[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
doubleh wrote:
I use neutral-grip presses with my elbows totally tucked on tricep day. It is a GREAT tricep builder.
Never tried them with “normal” elbow positioning. Meat that is a very good point, I think I will give them a try on chest day.
after i do my two ME movements i try to make everything after that tricep dominant. i love to do neutral grip dumbell floor presses really tucking the elbows and pausing at the bottom and then going to a forceful lockout. it really transfers well to a competition bench press.
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what kind of set/rep scheme do you use with the floor press after your ME (that does stand for max effort, right?) lifts
I enjoy them, but I personally don’t have much of a reason to do them instead of the normal grip. I’ve noticed in the past they hit my triceps a bit more.
I may not be able to prove this, but I do also believe that neutral grip DB pressing tends to get more assistance from the accessory muscles and less work from the pecs than using a normal grip. Just IMO and experience, though.
Bullshit. How are these any worse than normal grip db benching? I am thinking you are going to say that the triceps and delts are involved too much, but I am going to disagree. I do db benching this way. I only do the bottom half of the movement (no locking out) and I feel it in my chest just fine. The ‘normal’ db grip aggravets my shoulders.
People should train in ways that are comforatble to them, while keeping stimulus on the desired muscle groups. I would understand if someone is attempting to train their chest this way and finding that their triceps and delts take on most of the work, but if the lifter knows how to contract the specific muscles he wants, then there shouldn’t be any issue at all.
oh do you now? i’m sorry, are you a huge mass monster now because of ‘nutral grip db presses’[/quote]
I don’t quite see what you are getting at. Are you pissed off that someone does db presses this way and seeing progress from it? O`r do you just like stirring shit up?
i think mr. popular had it right. while they may be used to compliment the OP’s chest workout, i don’t think they should be used as a main strength/mass builder.
you wrote ‘if the lifter knows how to contract the specific muscles he wants, there shouldn’t be an issue’
the OP already stated that he is a newb. he should focus on the tried, true exercises that build chest. at this point his mind-muscle control is most likely weak.
it’s not that they are “worse” than standard db bench. “less effective” may be a better term
Since my labrum tear, I’ve had to use these exclusively. They really hit my triceps a lot harder than a ‘standard’ DB Press.
When I first started doing them, I didn’t really think they were working my pecs all that much, but as I’ve gotten used to the movement, I’m noticing much more chest involvement.
[quote]mr popular wrote: @AngryVader, and DerCandy:
When you do the movement, do you keep your upper arms tight in, basically gliding them right next to your torso on the descent…?
… or do you flare the elbows out to the sides, almost like a power-dumbbell-fly type movement?
I recently had a shoulder injury, and I think these might be valuable for me right now. Just curious as to how you two do them.[/quote]
When I first started doing them, I had to keep my elbows pretty much glued to my sides. Now that my shoulder is starting to feel better, I’ve been able to experiment with bringing the elbows out a little bit more, but they are still pretty tucked, otherwise my shoulder starts to feel weird.
I’d say my elbows don’t get much more than a fist’s width away from my body now.
Are DB neutral grip bench presses, with the elbows tucked right into your sides basically the same as a close grip barbell bench? And thats why they give the triceps a good workout?
@ angryvader: yeah, I’ve only done them twice in a workout and I didnt really feel it much in my chest…
I didnt know if this was down to a) poor form or muscle mind connection on my part or b) the simple fact they dont hit the chest as hard other movements. Having read your post, you think it just takes time to get used to them?
Are DB neutral grip bench presses, with the elbows tucked right into your sides basically the same as a close grip barbell bench? And thats why they give the triceps a good workout?
@ angryvader: yeah, I’ve only done them twice in a workout and I didnt really feel it much in my chest… I didnt know if this was down to a) poor form or muscle mind connection on my part or b) the simple fact they dont hit the chest as hard other movements. Having read your post, you think it just takes time to get used to them?
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A little bit of both. I definitely still feel they his the tris harder than the chest, but as I’ve done them more and the weight has gotten back up there, I’ve notice more chest stimulation from them.
Some of this I’m sure can be attributed to the slightly wider elbow position though.
[quote]mr popular wrote: @AngryVader, and DerCandy:
When you do the movement, do you keep your upper arms tight in, basically gliding them right next to your torso on the descent…?
… or do you flare the elbows out to the sides, almost like a power-dumbbell-fly type movement?
I recently had a shoulder injury, and I think these might be valuable for me right now. Just curious as to how you two do them.[/quote]
I’ve been using this movt lately for the same purpose. I started with a fairly tight tuck and slowly flared it back out. The difference in the effect on my shoulder was night and day. No pain at all. Unfortunately, I feel these much less in my chest and much more in the triceps. I agree that they are a little less effective for building the chest, but I think this is a great rehab exercise.
I probably should have stated this at the begining of ths post.
I messed my wrist right wrist up about 6 weeks ago and couldnt do any training what so ever, it stated geting better so I went back to the gym only to discover the only lifts I could do without hurting my wrist were neutral grip lifts for nearly everything.
Then I was just wondering why I never saw anybody doing neutral grip db presses…
Was at the gym today, found a huge difference in pec activation between having my elbows tucked in and flared out (45 - 60 degrees), flared out hit my pecs as much as normal grip does, tucked in hit my arms a lot more.
Once my wrist is back to 100% I’ll work both neutral and regular into my routine.
[quote]maraudermeat wrote:
doubleh wrote:
I use neutral-grip presses with my elbows totally tucked on tricep day. It is a GREAT tricep builder.
Never tried them with “normal” elbow positioning. Meat that is a very good point, I think I will give them a try on chest day.
after i do my two ME movements i try to make everything after that tricep dominant. i love to do neutral grip dumbell floor presses really tucking the elbows and pausing at the bottom and then going to a forceful lockout. it really transfers well to a competition bench press.
[/quote]
I really doubt for the majority of “bodybuilders” on this site there’s not going to be any noticeable pysique impact from which grip they use for DB pressing.
Since my shoulder surgery neutral grip is the only way I can bench w/o pain. Christian Thibaudeau said in an article to do these, but press the db’s into each other and up at the same time through the ROM to focus more on the chest.
