The bench press...a
key movement for your chest that, ironically
enough for some people, doesn't even work
their chest all that well!
THIS
version of the dumbell bench press is going
to force continuous tension on your chest
while placing TREMENDOUS tension on the
abdominals as well... (you'll see why in
a second).
The
Back-Off-Bench Press is a unique movement
for the chest that LOOKS like a standard
dumbell bench press...until you look a little
closer. You'll be doing the bench press
with your upper back hanging off the end
of the bench!
And
while it is true that you'll be forced to
use less weight than in a normal bench press,
I found this technique basically FORCED
the pecs into continuous tension. I got
a GREAT pump using lighter dumbells and
hit the core at the same time (and especially
the rectus abdominus six-pack muscles).
This
exercise is really the ideal beach body
exercise...chest, abs and arms all in one
shot :)
Don't
let that "beach body" thing fool
you, though...this exercise is VERY tough
and actually very valuable. It's definitely
one I'm going to be including in my training
more often.
To
perform this one, you'll need a few things
for the set up...dumbells (they don't need
to be heavy), a bench and something to brace
your legs under. I used a power rack with
a loaded barbell set on the rails to brace
my legs on and that worked perfectly (Smith
machine will actually be useful for this).
You can also use just about anything else
you can think of that you can brace your
legs under...even a partner pushing down
on your knees, if that's what you've got.
Here's
what my setup looked like...a flat bench
inside the power rack with the barbell set
in the rails at about hip height. You'll
need to adjust the bench position under
the bar, depending on how it feels when
you're doing the exercise. I've got the
bar basically over the midpoint of the bench.
The
first time you do this, start with LIGHT
weight until you get a feel for the exercise.
If you're using the rack setup, just set
a couple of plates on the bar to keep it
from coming up.
This
is one of the ONLY times I'll ever recommend
you set your feet on a bench for bench pressing...in
a normal press, you need the stability of
your feet on the floor. In this version,
your knees will be locked under the bar,
giving you stability there.
Grab
your dumbells. I'm using a pair of 65 lb
db's in the demo here.
Stand
up and set the dumbells on end on your thighs.
Sit
down on the bench then shuffle yourself
forward so that your hips are a bit closer
under the bar. Again, you'll need to experiment
to get the position right for you.
Raise
one leg up and brace it under the bar. Then
get the other leg up. If you've got a partner
to hand the weights to you, this will be
even easier - just get into position on
the bench first, then have them hand the
dumbells to you.
Lay
back on the bench and feel for where your
upper back is. With the moderate weights
I'm using, I had the end of the bench right
in the center of my shoulder blades. Make
sure you have at least that much of your
upper back off the end of the bench.
Now
bring the dumbells back and into position
for the bench press. THIS is where your
abs are going to fire HARD and stay contracted
HARD for the duration of the exercise. It's
also the reason why the pecs are going to
be contracted continuously...your back has
nothing to brace on, therefore even at lockout,
the pecs are forced to contract to stabilize
and hold the weight.
Taking
the back support away places HUGE demands
on the entire upper body.
Now
press up. Do this exercise at a moderate
pace, under control the whole way. You're
using lighter weight so go for FEEL with
this one and squeeze the pecs at the top.
Your abs will contract no matter what you
do here :)
The
first time you do this, the weight will
be something you'll need to adjust. Go up
to about half of what you'd normally use
for a heavy set of dumbell bench press and
do 6 to 8 reps with it.
When
you're done, you can either just drop the
weights to the floor (which most gyms don't
like), or move them back up onto your thighs
then use your knee-bracing to do a sit-up.
Then
just stand up and set your dumbells down
and you're good.
That's
the exercise!
Like
I said, try it with a lighter weight the
first time you do it but definitely give
it a try if you've got the equipment to
do it - I was very impressed with how strongly
this targets the pecs and the core.
It's
a nice alternative when maybe your joints
are a bit beat up for doing heavier benching
and you still want a strong pec workout
or if you want to get the incredible abdominal
work you'll get from it without the repeated
spinal flexion of a crunch or sit-up movement.
