athletes are accustomed to doing one set of any movement on the back, for example, pull-ups, to feel the collection of the shoulder blades.

Important: high blood pressure in an athlete is a contraindication for performing this type of bench press. Avoid doing incline bench presses with the bench sloping downwards and if the athlete experiences dizziness when standing up. The exercise is not recommended if you are taking medications to nourish the blood vessels of the brain. Also contraindicated is injury to the muscles of the chest, triceps and shoulder, as well as shoulder, elbow joints and wrists.

Equipment

Only hand wraps and a belt are recommended. Various chest supports and other similar things tend to move off the athlete’s body and interfere with the exercise. If a person lowers the weight by inertia, he does not need a stand, but a trainer who will teach him to smoothly lower the weight in one movement, fix it on his chest, and then press it up with a powerful explosive movement.

If a person does not know how to bench press in any other way than by lowering the barbell onto his neck, he should learn how to properly work his shoulders and back. Until this is done, no advanced bench presses are recommended. If you are “unbearable” and really want to have the notorious line of separation of the chest from the abdomen, it is worth working with dumbbells for some time.

The athlete should also be weaned from breaking their wrists. The weight of the barbell should be distributed evenly in the palm of your hand, and there is no need to twist your wrists. The elbows should be firmly in line and not curl upward towards the ears. Hands work in the same plane. This is especially worth watching for people who have severe scoliosis.

Any supplies under the pelvis, if a person is injured, towels and other pads between the athlete and the bench are rigidly fixed. Body sliding is the most common cause of injury. You shouldn’t jump up from the bench at a fast pace.

The most common problem of those who cannot get beautiful pecs is not a lack of bench presses, but a lack of competent load programming. Let’s say an athlete performs classic bench presses and flyes in the first training session, and incline bench presses and butterfly exercises in the second. What should the weight of the projectile be? Heavy - only in one of the workouts. If we are talking about a natural athlete or a fitness specialist “for himself,” then perhaps every second. Lack of recovery is the most common problem among amateurs. It is because of this that it turns out that a bunch of bench presses give mediocre results.

To perform a head-down barbell press, use a special bench that is tilted down. The muscles in this variation work the same way as in a regular chest press. Most bodybuilders dream of having a harmoniously pumped up lower chest. This is why you can use this exercise. This training is also very effectively used by gymnasts, boxers, athletes who play American football and wrestlers.

Execution technique

Secure your legs and take a lying position on a bench that is tilted down.
Grasp the barbell using a medium grip. Place the projectile in front of you. Make sure your arms are perpendicular to the floor. This position can be considered the starting position.
For beginners, it is best to use the help of a person who will provide protection while performing this exercise.
Inhale and lower the barbell down until the bar touches your chest.
At this point, take a short pause of a few seconds. After this, use your chest to press the bar up, that is, return it to the starting position. At the top point, you need to tense your working muscles and lower the barbell to your chest again.
It is worth knowing that lowering the barbell takes twice as long as raising it, this will help increase the effectiveness of the training.
The training must be repeated the intended number of times in order for the result to be consolidated.
To perform this exercise, you can use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

What muscles work

It is a position when the head is at a lower level than the legs; therefore, the main work concerns the pectorals, that is, on their lower part. Since the chest muscle is divided into the clavicular and sternal heads, it works in a special way when performing this exercise. If you press at a lower angle, the load falls on the sternal head. Also, during this training, the front deltoids and triceps are included in the work. If the athlete uses a narrow grip, the triceps will be involved in the work.

Advantages

When including this exercise in your workout, you should know about its benefits, which include:

Each angle of inclination gives a certain improvement in the chest in its segment;
Helps lift the breasts and visually improve the décolleté area; many female representatives will really like this
Will help improve strength results in regular classical;
Increases weight gain very well;
Helps reduce stress on the shoulders and makes it possible to avoid injuries;
Helps relieve excess tension and strain from the back.

In order for the training to bring the maximum expected result, you must adhere to some rules:

When working with chest strength at the top point, you need to pause for a few seconds;
If you are a beginner, then you should definitely use the services of a belayer; this will protect you from injury and help you understand how to perform the technique correctly;
Also for beginners, a Smith machine can be a good helper;
Make sure that the bar does not make unnecessary and unnecessary movements, that is, does not move;
The bar should move only on a horizontal plane;
Touching should occur only in the lower part of the chest;
The projectile descends twice as slow as it returns to the top point;
The bar should only touch the chest very gently, there should be no lying on it or sudden aggressive movements;
It is worth lifting the projectile until your arms are almost completely straightened;
Control your elbows, they should constantly look in different directions;
Try to exhale very actively at the most difficult point of the training, this will help lower the pressure;
You should not do this exercise if you are hypertensive or have problems with high blood pressure;
They do this exercise 3x12, where three are sets, and twelve are repetitions.

What can be replaced

The bench press is a basic training exercise. . Helps work the muscles of the arms and chest. The classic press is performed in a supine position. In the starting position, the projectile is located above the chest, while the arms should be extended. The exercise can also be done from a position where the barbell lies on its stops, from this position it is done upward and the projectile returns back to its racks.
In touch. This training consists of the fact that as soon as the bar touches the chest, the bench press is carried out immediately without unnecessary delays.
Framed. This training is performed inside a power rack. In the starting position, the projectile must be on the limiters. The bar should be located at chest level. All repetitions are performed from a point located below. This type of training can be called quite safe, which can be done without a person who insures.
On an incline bench. Gives you the opportunity to work from below and from above. The higher the head is, the greater the load on the upper chest and vice versa.
Grip width. The grip is very important when it comes to work, because sometimes it determines which part of the body will be actively trained.

Contents:

What are the features and benefits of this exercise for the pectoral muscles? How to do it correctly, the nuances of technique.

There is an opinion that pressing dumbbells or barbells while lying head down is an ineffective exercise that can not be included in the training process. In fact, this is a misconception. This type of bench press is simply necessary for high-quality development of the chest muscles. We will discuss what causes this in our article.

What are the features?

Experienced athletes who often visit the gym pay attention to the low popularity of the incline bench. And this despite the fact that there is a whole line lining up near the horizontal “lounger” in the gym. This is primarily due to the inconvenience of the first option, because the dumbbell (barbell) press has to be done in an unusual position - lying head down. In fact, this is where the main advantages of the exercise are hidden.

It's no secret that our pectoral muscle is formed from two elements - lower and upper. The first is called the clavicular head, and the second is called the sternal head. Both muscle parts do the work of pulling the arm toward the midline. When doing a bench press at a slight angle (lying head down), the sternal (lower) head is loaded to a greater extent. The optimal angle is 20-45 degrees. In addition, when performing the exercise, another group of muscles is involved in the work - deltas (front) and triceps. If you work with a barbell with a narrow grip, then only the triceps will be loaded. The purpose of such a press is to work on the lower part of the chest, giving it greater “sharpness” and high-quality compaction.

Main advantages

By performing dumbbell (barbell) presses while lying upside down, you can get the following benefits:

increase in strength indicators in the usual bench press;
tightening the lower neckline, “pushing it out”, raising the lower part of the pectoral muscles (very good for women);
effective fight against stagnation in the standard (horizontal) press, when the weight remains in one place for a long time;
load on the auxiliary and lower pectoral muscles;
optimal distribution of the load and its shifting to the necessary part of the muscle group - the pectoralis major muscle;
reducing the load on the lower back;
reducing the load on the shoulders, as well as reducing the risk of injury.

This list is enough to ensure that such an effective bench press is not left out of the training process.

How to do the exercise correctly?

To obtain the expected effect, the exercise should be performed correctly, following the basic technique. The algorithm for working with a barbell (lifting dumbbells) while lying upside down is as follows:

approach the bench and set the backrest to the required position. Afterwards, prepare the barbell and lie down under it, securely securing your legs under the fixing rollers. Grasp the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and begin lifting the weight. Place the barbell at the level of the lower part of the pectoral muscles and make sure that your arms are strictly perpendicular to the floor;
inhale and lower the weight down. After touching the bar to your lower chest, exhale and lift the bar;
Do the bench press as many times as planned in the workout (usually 10-12 repetitions are enough).

Nuances of doing the exercises

Knowledge of technology is not everything. You should consider a number of secrets of pressing dumbbells (barbells) while lying upside down. There are several of them:

in the highest position, squeeze the pectoral muscles and fix them in this position for a couple of seconds;
If you lack experience, use a partner who will back you up if something happens. If this is not possible, then do the exercise on a Smith bench. Remember that belaying in this exercise is the key to safety, because losing your balance is a piece of cake;
try to avoid “rocking” the bar when lowering or raising it. Watch its movement - it should occur only in the horizontal plane. In addition, in no case should you push the bar too far forward;
work in such a way that the projectile falls twice as slow as it rises;
Do not, under any circumstances, “bounce” the barbell away from your chest when you reach the bottom point;
use the full range, that is, the arms should bend and extend completely without the springing mentioned above;
adjust the barbell and bench so that the bar falls on the lower part of the chest;
look at your elbows all the time - when performing the exercise they should be directed in different directions;
inhale as deeply as possible after the bar passes through the heaviest range. This will at least slightly reduce the pressure that increases due to the unusual position;
If you have hypertension, it is better to avoid this exercise.

What are the options and which is better?

The lower press can be performed in several variations:

when using dumbbells;
on the Smith machine;
with a barbell.

The question arises, which of the existing bench presses is still more effective for muscles. Studies have shown that performing exercises with the head down is an opportunity to pump the pectoral muscles more effectively (when compared with the top position). But not everything is clear here. If it is necessary to “trim” the pectoral area, then the best option is the lower press, if the clavicular area is the upper one.

Another study showed that when performing the “lower exercise,” the pectoral muscles take on the maximum load. As a rule, it is twice as much weight as the pectoral muscles bear during a standard horizontal press.

But that's not all. In 2010, scientists were able to prove that the lower or upper press has the same effect on the upper pectoral muscle. So the statement that to pump up the upper pectoral muscle it is necessary to use only the “upper” press is not correct.

In addition, when bending the body, the athlete can take more weight than with a standard bench press (by about 15-20%). This is due to three different reasons:

firstly, working at a downward angle connects more pectoral muscles, which allows you to develop much greater force;
secondly, the body is in a special position, which shifts the emphasis from the triceps and deltoid muscles to the chest and back muscles. All this allows you to apply much more force;
the amplitude becomes smaller than in the case of a horizontal press.

Based on the above, we can conclude that the dumbbell (barbell) press in the lower position can be called a more effective exercise.

Conclusion

In this article, we examined in detail the advantages of the lower press, when the athlete’s head is below the level of the legs. But, despite the effectiveness of this exercise, you should not give up pumping your chest using standard methods (classic or overhead press). Just add this exercise to your training program and you will see the results.

(2 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)

This training is also very effectively used by gymnasts, boxers, athletes who play American football and wrestlers.

Execution technique

Secure your legs and take a lying position on a bench that is tilted down.
Grasp the barbell using a medium grip. Place the projectile in front of you. Make sure your arms are perpendicular to the floor. This position can be considered the starting position.
For beginners, it is best to use the help of a person who will provide protection while performing this exercise.
Inhale and lower the barbell down until the bar touches your chest.
At this point, take a short pause of a few seconds. After this, use your chest to press the bar up, that is, return it to the starting position. At the top point, you need to tense your working muscles and lower the barbell to your chest again.
It is worth knowing that lowering the barbell takes twice as long as raising it, this will help increase the effectiveness of the training.
The training must be repeated the intended number of times in order for the result to be consolidated.
To perform this exercise, you can use dumbbells instead of a barbell.

What muscles work

Which ones work during

If you press at a lower angle, the load falls on the sternal head. Also, during this training, the front deltoids and triceps are included in the work. If the athlete uses a narrow grip, the triceps will be involved in the work.

Advantages

Each angle of inclination gives a certain improvement in the chest in its segment;
Helps lift the breasts and visually improve the décolleté area; many female representatives will really like this
Will help improve strength results in regular classical;
Increases weight gain very well;
Helps reduce stress on the shoulders and makes it possible to avoid injuries;
Helps relieve excess tension and strain from the back.

In order for the training to bring the maximum expected result, you must adhere to some rules:

When working with chest strength at the top point, you need to pause for a few seconds;
If you are a beginner, then you should definitely use the services of a belayer; this will protect you from injury and help you understand how to perform the technique correctly;
Also for beginners, it can be a good helper;
Make sure that the bar does not make unnecessary and unnecessary movements, that is, does not move;
The bar should move only on a horizontal plane;
Touching should occur only in the lower part of the chest;
The projectile descends twice as slow as it returns to the top point;
The bar should only touch the chest very gently, there should be no lying on it or sudden aggressive movements;
It is worth lifting the projectile until your arms are almost completely straightened;
Control your elbows, they should constantly look in different directions;
Try to exhale very actively at the most difficult point of the training, this will help lower the pressure;
You should not do this exercise if you are hypertensive or have problems with high blood pressure;
They do this exercise 3x12, where three are sets, and twelve are repetitions.

What can be replaced

. Helps work the muscles of the arms and chest. The classic press is performed in a supine position. In the starting position, the projectile is located above the chest, while the arms should be extended. The exercise can also be done from a position where the barbell lies on its stops, from this position it is done upward and the projectile returns back to its racks.
In touch. This training consists of the fact that as soon as the bar touches the chest, the bench press is carried out immediately without unnecessary delays.
Framed. This training is performed inside a power rack. In the starting position, the projectile must be on the limiters. The bar should be located at chest level. All repetitions are performed from a point located below. This type of training can be called quite safe, which can be done without a person who insures.
On an incline bench. Gives you the opportunity to work from below and from above. The higher the head is, the greater the load on the upper chest and vice versa.
Grip width. The grip is very important when it comes to work, because sometimes it determines which part of the body will be actively trained.