When going heavy on DB press, is it normal/acceptable to have palms in, facing eachother, so as to accommodate the size of the DB’s as you lower them? Or do you simply adjust by widening/flaring your arms?
Is it appropriate to twist and connect at the top?
There are several “acceptable” forms of DB benching.
The way Jay is doing it in the above video is very similar to doing an incline “guillotine press” and can be very effective in building the upper chest, but it can also put a lot of stress on the shoulder joints and therefore isn’t appropriate for everyone. Though, admittedly, more people can get away with this style on incline that flat DB benching.
You can also rotate the dumbbells so that your wrists are somewhere between neutral and pronated at the bottom to allow for a more “natural” movement of the humerus (which will wind up being closer to 45 degrees to the torso rather than 90). From there you can either keep the DB’s in this semi-neutral position, or rotate them as you press so that your wrists are pronated at the top of the movement. Unless you are using bands, cables, or some other form of isotonic or accommodating resistance though, touching the DB’s together at the top (when pronated) isn’t really going to do you any good (since free weights are dictated by gravity and therefore leverage and once the DB’s get up over your shoulders your bone structure and not your chest is primarily responsible for supporting the weight and there is really nothing resisting you from bringing them together).
Check out Skip in this video doing incline DB bench to get an idea of the method where you rotate the DB’s during the reps (starts at about 2:55):
Can’t seem to find the video of Branch Warren and Johnnie Jackson working chest which showcases the semi-neutral throughout verson, perhaps it’s been taken off youtube or set to private. Not sure.
Either way my point is simply that there is more than one “correct” way to do the exercise and each individual is going to have one version that they prefer, so try out several of them and see for yourself which one works best for you.
the only reason i wouldnt twist and touch at the top is because i would lose shoulder tightness, i like to lock in on the dumbbells, keeping a strict plane of motion nice and controlled with a good stretch, if i feel a little buggy in the shoulders i switch to a 45 degree angle or parallel with my elblows to alleviate to whatever degree i need.
If you’re going particularly heavy, give a slight twist so as to accommodate your particular size. Aim for the insertion of the jaw line in terms of depth (given no shoulder problems) and drive up as hard as possible. Basically, do what feels right.