Alright, so I’ve been hitting the gym pretty regularly, trying to get that bench press number up. You know, the classic “how much ya bench?” question always looming. I’d been stuck at the same weight for a while, and it was bugging me. Someone suggested I focus more on dumbbell presses, claiming it would help. I was skeptical, but hey, I was willing to try anything.
My Dumbbell Press Experiment
So, I decided to dedicate a good chunk of my workouts to dumbbell presses. Here’s how I went about it:
- Warming Up: Started with some light cardio, like jogging on the treadmill, just to get the blood flowing. Then, some dynamic stretches, arm circles, you know the drill, get those shoulders nice and loose.
- Picking the Right Weight: This was key. I didn’t want to go too heavy and risk injury, but I also needed to challenge myself. I started with a weight I could comfortably do for about 8-10 reps, making sure my form was spot on.
- The Sets and Reps: I aimed for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. I really focused on controlling the weight both on the way down and on the way up. No bouncing or using momentum. It’s all about that slow, controlled movement. I also rest 90sec between sets.
- Mixing It Up: I didn’t just do flat dumbbell presses. I incorporated incline and decline presses too. This way, I was hitting the chest muscles from different angles. I used these 3 variations in turns.
- Tracking Progress: I kept a little notebook to jot down the weight I used and how many reps I did. It’s motivating to see those numbers go up, even if it’s just by a little bit.
The Results after 3 months
Okay, so after a few months of consistently incorporating dumbbell presses, I went back to the barbell bench press. And guess what? I busted through that plateau! I was able to lift more weight, and it felt smoother too. Now I can lift 20 more pounds on the bench press！
It wasn’t some crazy overnight transformation, but it was definitely noticeable. I felt stronger, and my chest definitely looked more developed. The feeling you get when you improve the amount of weight is indeed fascinating.
So, based on my little experiment, I’d say yeah, dumbbell presses can definitely help increase your bench press. They work those stabilizing muscles and help you build a solid foundation. It’s not magic, but it works if you put in the effort and stay consistent. And that’s what I all did.
