Seated dumbbell press. Technique for girls

A common workout that can help girls strengthen their arms, shoulders, and upper body is the seated dumbbell press. It’s an easy-to-do exercise that requires little equipment to perform at home or in the gym. Regardless of your level of fitness, this exercise is a fantastic method to develop strong, toned muscles.

To get the most out of the seated dumbbell press, technique is essential. You can increase your strength gains while lowering your risk of injury by concentrating on good form. In order to see consistent progress, it’s critical to understand how to perform the exercise correctly.

We’ll walk you through every step of learning how to perform the seated dumbbell press in this guide so you can safely incorporate it into your training. Are you prepared to strengthen your upper body? Now let’s get going!

A basic but effective workout for girls who want to strengthen their upper body and shoulders is the seated dumbbell press. This exercise helps tone the arms, correct posture, and increase overall upper body strength by emphasizing proper technique, which includes keeping the back straight, controlling the movement, and using the appropriate weight. It’s ideal for incorporating into any exercise regimen, regardless of your level of fitness.

The purpose of the exercise for girls

Both men and women can benefit from the moderately difficult technique of the seated dumbbell press, which works a variety of muscle groups. The exercise, which aims to develop the deltoid muscles quickly, is thought to be safe and effective.

Dumbbells and barbells differ primarily in that the former place a dynamic load on the muscle tissue. The load on each hand makes it possible to distribute the pulling force more efficiently than with a single projectile.

The exercise’s goal is to develop the back and shoulder muscles’ muscular corset in a methodical and thorough manner. The absence of complicated technical components or equipment makes the seated dumbbell press incredibly accessible and easy to use. It is possible to do at home.

The benefit of the seated press is that there is no spinal bending, which lowers the risk of injury. The exercise is done solely with free weights; no intricate training regimens are used.

What muscles work?

This fundamental exercise, known for its high dynamism and efficiency, is the seated dumbbell press, which targets the deltoid muscle fibers and the shoulder girdle in addition to the following muscles:

• trapezius;
• triceps and biceps;
• serratus muscles of the back;
• of the neck and back of the head;
• pectoral and supraspinatus.

The seated press is a variation on an exercise with a barbell that uses the same technique, but with a much lower risk of injury. By incorporating the press into your training regimen, you can address imbalance and asymmetry in your deltoid muscles.

The development of the muscular corset, which improves strength and endurance while stabilizing the body’s position in space, is aided by performing the sitting press. In contrast to other methods, using a variety of grips to increase overall efficiency is made possible when sitting.

Types of grips

By enabling you to pump muscle tissue at various angles, a range of grips not only enhances execution technique but also tones a greater number of muscles. The loaded group varies when the grip is changed.

The question of which grip is ideal to use during training is one that cannot be fully answered in sports practice. A specific hand position is selected based on the unique attributes of the athlete.

Three primary forms of grip exist:

• Straight. Palms facing up with elbows down. Used to pump up the front part of the muscular corset, as well as to strengthen the wrist joint. Recommended for beginners.
• Parallel or neutral. Provides a greater load on all muscle fibers due to the presence of a high amplitude of movement. In addition to the dumbbell press from a sitting position, it is used on the horizontal bar.
• Reverse. Palms facing forward with arms down. Allows you to work out the outer muscles of the corset and train the biceps to a greater extent.

Three additional types of grips are used, depending on the width of the hands:

Grip	Description
Narrow	Hands are placed slightly closer to shoulder width. With this grip, the amplitude is maximum, which has a positive effect on the final result. A narrow position can reduce the effectiveness of a particular exercise due to the fact that the triceps takes the bulk of the load.
Medium	Hands are shoulder-width apart. This grip is the most common among athletes due to the complex development of the muscular corset. Excellent for those who are just starting to exercise.
Wide	Hands are placed slightly wider than shoulders. Allows you to develop the target muscle, despite the fact that the grip can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise due to the small amplitude of movement.

When doing dumbbell training, an athlete must only use a closed grip, in which case they must hold the bar with four fingers and use their thumb to close their palm on the opposite side. This makes it safer for you to hold the sporting goods.

Depending on the training method, the grip can be direct or reverse, which works particularly well when lifting weights to the sides. You can build the muscular corset much more quickly by using dynamic load and switching grips.

Classical movement

The first step in your training regimen is to locate a free bench and grab two dumbbells, each weighing between three and ten kilograms. For girls, this is the ideal weight.

To check whether the technique is being used correctly from the side, it is preferable to turn the bench so that the sitting body is facing the mirror. This advice is particularly crucial when lifting weights above your head.

Using a bench with a back is preferable when lifting large weights.

To ensure proper support, start by sitting on the edge of the bench and spreading your legs out to the sides. You have to bring the elbows together.

Using the dumbbell press technique while seated:

1. Take sports equipment from the floor. Spread your arms to the sides so that your palms are facing up. The position from the side resembles lifting a barbell. The dumbbells are located at the level of the shoulder joint.
2. As you exhale, lift the weight over your head. For convenience, the dumbbells can touch each other. The back is held in a direct position, the chest is straightened as much as possible and slightly extended forward, the muscles of the press are tense.
3. Fix the projectile at the top point, hold for 2-3 seconds. Before straightening your arms completely, you need to inhale.
4. Lower the dumbbells to your neck. If you want a stronger impact on the muscle fibers of the back of the head and trapezius, the projectile must be lowered as low as possible. If only the deltoid muscles are being worked out, the dumbbell is fixed no lower than the neck.

For girls, four repeats of ten to twelve times is the ideal number of approaches. By altering the grip and increasing the number of repetitions, the load on the muscles increases based on experience and technique mastery.

The palms should face each other in order to increase the load on the upper deltoid area. The maximal tension in the muscular corset is demonstrated by touching the sporting goods in its maximal configuration.

It is recommended that novice athletes perform dumbbell lifts in succession. The exercise should not be done quickly because doing so increases the chance of serious complications or injuries to the spine and shoulder joints.

Maintaining tension in the muscles and stabilizing the torso area is necessary to improve overall tone. When raising the dumbbells above the head, there should be a brief pause; however, at lower amplitudes, it is preferable to continue working without stopping. This will improve the way you work the deltoid muscle and make the exercise more efficient.

Other options for performing the bench press for girls

If a girl struggles with the traditional method, you should move her to a different sitting bench press exercise using a dedicated simulator. These exercises vary depending on the desired outcome and indicators.

Selecting a simulator that requires you to push yourself away from yourself is advised if you need to pump up your chest. This exercise will resemble the reverse grip technique as closely as possible.

The Smith machine is a good choice if your primary objective is to strengthen the muscles in your shoulders and deltas. It allows you to perform presses at various angles based on your desired outcome.

Seated bench press machine

It is necessary to warm up the joint and muscle tissues before executing the technique. The chosen weight should then be hung on the block machine. Depending on their level of physical fitness, girls should use weight plates weighing between 5 and 10 kg.

Step-by-step methodology

1. Adjust the back of the bench to your height. It is important that the body is positioned tightly in relation to the machine. A position in which the lumbar region is further from the back increases the risk of injury.
2. Sit on the machine, arching your lower back forward. Exhale and inhale deeply, straighten and relax your shoulders. It is important to breathe correctly and rhythmically – inhale on the return and exhale when making a pushing movement.
3. Grip the handles comfortably. You can use an additional pedal in the machine, which will allow you to adjust the handles to the desired position. If there is no such element, they should be raised independently.
4. Push the weight up with a simultaneous exhalation. During the pushing movement, the pectoral muscles, back, and triceps should be tense. It is important to keep the lumbar region arched.
5. Lower the weight to the starting position. It is forbidden to hold your breath or relax your back.
6. Repeat the movement 10 to 15 times.

Once you have mastered the classical technique, you can start to raise the total weight. You should initially restrict yourself to three to five methods. Every movement needs to be done carefully, focusing on the job that muscle tissue is doing.

Swiss ball

Sports equipment composed of dense rubber material, the Swiss or gymnastic ball can be used in place of a bench or specialized exercise machine.

Dynamic resistance and the requirement for balance maintenance are the primary distinctions from the exercise machine or the traditional method. This gives you more opportunity to develop the muscular skeleton.

There are no differences in the form of the bench press exercise when done while seated on a gymnastic ball. The most important thing is to maintain a straight back and avoid slipping off the rubber surface, which could cause damage to the articular surface. It’s crucial to keep your palms facing inward toward one another and to avoid bending forward.

Dumbbells spread to the sides or vertical push-ups done against a wall can be used in place of the sitting exercise. The press can be done standing or lying down if there are contraindications related to lumbar diseases.

How to avoid mistakes?

Not warming up before a seated press is one of the most common mistakes people make. To lower the risk of injury, it is preferable to warm up before each approach.

Because of the low saturation of tissues with oxygen and other beneficial elements, improper breathing minimizes the effectiveness of the exercise. Lifting the weight should only be done after taking a long breath out. Breathing should be as regular as possible, with no breaks in between.

Additional errors made when doing a seated bench press:

• Sharp impulsive movements. Performing strong pushes increases the risk of injury. This does not allow you to develop the necessary rhythm, which worsens the effectiveness of the exercise.
• Long pauses. An excessively long pause at the bottom or top point helps to reduce the tempo of the exercise – therefore, the muscular corset is not loaded enough.
• Lack of symmetry in the grip of the dumbbell. Asymmetrical grip of the bar helps to reduce the effectiveness of the bench press. The muscular corset is developed to a lesser extent, there is no load on the main muscle groups.
• Incorrect position of the elbow joints. If the elbows at the bottom point are too close to the floor, the risk of injury increases. This leads to additional pushing movements due to a more difficult lifting of the limbs from the lowest possible position.

• Cheating. This is a technique in which the athlete transfers the weight of the dumbbell from the required muscle group to the one that tires less. The effectiveness of the bench press is significantly reduced.
• Lack of fixation in the back. During the exercise, the back must be kept straight, the gaze must be directed forward. It is necessary to ensure that the elbow joints do not bend or move horizontally. Unfixed shoulders can also have a negative effect, in which the load on the deltoid muscles is transferred to the triceps. This contributes to a slow shoulder workout.
• Incorrectly selected weight. For the exercise to be effective, it is necessary to choose the right load that will not damage the muscular corset.

Like any exercise, the seated dumbbell press technique (which is performed based on the unique characteristics of the body) should be done with caution to prevent overtraining. Combining the same kinds of loads is not advised, so it is preferable to incorporate equipment breeding or deadlifts into the sports program.

You have to use caution when performing the bench press if you have had shoulder joint injuries in the past. It is preferable to stop the exercise or lower the training intensity if someone is uncomfortable.

If the sports bench is not angled at ninety degrees, all of the load is applied to the front deltoid, which lessens the exercise’s effectiveness. It’s critical to maintain a straight back and an upright posture for the body. A curvy back encourages the growth of potentially fatal wounds and complications.

Following the basic recommendations is the proper way to perform the dumbbell press exercise while seated. When technique is used correctly, most injuries can be prevented and the overall effectiveness of the exercise can be increased.

Step	Description
Starting Position	Sit on a bench with back support, hold dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
Press Up	Push the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended above your head.
Lower Slowly	Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Breathing	Exhale as you press up, inhale as you lower the weights.
Common Mistakes	Avoid arching your back or using momentum; keep the movement controlled.

One of the best exercises for strengthening and defining your shoulders is the seated dumbbell press. Girls who wish to tone their upper body without gaining bulk will particularly benefit from it. You can minimize the risk of injury while targeting the right muscles by concentrating on proper form and technique.

With any exercise regimen, consistency is essential. Steady progress is achieved by starting with lighter weights and progressively increasing as you get stronger. Always pay attention to your body’s needs and refrain from overexerting yourself.

You can develop a well-rounded and balanced body by including exercises like the seated dumbbell press in your training regimen. You’ll eventually see results if you have patience.

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