The bench press is an ideal way to develop the pectoral muscles.
Dumbbell split is an exercise of isolation which makes it possible to work the pectoral ones while minimizing the intervention of the shoulders and the triceps. It is generally carried out at the end of the session after having previously carried out heavy basic exercises.
These will work in an almost isolated way. Indeed the other muscles do not help much in this type of movement, which makes work only one joint. The triceps and the shoulders are very little solicited. The deltoids are a little more, as well as the biceps.
This exercise is very useful for developing the rib cage, which it will help to enlarge.
In order to perform effective squats, the movement must be perfectly executed. To do this, don't overload your dumbbells, as this can cause injury. Lie down on your back on a weight bench. Place your feet flat on the ground to obtain maximum stability.
How to do the exercise?
Grab the dumbbells, and bring them over your head with your arms straight. Your arms should be vertical, palms facing each other, and the dumbbells should be touching each other. You will then spread your arms apart while controlling the movement. For that, slightly bend the elbows, in order to spare your biceps, which would be likely to be stretched too much on their two insertions. Do not accentuate this bending too much, you are not carrying out a bench press!
Once your arms are horizontal, you will be able to pass to the second part of the movement. Then raise the dumbbells, in the axis of the pectoral muscles. Finish the movement by tightening again the elbows to obtain a maximum contraction.
During the whole of the split, make sure to bring your ribcage out. Also, when you come down, bring your elbows in line with your shoulders. This is the best way to stretch your pectoral muscles. Do not go lower, your shoulders might not appreciate it: by the way, if they suffer a little, do not hesitate to slightly reduce the amplitude of the movement or to reduce the load.
CAUTION: Do not take too much weight on this exercise and control the movement throughout. Do not go too low during the stretching phase to avoid stressing the shoulder joints and tendons.
Tips
- Inhale as you lower the dumbbells on each side and exhale as you bring them together. Do not touch the dumbbells to each other at the end of the movement and come back down before to keep a direct voltage.
- In order not to arch your lower back too much you can cross your legs and bring your knees up or also put your feet on the edge of the bench but you will have less stability than with your feet on the floor.
Variants
- Dumbbell lunges can be replaced by low pulley lunges.
- The butterfly machine is equivalent, as well as some convergent machines.
- Other variations: inclined or declined spreads with dumbbells, pulleys or bar, in varying the plugs (neutral, pronation, supination).
Find this exercise in the following program:
Supplementary article :
All you need to know about continuous tension in weight training
