Lying dumbbell raises. Raising arms with dumbbells on a horizontal bench - technique for performing the exercise! How to avoid common mistakes and do the wiring correctly
Lying dumbbell raises are one of the main isolating exercises for the pectoral muscles. The exercise gives the chest a bulging shape and is also good for creating a distinct separation between the left and right pectoralis major muscles. Also, this exercise is very well suited for leveling the lag of one of the pectorals from the other. Do the exercise on a bench with different inclination angles to distribute the load throughout the pectoral muscle.
Exercise options
1. Reduction of arms with dumbbells lying on a horizontal bench
Main working muscles:
- Chest muscles
Initial position:
Take dumbbells and lie down on a bench. The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.
You should not bend your elbows too much during the exercise, as this will shift part of the load from the chest to the triceps. Try to perform the movement in a wide arc, without rotating your hands and in the same plane. Also, do not fully connect the dumbbells at the top to maintain continuity of stress on the chest muscles. On the spread - inhale, on the convergence - exhale.
2. Reduction of arms with dumbbells while lying on an inclined bench
This exercise shifts the focus to the upper part of the pectoralis major muscle.
Main working muscles:
- Chest muscles (with emphasis on the upper part)
Additional muscles worked:
- Deltoid muscles (anterior bundle)
Initial position:
Take dumbbells and lie on an incline bench (45 degree incline). The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.
Exercise technique:
- As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows.
- As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.
Do not use overly heavy dumbbells. They will force you to bend your elbows and lower your elbows well below shoulder level. Moreover, by lowering your elbows much lower than shoulder level, you dangerously transfer the focus of the load to the shoulder joint.
3. Reduction of arms with dumbbells lying on a bench with a negative incline
In this variation, the emphasis shifts to the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle.
Main working muscles:
- Chest muscles (with emphasis on the lower part)
Additional muscles worked:
- Deltoid muscles (anterior bundle)
Initial position:
Take dumbbells and lie on a bench with a negative incline (inclination angle -45 degrees). The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.
Exercise technique:
- As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows.
- As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.
Avoid excessive extension of the arms at the elbow joints and overload of the shoulder joints. Your arms should remain slightly bent at the elbows at an angle of approximately 10°. Bring your arms together by squeezing your chest muscles, rather than squeezing the dumbbells upward using your arm muscles.
Lying dumbbell raises are one of the main isolating exercises for the pectoral muscles. The exercise gives the chest a bulging shape and is also good for creating a distinct separation between the left and right pectoralis major muscles. Also, this exercise is very well suited for leveling the lag of one of the pectorals from the other. Do the exercise on a bench with different inclination angles to distribute the load throughout the pectoral muscle.
Exercise options
1. Reduction of arms with dumbbells lying on a horizontal bench
Main working muscles:
- Chest muscles
Initial position:
Take dumbbells and lie down on a bench. The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.
You should not bend your elbows too much during the exercise, as this will shift part of the load from the chest to the triceps. Try to perform the movement in a wide arc, without rotating your hands and in the same plane. Also, do not fully connect the dumbbells at the top to maintain continuity of stress on the chest muscles. On the spread - inhale, on the convergence - exhale.
2. Reduction of arms with dumbbells while lying on an inclined bench
This exercise shifts the focus to the upper part of the pectoralis major muscle.
Main working muscles:
- Chest muscles (with emphasis on the upper part)
Additional muscles worked:
- Deltoid muscles (anterior bundle)
Initial position:
Take dumbbells and lie on an incline bench (45 degree incline). The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.
Exercise technique:
- As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows.
- As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.
Do not use overly heavy dumbbells. They will force you to bend your elbows and lower your elbows well below shoulder level. Moreover, by lowering your elbows much lower than shoulder level, you dangerously transfer the focus of the load to the shoulder joint.
3. Reduction of arms with dumbbells lying on a bench with a negative incline
In this variation, the emphasis shifts to the lower part of the pectoralis major muscle.
Main working muscles:
- Chest muscles (with emphasis on the lower part)
Additional muscles worked:
- Deltoid muscles (anterior bundle)
Initial position:
Take dumbbells and lie on a bench with a negative incline (inclination angle -45 degrees). The shoulder blades are retracted. There is a deflection in the lower back. The legs rest firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells at arm's length above your chest, palms facing each other.
Exercise technique:
- As you inhale, begin to spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows.
- As you exhale, bring your arms together, returning to the starting position.
Avoid excessive extension of the arms at the elbow joints and overload of the shoulder joints. Your arms should remain slightly bent at the elbows at an angle of approximately 10°. Bring your arms together by squeezing your chest muscles, rather than squeezing the dumbbells upward using your arm muscles.
There are a number of exercises that athletes pay special attention to. In the program of each bodybuilder, the first positions are occupied by different types of bench presses and dumbbell flyes. If the first 2 are considered and pump up all the muscles, the latter involves only the shoulder and elbow joints and fully loads the pectoral muscles.
Benefits of exercise
Lifting dumbbells lying to the sides with maximum amplitude and at the same pace ensures deep development of the pectoral muscles and separation. Eventually:
- a large muscle layer receives the load;
- the torso becomes convex and voluminous;
- lung capacity increases;
- due to deep movements the spine is stretched;
- an even posture is formed.
Raising dumbbells on a horizontal bench is equally effective for chest development. In the first case the hands perform the function of a lever and move along a given trajectory. This will strengthen the outer sides and middle of the torso. In the second, with the help of flexible cables you can select the desired angle and thoroughly pump the upper section. Perform hand raises while lying on a bench and block at the end of the chest training program.
Raising arms lying at an angle of 30° on an inclined bench: technique
Function of synergists When doing the fly lying down, it is performed by the front head of the deltas and a short bunch of biceps. The role of stabilizers is:, biceps and triceps fascicles, wrist flexors.
- Install the backrest and sit on the edge of the support. For variety, change the incline angles during each workout. from 20° to 40°.
- Take the shells and place them vertically on your knees.
- Lean back, lift your knees and grab the dumbbells.
- Move your feet to the edge of the bench. With this body position, it will be possible to avoid unnecessary arching in the lower back, which redistributes the focused load from the torso and distorts the result.
- Raise your arms vertically and check their location. Important so that they are located in line with the shoulders and are bent at the elbows.
- Tighten your core and move the dumbbells in opposite directions, making sure not to cross the line where a pleasant stretch turns into discomfort.
Make smooth movements with your hands and bring them to touch. To enhance the effect, make an effort at the last moment.
How to do dumbbell flyes on a horizontal bench
- Lower your backrest. Place dumbbells nearby for warming up and working out.
- Lie on the surface, place a towel under the back of your head.
- Inhale as you extend your arms and exhale as you connect.
- Spread the projectiles with your elbows facing down.
- As you exhale, bring your arms together at the top, feeling a stretch in your chest.
After each set, stand up and walk for 50 seconds.
What to pay attention to when working on a bench
On the position of the brushes. In the classic version, the fingers are always turned inward and towards each other. For optimal results, use supination and pronation. Spread the projectiles so that at the bottom they are located symmetrically, and at the top, using wrist turns, they form an even line. When supinating, change the position: at the top point, keep them parallel, when raising your arms at the bottom, form a straight line.
How to avoid common mistakes and do the wiring correctly
- Don't be tempted connect the shoulder blades— flattening the dumbbells while lying down implies the reverse movement. They need to be stretched, the torso stuck out, the upper body fixed in this position and held throughout the entire set.
- Don't lift heavy weights. Under the weight, the elbows involuntarily bend, and the emphasis of the load shifts. The exercise also eliminates cheating. Although it allows you to significantly increase the point load, the effect of the exercise is zero.
- Do not strive for extreme muscle stretching. After crossing the horizontal line of the shoulders, the focus shifts to the shoulder joints, and the pectoral muscles do not receive the proper tension.
- Follow bend angle of elbow joints. Bringing your arms together with dumbbells while lying down with your arms straight leads to abrasion of the cartilage tissue.
How much to breastfeed
For 2 warm-up sets men choose 7 kg shells, women 3 kg each. Follow 12-15 repetitions horizontal bringing of hands. Then take a weight that is 2x or more, but which will not distort the technique. For the masses guys commit 8x3 - 4, for drying The first digit is multiplied by 2. For girls enough 10x3 with moderate weight. If you need to perform 3 placements at different angles, limit yourself to 3 sets.
Options for crossover wiring exercises
The principle is similar. By varying the inclination of the torso, adjust the focus of the load. The deeper the deflection, the more actively the upper zone works. When you move your torso forward and bend your pelvis at an angle of 70°, the emphasis shifts to the center and up. The best option– 45°.
- Using the muscles of your chest, triceps and biceps, bring your arms in front of you without pressing them to your body.
- At the climax, hold for 2 seconds.
- As you inhale, separate them again.
Man perform 12-15 doubles in 4-5 approaches, girls 1 set less.
See how to do lying dumbbell flyes correctly in video format:
Lifting hands with dumbbells while lying down, or as it is also called, lying dumbbell flyes, is one of the best isolating (single-joint) exercises aimed at developing, working out and strengthening the pectoral muscles.
This exercise, when performed correctly, increases the volume of the edges and middle of the chest, gives them a convex shape and more clearly “outlines” the boundaries between the left and right halves of the chest. Like bench press, bringing your hands together with dumbbells has its advantages - the ability to change the emphasis of the load on different areas of the pectoral muscles, depending on the option of performing the exercise:
- Bringing your arms together on an incline bench with your head down maximally loads the lower part of the pectoral muscles;
- When bringing your arms together on a horizontal bench the main load falls on the middle part of the chest;
- Bringing your arms together on a bench raised at the head, focuses on the upper part of the pectoral muscles.
Initial position:
take dumbbells in your hands and lie down on a horizontal bench;
the bench should be of such a height that when performing the exercise, the feet are firmly on the floor;
press your head, shoulders and buttocks to the bench. Bend your lower back. Spread your legs wide and place your feet firmly on the floor;
The dumbbell grip should be neutral. Palms are turned towards each other. Raise the dumbbells exactly above chest level. Bend your elbows slightly.
Execution technique
being in the starting position, as you exhale, smoothly, maintaining the trajectory of the dumbbells in one plane, spread your arms to the sides, slightly bending them at the elbows;
spread your arms until you feel a stretch in your chest muscles;
You should not lower the dumbbells too low, as there may be a risk of injury;
as you exhale, using the efforts of the pectoral muscles, begin to bring your arms together and return to the starting position.
! Keep in mind that your arms must remain motionless while performing this exercise. The movement is performed exclusively in the shoulder joint, using the efforts of the chest muscles.
Do not bend your elbows too much. Otherwise, part of the load is transferred to the triceps, and the reduction of the arms turns into a bench press. In addition, the more you bend your elbows, the lower you will lower them relative to shoulder level. This should be avoided, as the shoulder joint is immediately subject to increased stress and the risk of injury.In the lower phase of the movement, the elbows should not touch the sides of the body.
Try to perform the exercise in one plane and without rotating your hands.
Do not completely connect the dumbbells at the top phase of the movement (dumbbells should not hit each other). This allows you to maintain continuity of load on the pectoral muscles.
Throughout the entire exercise, do not lift your feet off the floor and do not place your feet on the bench. Why? Because the way to make the exercise easier makes it less effective and, even worse, dangerous.
Watch a video on how to perform dumbbell curls:
Lying dumbbell raises
Lying arm raises with dumbbells
Lifting arms from a lying position is performed with dumbbells or cable traction. There are also more complicated options when breeding is done with the additional resistance of a rubber shock absorber. The mechanical movement is reminiscent of working in a butterfly simulator, and is used quite widely.
Purpose of the exercise
Lying arm raises are an isolating exercise for the chest muscles. Used to work the large pecs and create a “separation” between the muscles. The exercise also works the stabilizer muscles - serratus anterior, shoulder rotators, triceps, wrist muscles and, partly, the muscles of the “center of the body” (abs and even quadriceps and buttocks. The stabilizers are activated the more, the more significant weight or resistance is created during using dumbbells or other weights.
Features of dumbbell raises on a lying bench
The exercise is extremely rarely used as the main one. Usually - in women's training, and only in that version when a woman has breast implants. In theory, it is used as the second or third exercise of the plan.
Weights should be moderate, as using heavy weights can cause injury to the elbow, shoulder and wrist, especially if the skill of stabilizing the weight has not yet been developed.
In beginner training, the exercise is often replaced by bringing your arms together in front of you in a butterfly simulator. Replacement is done until the muscles become sufficiently toned to make lifting weights safe.
The cable traction option is used in the training of high-level athletes in order to ensure maximum stretching of the pectoral muscles.
The exercise is often used for:
- performing forced repetitions, when the last few repetitions are performed with the help of a partner;
- using the dropset technique, when the approach continues with a change in weight to a lighter one until muscle failure is reached;
- using “clamping” of the muscles at the extreme point of the exercise, forcing a conscious strong contraction of them
Technique for performing dumbbell flyes
Usually the belayer supplies the weights; this is the recommended option. If this is not possible, you should place the dumbbells on the front of the thigh, pull in your stomach, and simultaneously push both legs and lay your back on the bench to lift the weights up.
Then the weight is brought to the midline of the sternum; you can not “push” the dumbbells, but keep them a little further away. As you exhale, the weights are moved apart so that the elbows drop just below the plane passing through the center of the shoulder joint. With an inhalation, reverse the dumbbells.
A technical error is rigid extension of the elbows to the point where the joint looks absolutely straight. This puts stress on the wrists and shoulders and can cause injury. To achieve the maximum amplitude of stretching of the pectoral muscles, it is recommended to slightly bend your arms at the elbow joints, and perform the movement slowly and under control until the elbows drop just below the shoulder joint. The trajectory of the dumbbells should be arched, but you shouldn’t focus on it and make sure that the weights drop low.
The second common mistake is moving too fast or too slow with one hand and the wrong trajectory. The dumbbells can go to the neck or stomach, this is not allowed; the weights need to pass the midline of the sternum with each lift.
An option is cable traction. Used for maximum chest development using minimal resistance. Recently, BFR versions of this exercise have become popular. The athlete places a rubber tourniquet on the chest, which restricts the movement of blood. This allows for more pumping while using lighter weights and is considered a joint-friendly technique.
In conventional technique, it is important to monitor the position of the elbows and avoid working by inertia, coordinating your movements with breathing. Stretching - on inhalation, contraction - on exhalation.