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The 2022 CrossFit Quarterfinals began virtually worldwide on Thursday, March 24, 2022. In the early goings, Guilherme Malheiros — one of CrossFit’s rising stars — has already finished all five of the Quarterfinals workouts. It’s his lifting work with one in particular that is eye-opening.
For Workout 4 of the Quarters, “The Other CrossFit Total,” the Brazilian-born Malheiros posted a 407-pound clean, a 317-pound bench press, and a 377-pound overhead squat. Accomplished in 29 minutes and 14 seconds, the 1,101-pound helped establish Malheiros’ lead in the South American Quarterfinals.
Note that as the CrossFit Games continue to review individual submissions and update the overall worldwide leaderboard, this result may change. However, it doesn’t make the initial result any less impressive for the up-and-coming Malheiros — who finished seventh in the world during the 2021 CrossFit Games season.
Malheiros completes each of the lifts relatively easily. After a slight snag while finishing his clean — a combination of a deadlift and front squat — from the floor, the CrossFitter celebrates immediately after dropping the loaded barbell. With his bench press, there’s little sign of a struggle as Malheiros’s spotter gives him free rein and he powers through the lift right away. Finally, to close the workout, Malheiros takes to the overhead squat with a calm before pumping his chest and again celebrating his achievement.
Making a Name for Himself
It didn’t take long for Malheiros to rise up through the CrossFit ranks. In 2016, when he entered the competitive CrossFit scene, Malheiros competed in the CrossFit Open in the Boys division (16-17). He finished that Open 45th in the world and in second place in his native Brazil. The following year, in 2017, he took second overall in the Boys division (16-17). What might have been most notable from those Games was Malheiros’s 305-pound snatch.
As young as he was, Malheiros was far from done. Here are the results of his CrossFit career to date:
Guilherme Malheiros — CrossFit Season Results
2016 CrossFit Open, Teenage Boys division (16-17): 45th place worldwide; 2nd place, Brazil
2017 CrossFit Games, Boys division (16-17): Second place worldwide; 1st place, Brazil
2018 CrossFit Open, Men: 1,014th place worldwide; 10th place, Brazil
2019 CrossFit Games, Men: 48th place worldwide; 1st place, Brazil
2020 CrossFit Open, Men: 108th place worldwide; 1st place, Brazil
2021 CrossFit Games, Men: Seventh place worldwide; 1st place, Brazil
Malheiros, 22, has a potentially exciting future with CrossFit because of his young age. For example, former five-time Fittest Man on Earth®, Mat Fraser, didn’t win the CrossFit Games until he was 26-years-old. Years before that, when Fraser was 21, he was not yet a professional CrossFit athlete. By direct comparison, at the same age, Malheiros notched a stellar top-seven mark during the Games season.
When Fraser finally took to his first CrossFit Games at 22, his best finish was in fifth place in the North East region. It would appear that Malheiros is a little ahead of schedule.
While Malheiros does have a lot of work ahead of him, his early resume in comparison to one of CrossFit’s greats could be a harbinger of what’s to come. We’ll see what happens for the young man as the rest of the 2022 CrossFit Quarterfinals continue. The Quarterfinals will conclude on Sunday, April 24, 2022.
Grocery shopping can be a tad overwhelming, especially when you’re trying a new way of eating. Primal, paleo, keto, Whole30, vegetarian, vegan—they all have their own set of guidelines about what foods are “allowed” and which you should limit or avoid.
Front-of-package food labels allow you to scan the shelves at your supermarket and quickly gather information about products. Depending on which diet or food plan you’re following, you might decide whether or not to grab an item based on:
Food type or ingredients: whether it contains grains, animal products, nightshades, added sugar, etc.
Macronutrient profile: low-carb, low-fat, keto
How ingredients were grown or harvested: organic versus conventional, wild versus farmed, and so on
Decoding food labels can be tricky, though. Some claims are subject to strict labeling standards, but others are buzzwords meant to draw your attention and make you think that a product is healthy. “Natural” is a good example of the latter. It sounds like something you’d want, but the term isn’t regulated, so ultimately it doesn’t signify anything specific.
It’s up to you, the consumer, to educate yourself about which labels are meaningful and relevant to you. That way, you can efficiently find products best suited to your needs without being sucked in by meaningless claims and marketing ploys.
How Food Labels Can Help You Shop Smarter
Food labels are heuristics—tools for making snappy judgments about which items are up your alley. They can be particularly helpful if you’re following a diet with strict guardrails around what is and is not compliant, such as AIP, or if you have dietary restrictions (you have to avoid gluten or dairy, for example).
However, the icons and claims on the front of the package only tell you so much. They don’t tell you whether a particular product meets your personal standards. I’m pretty sure most Primal folks aren’t going to grab a box of Raisin Bran cereal just because it says “Heart Healthy” on the front and carries the Whole Grain Stamp from the Oldways Whole Grain Council. By the same token, a food could call itself “keto-friendly” and still be made with canola or other oils you typically avoid.
Choosy shoppers should start by deciding what qualities are most important to them. Maybe you prioritize organic and non-GMO foods but could care less about keto or vegan certifications. If your doctor told you that you must follow a low-sodium diet, you might want to know how the FDA regulates claims about sodium content,1 whereas the rest of us probably don’t need to worry about that.
The next step is to learn what different labels actually mean. Who’s in charge of bestowing a given certification or guarantee, and what standards does a product have to meet in order to earn a particular icon? Some food labels and claims are more informative than others.
When shopping, scan the shelves for certification icons and highlighted claims first. Before deciding yes or no, however, flip the product over, read the ingredient list, and check the nutrition facts to confirm they work for you. Here are some labels and icons that Primal consumers may find useful.
Food Labels for Primal, Paleo, and Keto Shoppers
Note: These are some of the common food labels you might want to look for, but bear in mind that it’s not a complete list. If you live outside the U.S., your products may carry different labels.
Paleo
Certified Paleo: Issued by the Paleo Foundation. Certifies that a product contains no grains, legumes, dairy, artificial coloring, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or artificial flavors. They also have rules governing allowed ingredients, including approved types of fats and oils, sweeteners, and meat and seafood.2
Keto
Keto Certified: Issued by the Paleo Foundation. Products may not contain partially-hydrogenated oils or trans fats, artificial sweeteners (saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame, aspartame, sucralose), or artificial flavors. Approved ingredients include everything you’d find in the Primal Food Pyramid, including dairy. In this case, grains and legumes are allowed as long as the product does not exceed carbohydrate limits: Meals and meal replacements may not contain more than 10 grams of net carbs per serving; snacks no more than 6 grams of net carbs per serving; and condiments no more than 2 grams of net carbs per 0.5 ounce serving. 3
In the U.S., the word “keto” can’t appear on meat, poultry, or egg products inspected by the USDA. The FDA considers keto a “medical diet,” and the USDA, which is responsible for meat, poultry, and egg labeling, does not allow for health claims. It’s a good reminder that food labels can certainly be helpful, but you shouldn’t rely on them entirely to make your shopping decisions. Meat, poultry, and eggs are staples of most keto diets, no matter what the package does (or, in this case, doesn’t) say.
Whole30
Whole30 Approved®: Consistent with the rules of the Whole30® program, meaning no added sugar or sweeteners, grains, legumes, dairy, carrageenan, or sulfites. Must also meet Whole30’s Animal Welfare Policy.4
Gluten-Free
Certified Gluten-Free: Product has been independently verified to be gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization. In order to earn the certification, a product and its ingredients cannot exceed the gluten threshold of 10 ppm (parts per million).5
In the U.S., a food manufacturer can also label a product as gluten-free according to the FDA if it contains less than 20 ppm of gluten and does not utilize gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, barley) or ingredients derived from those grains unless they have been processed to remove gluten.6
Vegan
Certified Vegan: Administered by the Vegan Awareness Foundation. Products can’t contain an animal-based ingredients, ingredients may not be processed with any animal byproducts, and must not contain any animal-derived GMOs. Ingredients and finished products may not be tested on animals. Companies certify that manufacturing facilities take steps to avoid cross-contamination with non-vegan products.7
Non-GMO
Non-GMO Project Verified: Seal of approval given by The Non-GMO Project affirming that a product was manufactured without genetically modified organisms.8
Just Eat Meat and Vegetables?
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Just eat meat and vegetables, then you won’t have to worry about food labels.” That may be okay for some people, but many foods that come with a label are totally Primal-friendly. Think sauces and condiments, nut butters, snack foods made with grain-free flours.
And don’t forget, meat, eggs, and prepared or frozen fruit and vegetables all carry package claims. These, too, vary in terms of how informative they actually are. Appealing terms like “sustainably farmed” or “humanely raised” aren’t regulated in the U.S. “Cage-free” eggs come from chickens that weren’t confined to cages, but that designation tells you next to nothing about the animals’ diet or living conditions.
Even the “just eat meat and vegetables” crowd will benefit from understanding food labels, assuming they want to prioritize farming, fishing, and animal rearing practices that are better for humans and the environment. Here are some Mark’s Daily Apple Posts that can help get you started:
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Professional bodybuilder Kyle “The Tiger” Kirvay is no stranger to impressive feats of strength. The International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) pro and powerlifter recently took to the squat rack and didn’t disappoint. While resting a curved Duffalo barbell on his traps, Kirvay squatted 310.7 kilograms raw (685 pounds) for five reps. According to Kirvay, it was the first time he’s used this type of barbell — he usually lifts with traditional, straight barbells.
I can’t decide if I like it or not or if it makes squatting easier. The weight felt the same to me as a straight bar.
Check out the complete set in the video below, courtesy of Kirvay’s Instagram page. In addition to the curved barbell, Kirvay wore a lifting belt for improved core stability during the set.
Kirvay moved through the five reps of the squat set relatively smoothly. Aside from a slightly longer break right before the final rep, Kirvay powered through the entire set while maintaining his form. A quick comment of approval right before the last rep might have hinted that Kirvay appeared to consider the lift notable. He performed each of the reps controlled with deep breaths in between.
Benefits of a Curved Barbell
According to Kirvay’s Instagram post, he says the curved barbell can help lifters who have restricted shoulder movement. His assessment of those potential benefits adds up.
Due to the size of their traps and shoulders, some larger lifters might sometimes lack the required shoulder rotation to properly grip a straight barbell in a narrow fashion. This is important because one study showed that a narrow barbell grip can allow for more weight to be lifted, assist with comfort, and make for an improved range of motion on the squat itself. (1)
Furthermore, the curve of the Duffalo barbell can help larger people with tighter shoulders grip the weight better. In Kirvay’s video — he would qualify as a larger lifter with big shoulders — he appears to take hold of the curved barbell almost by the collars, allowing him to use a narrow barbell grip.
How a Dual-Sport Athlete Might Thrive
Kirvay currently excels in two sports — bodybuilding and powerlifting. His most notable bodybuilding achievement is a 16th-place finish at the 2020 IFBB Chicago Pro. As far as powerlifting, he recently competed in the 2022 USPA Battle at Atilis. There, during his first pro powerlifting meet, he set four New Jersey State Records and a National Record.
It’s impressive that Kirvay can compete at a relatively high level in two sports with such opposing training styles. For example, it can be challenging for a physique athlete to make serious strength gains for powerlifting during a competitive season because of nutritional restrictions. According to one study, bodybuilders’ training while in a caloric deficit often places significant stress on their bodies’ metabolism — especially when they’re trying to build or decrease mass. (2)
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that someone like Kirvay can’t and shouldnt’t lift heavy. He can still prove capable of lifting astounding amounts of weights amidst a good routine.
High-intensity, low-volume lifting can also act as a quality way to maintain muscle. As some research has stated, high-intensity and low-volume lifting even proved to be more beneficial than a high-volume, low-intensity routine over an extended period. (3) That’s because it can allow for a quality way to stimulate the athlete’s muscles if they don’t have the endurance for more extended sets on a particular day.
An athlete like Kirvay might seek to lower the volume and increase the intensity of their bigger lifts accordingly during the off-season.
Some creativity will likely be necessary to juggle two sports in a highly competitive manner. Whatever Kirvay’s training consists of, he might be thinking outside the box to shine as a bodybuilder and powerlifter.
Kyle Kirvay’s Career and Future
Having only made a recent foray into competitive powerlifting, Kirvay’s ledger of work as a bodybuilder is a little longer. Below you’ll find the results of “The Tiger’s” competitive bodybuilding career to date:
Kyle Kirvay — Bodybuilding Results
2017 NPC Steve Stone Metropolitan Championships — Second place — Open Bodybuilding — Men’s Novice Heavyweight — First Place | Open Bodybuilding
2017 NPC National Championships — 16th place — Open Bodybuilding
2018 NPC Universe Championships — First place — Open Bodybuilding
2018 NPC Universe Championships — First place — Classic Physique
2020 IFBB Chicago Pro — 16th place | Open Bodybuilding
Here are the results from Kirvay’s powerlifting career to date, which again only includes the 2022 USPA Battle at Atilis:
Squat: 365 kilograms (804 pounds) — New Jersey State Record
Bench Press: 275 kilograms (606 pounds) — National & New Jersey State Records
Deadlift: 365 kilograms (804 pounds) — New Jersey State Record
Total: 1,005 kilograms (2,214 pounds) — New Jersey State Record
Whenever Kirvay decides to compete in organized bodybuilding or powerlifting competition again, his squats could prove critical to a quality showing.
References:
Larsen, S., Kristiansen, E., Helms, E., van den Tillar, R. (2021) Effects of Stance Width and Barbell Placement on Kinematics, Kinetics, and Myoelectric Activity in Back Squats. Front. Sports Act. Living, 2021 Sep.
Giessing, J., Eichmann, B., Steele, J., Fisher, J. (2016). A comparison of low volume ‘high-intensity training’ and high volume traditional resistance training methods on muscular performance, body composition, and subjective assessments of training.Biol Sport. 2016 Sep; 33(3): 241–249.
Barakat, C., Pearson, J., Escalante, G., Campbell, B., De Souza, E.O. (2020). Body Recomposition: Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time? Strength and Conditioning Journal; 2020 Oct; 42 (5): 7-21
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Sometimes simple is better when it comes to exercise selection. And few exercises are as simple and equally effective as the standing dumbbell overhead press. You heave a couple of dumbbells to your shoulders, brace your core, and press them overhead.
The standing overhead dumbbell press requires your shoulders, arms, back, core, and legs to all work together to display a higher level of stability and strength compared to the more familiar barbell press. This specific press variation also adds muscle to the shoulders and creates an aesthetic physique.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to this comprehensive movement. Learn the technique and then add this old-school exercise to your program.
How to Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press
Overhead Dumbbell Press Mistakes to Avoid
Benefits of the Overhead Dumbbell Press
Muscles Worked by the Overhead Dumbbell Press
Who Should Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press
How to Program the Overhead Dumbbell Press
Overhead Dumbbell Press Variations
Overhead Dumbbell Press Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press
The overhead dumbbell press is an intricate series of moving parts — literally — because you’re taking two relatively unwieldy implements and getting them safely overhead under control.
The exercise does require a degree of coordination, but any lifter can master this movement with a little bit of practice and a few technique cues.
Step 1 — Get the Weights Into Position
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Begin with the dumbbells at your sides and your arms straight. You can either take the weights directly from the dumbbell rack, pick them up from a bench, or deadlift them from the floor.
Keep your back straight and abs tight. Bend your knees slightly before standing up powerfully while performing a thumbs-up curl (hammer curl) to bring the weights to shoulder level. Your feet shouldn’t necessarily leave the ground, but briefly rising onto your toes is common.
Stabilize your entire body when both weights are touching the front of your shoulders. Rotate each arm until your elbows are pointed to the sides and your hands are facing forward. Fortunately, you only need to go through this process once for each set you perform.
Form Tip: When using heavier weights, it may be less taxing and more efficient to begin with both dumbbells by your sides and raise one at a time into position, rather than trying to bring both to shoulder-level simultaneously.
Use the same “cheat curl” motion to bring each dumbbell up to shoulder level. However, the single-sided load will require more core stability to avoid rotating or swinging the body sideways.
Step 2 — Press Directly Overhead
Credit: Vladimir Sukhachev / Shutterstock
With your hands facing forward and your wrists in-line with the tops of your shoulders, press both dumbbells upwards while keeping your hands directly above your elbows. As the weights pass over your head, move them slightly towards each other. The weights should end up nearly touching at the top.
Your legs should remain slightly bent throughout the entire set. Keep a neutral spine and upright torso with your core fully engaged. Contracting the glutes prior to pressing also helps to “connect” your stable lower body to your upper body, ensuring a safe and powerful position. Don’t allow your upper body to shift backwards as you press upwards.
Form Tip: When some lifters fatigue throughout a set, they begin to start each rep with a quarter-squat motion to propel the weights up. This increases total-body muscle recruitment and allows heavier weights to be used and/or more reps to be performed, but it also reduces the amount of force produced by the shoulders specifically.
Step 3 — Lower Under Control
Credit: mashurov / Shutterstock
After briefly pausing the weights in a locked out overhead position, reverse the motion to bring the dumbbells down. Be sure your torso remains upright, not leaning back. Your wrists should end up in-line with the tops of your shoulders. This is the bottom position of a press. The weights do not return all the way down to hang at your sides until you’ve completed all reps and the set is over.
Throughout the descent, keep your elbows under your wrists. Allowing the wrists to drift in front of or behind the elbows will drastically increase stress on the support structures of the shoulder joint. Shifting the wrists to either side of the elbow will reduce muscular stress on the shoulder, making the exercise less effective.
Form Tip: If the bottom/stretched position is too extreme or painful, the most common solution (in addition to specific shoulder mobility work) is to use your ears, not the tops of your shoulders, as a reference point.
Performing each repetition from ear-level to full lockout avoids putting the shoulder joint in its furthest range of motion and should alleviate excessive joint stress.
Overhead Dumbbell Press Mistakes to Avoid
The overhead dumbbell press technique is essentially, “pick up weights, then press weights overhead.” However, there are a handful of common mistakes which can increase the risk of injury and decrease muscle recruitment. Here’s what to avoid.
Leaning the Torso Back
Maintain an upright upper body during the press. This not only reduces stress on the lower back, but allows more upper body muscles to provide support and stability. The recruitment of the core and upper back allow higher power output and a stronger lift. Keeping a vertical torso allows your upper back muscles to more efficiently control your scapulae, which are essential to pressing weights and avoiding injury.
Credit: Syda Productions/ Shutterstock
Leaning your torso backwards reduces your ability to maintain a strong core because strain is transferred more directly to the lower back. If you wanted to break a toothpick, you’d bend it until it snapped because it can withstand more stress when kept straight. Imagine your abs and lower back as one big toothpick. Don’t snap it.
Leaning back also changes the pressing angle, changing the lift from an overhead press into a high-angle incline bench press minus the bench. This transforms a very good shoulder exercise into a very bad chest exercise.
Avoid it: Before beginning any overhead press, check your ab and lower back stability and engagement by flexing your glutes and abs at the same time. If you feel an awkward and uncomfortable pull in the lower back area, it means you’re likely out of alignment. Adjust your posture and flex again before beginning your set.
Pressing With the Legs
As explained earlier in step two of the technique guide, your legs should remain slightly bent during a set of overhead presses. This allows your shoulders to be the primary movers of the weights and ensures your shoulders receive the greatest stimulus.
When any lifter nears the end of a challenging set, it’s important to remain strict and perform every rep from the same position. This rule applies to all exercises, with very few exceptions.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
Adding leg drive towards the end of the set changes the exercise from a strict overhead dumbbell press to an overhead dumbbell push press. Different exercises are used for different purposes and target different muscles. In this case, the added work performed by the legs is counterbalanced by less work performed by the shoulders.
Avoid it: Use body awareness, especially towards the end of each set. As you notice your shoulders fatiguing, end the set knowing that your shoulders have been sufficiently trained with the intended load (weight) and volume (reps).
Using leg drive to complete a few additional reps is a high-intensity technique that should only be performed by experienced lifters, and should only be performed deliberately. Many lifters develop the bad habit of using leg drive without even being aware of it. This leads to a less efficient shoulder workout.
Short Range of Motion
The overhead dumbbell press should move the weights from shoulder-height to full overhead lockout. Reducing the range of motion either by not bringing the weights low or by avoiding complete lockout reduces the shoulders’ time under tension and reinforces poor joint mobility. This combination decreases the stimulus to build muscle and strength.
If you have pre-existing mobility issues, this is an entirely different case. You should never force your body into unnatural and dangerous positions. However, the shoulder joint, when healthy and working optimally, should be capable of achieving a complete range of motion.
Avoid it: Ensure that you take each rep from full stretch to full lockout. The dumbbells may graze the top of your shoulders in the bottom position and your elbows should be fully extended with the dumbbells nearly touching at the top. Know that short-changing your range of motion is simply short-changing your results.
If you’re physically unable to achieve a full range of motion, make consistent mobility work a regular part of your training. In the video above, Coach Geo Rockwell explains how to perform scapular wall slides, one of the best bang-for-your-buck shoulder and upper back mobility drills.
Benefits of the Overhead Dumbbell Press
Pressing a pair of dumbbells overhead isn’t just an old school test of strength, dating back to strongmen in the late-1800s. It’s also a classic exercise for building a wider set of shoulders. The combination of potential size and strength make it an incredibly useful exercise for nearly any lifter.
Credit: BLACKDAY / Shutterstock
Because each arm is supporting an individual dumbbell, as opposed to one single barbell supported with both arms, you need more power output from each side of the body. More muscles are also activated both as stabilizers and for support strength.
Similarly, while any type of overhead press can be used for hypertrophy (building muscle), dumbbells require more work from each individual shoulder. This creates a higher overall training stimulus compared to other shoulder press variations.
Shoulder Size
Shoulder presses are practically mandatory for building a pair of wide, round deltoids (shoulders). The overhead dumbbell press can be highly effective, first because stabilizing the weights throughout each set will recruit the upper back and trapezius muscles, and also because the exercise has been shown to activate more deltoid muscle than other press variations. (1)
Upper Body Strength
The bench press is arguably the most popular measure of strength in most gyms. However, an unspoken rule among many experienced lifters is to gauge upper body strength by putting weight overhead while standing, not while lying supported on a flat bench.
The overhead dumbbell press, though not necessarily associated with moving extremely heavy weights, can play a huge role in building impressive overhead strength.
Reduced Joint Stress
The overhead dumbbell press requires each arm to perform its own share of muscular work while also having a degree of joint “freedom” to move, rotate, and micro-adjust throughout the range of motion. This freedom makes it a more joint-friendly option for lifters who may not be able to hold a barbell with a pronated (palms down) grip and press it overhead due to shoulder, elbow, or wrist mobility problems.
Muscles Worked by the Overhead Dumbbell Press
The overhead dumbbell press is a shoulder exercise, though a number of upper body muscles play a significant role to stabilize the body and complete the exercise.
Credit: Satyrenko / Shutterstock
Deltoids
The deltoids (shoulders) are technically one muscle group consisting of three heads — the anterior (front), the lateral (side), and the posterior (rear). The overhead dumbbell press significantly recruits all three heads and is a comprehensive shoulder exercise.
Triceps
Any type of pressing exercise will recruit the triceps muscle, specifically in the latter range of motion to achieve a complete lockout position. The overhead dumbbell press significantly activates your triceps when the weight is lifted from forehead-level to full lockout.
Upper Back
The “upper back” isn’t one specific muscle. Instead, it’s a general term typically including the rhomboids, trapezius, teres, and rear deltoids. These muscles play similar and overlapping roles in scapular movement and stability.
The overhead dumbbell press works your upper back statically in the bottom position as the weights are supported, as well as working more actively to help provide a stable torso position for pressing.
Who Should Do the Overhead Dumbbell Press
You can use the overhead dumbbell press to achieve a number of common goals. The exercise can, and should, be performed by a variety of lifters.
Lifting for Muscle
Due to its effective role as a fundamental muscle-builder, the overhead dumbbell press can be a priority exercise in a shoulder-building workout. The large time under tension and significant recruitment of the deltoids make it an efficient option.
Lifters With Joint Pain
Because dumbbells require less fixed-pattern movement and allows lifters to adjust hand and elbow position during a set, the overhead dumbbell press can be a better choice for lifters with current joint pain, compared to a barbell press.
Overhead Strength Athletes
A number of sports require lifters to move very heavy weights overhead. Competitive strongmen and strongwomen, Olympic weightlifters, and CrossFit athletes can all benefit from making the overhead dumbbell press a recurring accessory exercise in their training to carryover to sport-specific strength.
How to Program the Overhead Dumbbell Press
The overhead dumbbell press can be adapted to a variety of programming methods, depending on the lifter’s specific goal.
Moderate Weight, Moderate Repetition
Working within a prototypical bodybuilding set and rep scheme delivers optimal muscle gains. Performing three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps turns the exercise into a serious shoulder-builder. When the presses are kept strict and leg drive is avoided, this can be an intense delt workout.
Light-to-Moderate Weight, High Repetition
Reducing the weight slightly while increasing the reps to 15 or even 20 can provide more challenge to the entire body because the overall stability demands are increased, but the shoulder-focus remains a priority. Many lifters find they may get a better muscular workout with this approach, since shoulder joint stress is further reduced due to the decreased load.
Heavy Weight, Low Repetition
When using heavier weights for lower repetitions, the movement becomes an exercise in total-body coordination. When performing three to five sets of three to five reps, lacking muscular engagement anywhere from head to toe can result in a missed lift. This full-body support is exactly what makes this approach ideal for building strength.
Remember though, as weights get heavier, getting the dumbbells into starting position becomes a much more fatiguing part of the exercise, so expect the hard work to begin before you even start pressing.
Overhead Dumbbell Press Variations
The overhead dumbbell press is a straightforward movement suitable for most lifters and most goals. However, adjustments and variations may be appropriate for any number of reasons. By adjusting hand position or stance, you can fine-tune the exercise to your specific requirements without significantly changing the results.
Neutral-Grip Overhead Press
Adjusting the arm angle in the bottom position can drastically change the stress applied to the shoulder joint.
If you experience joint pain during any chest or shoulder pressing exercises, using a neutral grip, where the hands face each other during movement rather than facing forward, is a simple and effective way to alter the arm angle and reduce joint strain.
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
Some lifters may lack the core strength, either due to inexperience or previous injury, to fully stabilize during the overhead dumbbell press. Moving from a standing position to seated can reduce strain on the lower back, which reduces the required core stability element.
An important cue with a seated overhead press is to avoid leaning back excessively during the movement, which would return the low back stress meant to be avoided in the first place. If your hips/tailbone aren’t near the back-support pad, then your back isn’t actually supported.
Single-Arm Overhead Press
The overhead press is typically done with both arms simultaneously, but using one arm at a time offers a few specific advantages. First, it allows a slightly heavier weight to be used. For example, if you can press two 50-pound dumbbells for five reps, you’re likely able to press one 55-pounder for five reps. This has to do with muscle fiber recruitment, the central nervous system, and a handful of dull technical jargon.
The second major benefit of pressing one dumbbell is an even greater core stability challenge, which turns the exercise into an efficient way to train the abs, obliques, and entire core while still requiring shoulder power.
Dumbbell Push Press
Remember all those warnings about keeping your knees slightly bent for the entire set and not using leg drive? Well now here’s your chance. The dumbbell push press uses deliberate leg drive to start moving the weight on each rep.
This added lower body recruitment allows a heavier weight to be used and it’s also an excellent way to develop explosive power and speed, making the exercise a top choice for athletes in any sport.
Overhead Dumbbell Press Alternatives
The overhead dumbbell press does cover a lot of muscular ground, but there are a few similar overhead exercises which can offer comparable, sometimes even more effective, benefits.
Overhead Barbell Press
One limiting factor of the overhead dumbbell press is the actual dumbbell. While there are many well-equipped gyms, there are few gyms offering dumbbells over 100 pounds. If your goal is to build major pressing strength, loading a barbell will eventually become necessary.
The overhead barbell press, often referred to simply as “the press”, is also sometimes considered one of the most fundamental of all exercises, alongside the barbell back squat, barbell flat bench press, and conventional deadlift.
Landmine Press
The landmine press is an effective alternative to direct overhead pressing, especially for lifters with shoulder joint pain. The altered angle of resistance affects the load on the joint while incorporating more muscles, particularly the chest.
Many gyms now have landmine stations with a barbell set in a specialized stand. The exercise can also be performed by carefully wedging one end of a barbell into the corner of a room.
Kettlebell Press
The kettlebell press may appear identical to the overhead dumbbell press, but the kettlebell’s unique shape and offset center of gravity make it a different exercise with different technique requirements.
The range of motion is typically longer, as the kettlebell press often starts with the weight in front of the chest in the bottom position. Because the kettlebell sits behind the wrist while the dumbbell sits atop the wrist, the shoulder stabilizers will be under increased stress during the movement as the kettlebell tries to “pull” the arm into external rotation.
FAQs
What if getting the weights into position makes me too fatigued to press?
Usually, getting fatigued during an exercise is a good thing. But in this case, you’re getting fatigued before the exercise, not during it. If getting the dumbbells into the bottom position is too challenging, it’s because you’re attempting a weight that’s beyond what your upper back can support.
Lighten the load to a weight you can successfully get into a pressing position, continue regular shoulder and back training, and progress accordingly.
When should I perform the overhead dumbbell press?
Because it’s primarily a shoulder exercise with involvement of other muscles, it’s best suited to a shoulder-focused or “upper body” workout. Performing it as one of the first exercises of the workout will allow you to apply the most focus and use relatively heavier weights than if performed later.
For strength-focused lifters, it’s best not to perform the overhead dumbbell press immediately after heavy squats or deadlifts, due to cumulative fatigue in the lower back and legs, which would impair those muscles’ ability to provide a safe base of support.
Start the Presses
The overhead dumbbell press is a thorough exercise which builds shoulder size and upper body strength with minimal equipment. No benches needed, no barbell and rack setup, just a pair of dumbbells and a place to stand. Review the technique pointers and fit this overlooked lift into your program.
References
Saeterbakken AH, Fimland MS. Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jul;27(7):1824-31. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318276b873. PMID: 23096062.
“Warm” and “salad” might not be two words you’d normally associate, but we promise you that this warm spinach salad recipe has the goods!
This high-protein salad boasts colorful, nutrient-dense veggies and healthy fats. Roughly chopping the greens ensures that you get bite-sized greens in every delicious bite, and the crispy bacon, crunchy apples, and perfectly roasted butternut squash are downright delightful together.
It’s is also very versatile and customizable. Spinach salad is a classic, but any greens—baby kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, or a combination—will work here. Instead of butternut squash, substitute delicata squash or kabocha. Swap out the walnuts for pecans or pine nuts and the goat cheese for feta. Try it with ranch dressing instead of honey mustard. You can’t go wrong. Once you get the warm spinach salad experience, you’ll want to try loads of different variations.
Warm Spinach Salad
Serves: 4
Time in the kitchen: 50 minutes
Ingredients
5 oz. baby spinach
5 oz. baby arugula
8 slices (about 6 oz) bacon
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 lb. shredded or chopped cooked chicken
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced or quartered (see hard-boiling instructions below)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
Lay your bacon out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake it in the oven until it reaches your desired crispiness. This will probably take about 20 minutes, but start checking after 15. Use tongs to remove the bacon to a towel-lined plate. When it is cool enough to handle, roughly chop the bacon and set it aside.
Meanwhile, carefully toss the cubed butternut squash in the bacon fat in the baking sheet. Arrange the butternut squash in a single layer, then place the pan back in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the squash over and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the squash is golden. Place the squash in a bowl large enough to toss all the salad ingredients.
Add the chopped bacon back to the pan and place the pan back in the oven for a few minutes to get the bacon warm again. While the bacon is warming, roughly chop the baby spinach and arugula leaves in batches so they’re in bite-sized pieces.
Add the warm bacon, sliced onion, walnuts, chicken, and apple and/or cheese if you’re adding them to the bowl with the squash. Gently toss the ingredients with the Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard dressing.
Add the chopped greens and egg and gently toss so everything is combined. As you toss the salad together, the arugula and spinach will wilt slightly. Enjoy right away or save leftovers for the next day.
Tips:
You can use chopped roasted chicken breast, leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken, or whatever protein you’d like.
To keep it lower carb, you can use turnips or radishes in lieu of butternut squash.
While mixing the greens in with the warm elements will slightly wilt them, you can also lightly sauté the greens prior to adding them to the mixing bowl if you’d like!
Fill a pot of water about half full with water and a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil.
Carefully add your eggs to the hot water.
For fully cooked yolks, cook the eggs for 10 minutes.
Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Peel when they are cool enough to handle.
Check out the other post for more detailed instructions. For this warm spinach salad, you can also omit the hard-boiled eggs and top the tossed salad with poached eggs. Instructions for poaching eggs are in that same post. Enjoy!
This Warm Spinach Salad is very versatile and customizable! It’s high in protein and loaded with colorful and nutrient-dense veggies and healthy fats. Roughly chopping the greens ensures that you get bite-sized greens in every delicious bite.
Ingredients
5 oz. baby spinach
5 oz. baby arugula
8 slices (about 6 oz) bacon
3 cups cubed butternut squash
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 lb. shredded or chopped chicken
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced or quartered
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
Lay your bacon out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake it in the oven until it reaches your desired crispiness. This will probably take about 20 minutes, but start checking after 15. Use tongs to remove the bacon to a towel-lined plate. When it is cool enough to handle, roughly chop the bacon and set it aside.
Meanwhile, carefully toss the cubed butternut squash in the bacon fat in the baking sheet. Arrange the butternut squash in a single layer, then place the pan back in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the squash over and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the squash is golden. Place the squash in a bowl large enough to toss all the salad ingredients.
Add the chopped bacon back to the pan and place the pan back in the oven for a few minutes to get the bacon warm again. While the bacon is warming, roughly chop the baby spinach and arugula leaves in batches so they’re in bite-sized pieces.
Add the warm bacon, sliced onion, walnuts, chicken, and apple and/or cheese if you’re adding them to the bowl with the squash. Gently toss the ingredients with the Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Dressing.
Add the chopped greens and egg and gently toss so everything is combined. As you toss the salad together, the arugula and spinach will wilt slightly. Enjoy right away or save leftovers for the next day.
Notes
You can use chopped roasted chicken breast, leftover chicken, a rotisserie chicken, or whatever protein you’d like.
To keep it lower in carbs, you can use turnips or radishes in lieu of butternut squash.
While mixing the greens in with the warm elements will slightly wilt them, you can also lightly sauté the greens prior to adding them to the mixing bowl if you’d like!
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On March 19, 2022, two-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Breon Ansley shared an update about his future in the division on his Instagram page. While showing off his physique in natural light, the champion bodybuilder wrote that 2022 will be his last year in the Classic Physique Division. He did not immediately discuss his rationale behind the decision.
Natural light is always the most humbling without shadows showing added details and separation.
Ansley was well-aware he left out some context, further writing that he had “a few exciting details” to share about his plan to capture his third career Classic Physique Olympia title. He last competed in the 2022 Arnold Classic on March 3-6, 2022, where he finished fourth.
On March 24, 2022, Ansley took to his YouTube channel to shed a light on what the rest of 2022 and his Olympia future holds. Check out the video below:
In the video, Ansley first thanked his fans for “all their support” over the years. He began competing in the Classic Physique Division in 2016 and noted that he appreciated how everyone took to him as he found his groove. Ansley expressed his pride over where the division stands today, pointing out the “wow factor” of the present-day physiques and how the competition is in a great place.
To address the Classic Physique elephant in the room, Ansley was deliberate. He did not mince his words: It has to do with how Ansley prefers his body to be displayed. More importantly, he says it’s about taking better care of himself.
Ansley made the decision to step away from Classic Physique because he prefers his physique at 190-plus pounds rather than the 180-pound weight cap he’s restricted to. For context, weight caps in Classic Physique scale with an athlete’s height. Per IFBB Pro rules, Ansley’s weight cap at his height of 5-foot-7 is 185 pounds. If he were one inch taller, he would be allotted an additional seven pounds — closer to his stated ideal weight range.
Ansley believes he has enough “shredded” muscle to show off in his peak form at a higher weight. Also, a short turnaround from a usual late-week weigh-in to the formal competition over weekends during the Classic Physique Olympia events does not agree with him.
The weight cap of the Classic Physique Olympia and the “wear and tear” it places on his body is something Ansley doesn’t appreciate. This division of bodybuilding can be demanding to prepare for and Ansley is understandably concerned about the toll it’ll take on him over time. Ultimately, he thinks it’s a disadvantage to his dedication, diligence, and all the hard work he’s put in throughout his career.
Now, if my weight cap had a few more pounds on it then we might be having a different conversation. We might be talking about something different and me staying in Classic.
As such, this coming December will be the last occasion we see him on the Classic Physique Olympia stage. To prepare for his Olympia swan song from Dec. 15-18, 2022, Ansley concluded by discussing those mentioned details about a plan:
He will begin his training regimen for the competition around 20 weeks out. That means kicking into gear sometime in late July or early August. That training timeline is in contrast to the usual 10-11 weeks he’s previously followed. At the time this article is published, Ansley has not revealed what his future plans in the sport are beyond 2022.
Ansley’s Bodybuilding Record
Before announcing his leave from the Classic Physique division, Ansley competed in the 2022 Arnold Classic on March 3-6, 2022. He finished fourth overall behind Urs Kalecinski, runner-up Roman Rocha Queiro, and two-time Arnold Classic Physique champion Terrence Ruffin. It was Ansley’s first result off the podium since his Olympia debut in 2016, where he also ranked fourth overall.
Ansley’s overall resume in bodybuilding remains impressive. It includes six first-place finishes in the Classic Physique Division. His professional bodybuilding resume is below, according to NPC News Online:
Breon Ansley’s Pro Bodybuilding Career Results
2013 NPC USA Championships — Men’s Middleweight — First place
2014 IFBB New York Pro— 212 — Outside top 16
2014 IFBB Europa Phoenix— 212 — 15th place
2016 IFBB Prestige Crystal Cup— Classic Physique — First place
2016 IFBB Mr. Olympia— Classic Physique — Fourth place
2017 IFBB New York Pro— Classic Physique — First place
2017 IFBB Mr. Olympia — Classic Physique — First place
2018 Arnold Sports Festival — Classic Physique — First place
2018 IFBB Mr. Olympia— Classic Physique — First place
2019 IFBB Yamamoto Cup Pro — Classic Physique — First place
2020 IFBB Mr. Olympia— Classic Physique — Third place
2021 IFBB Mr. Olympia— Classic Physique — Third place
2022 Arnold Classic— Classic Physique — Fourth place
In what is purely speculation, Ansley might seek a return to the 212 division. Not only would it allow him to accumulate the mass he wants, he has experience in that division as he competed there earlier on in his career. Ansley weighs 206 pounds in the Instagram post above where he alluded to his future away from the Classic Physique Olympia.
Ansley will be 43-years-old by the time the 2022 Classic Physique Olympia rolls around. He’s managed to compete at an elite level for years against athletes far younger than him. Perhaps Ansley’s new training plan will be the not-so-secret ingredient to put him over the top in this division one last time. The 2022 Classic Physique Olympia competition begins on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.
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It didn’t take long for powerlifter Tamara Walcott to make a name for herself in the competitive scene. Since starting her career in 2018, she has won seven of the eight competitions she has participated in. That includes the 2021 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) The Bucked Up Showdown in Kansas City, MO, where she pulled the current raw deadlift world record of 288.5 kilograms (606 pounds).
Walcott is not done pulling off staggering feats of strength. On Wednesday, March 23, 2022, Walcott announced she will compete in the 2022 World Raw Powerlifting Federation (WRPF) American Pro over her Instagram. The event will occur at The Salisbury Center in Manassas, VA, from July 29-30, 2022. In what seems like typical Walcott fashion, she made the announcement while doing five sets of paused deficit deadlifts with 215 kilograms and three sets of paused deficit pulls with 199 kilograms. Check out Walcott’s announcement below, courtesy of her Instagram page:
Sometimes there’s far more to lifting aspirations than simply picking up incredible amounts of weight. According to her website, Walcott entered the powerlifting sphere because she wanted to get healthier and find a quality, controlled outlet for the stresses of her daily life. Powerlifting seemed like a natural transition for such a goal with enough dedication and effort.
After finding her groove and losing a significant amount of weight (over 100 pounds) over a year, Walcott entered competitive powerlifting. She won her first two powerlifting competitions at the 2018 Rumble on Pratt Street and the 2018 USAPL 2nd Annual I STEP Invitational Veterans Day Meet — both taking place in Baltimore, MD. From there, it was mostly smooth sailing. Until the 2022 WRPF The Ghost Clash in Miami, FL, held on Feb. 13, 2022.
Walcott entered the event with two lofty missions. First, to eclipse April Mathis’s all-time raw squat and total world records of 278 kilograms (615 pounds) and 730.2 kilograms (1,610 pounds), respectively. Then, while she was at it, shatter her deadlift world record.
Walcott had previously accomplished two of the feats in training — more than 14 pounds on the deadlift and almost 10 pounds on the squat. It was time to transfer that strength to a competition like The Ghost Clash and piece together a laudable performance.
Alas, it wasn’t to be.
Walcott missed each attempt at the world records. The combined pressure and anxiousness of competing against some of powerlifting’s most prominent names on a grand stage appeared to be too much to overcome. No matter. Competitive powerlifting may well reward continued resilience and diligence. The upcoming 2022 American Pro might be the perfect opportunity for Walcott to push for these stratospheric achievements again.
As her name grew in prominence, Walcott appeared on The Ellen Show in November 2021. There, she discussed with Ellen Degeneres how she took up powerlifting while raising two children. To cap her appearance, she performed two raw deadlifts — 224.52 kilograms (495 pounds) and 247.2 kilograms (545 pounds) — in front of the live studio audience. Check out Walcott’s entire interview with Degeneres below:
With great power comes great responsibility. Walcott understands the weight behind this axiom as a single mom with two kids, her own business, a nine-to-five job, and a budding powerlifting career. She wants to take great care to use her platform for one noble good: Making powerlifting more visible in the mainstream.
“This is so much bigger than myself,” Walcott told BarBend in a recent interview. “I’m trying to take it (powerlifting) to ESPN. What do we have to do to get powerlifting on the platform for the world to see?”
If Walcott can already go on national television with one world record to her name, the sky might be the limit.
The American Pro is Next
The 2022 WRPF American Pro will run from Friday, July 29, 2022, to Saturday, July 30, 2022. It will take place at The Salisbury Center in Manassas, VA. It will be the first time Walcott participates in the competition and her first event since the 2022 WRPF The Ghost Clash. You can purchase in-person spectator tickets online for either day of the event on the competition’s website.
Featured image: @plussize_fitqueen4.0. on Instagram
“I love the pictures of old Ireland. Especially the first one with all of the barefoot children. Pause, look at the surroundings and then into the faces of each of those kids – a wonderful dose of perspective and inspiration.”
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A well-developed chest is a calling card of lifters who’ve spent months, if not years, dedicated to hard training. From lifters bench pressing jaw-dropping weight and bodybuilders hitting the classic “side chest” pose to beginners learning how to do a push-up, chest training has always been a high priority for anyone looking to build muscle or test their strength.
Whether you have limited equipment at home, access to a fully stocked commercial gym, or no equipment at all, you can find an effective chest workout to deliver the results you’re after. Take a look, choose your goal, and get training.
The Best Chest Workouts
Best Chest Workout With Dumbbells
Best Bodyweight Chest Workout
Best Chest Workout for Muscle Mass
Best Chest Workout for Strength
Best Chest Workout With Dumbbells
Not all lifters have the opportunity to train in a commercial gym and have turned to training in a home gym with whatever equipment they can put together. Training at home can have some incomparable benefits. It’s open 24 hours a day every day of the year, the music is never grating, and the dress code is more lenient than most public gyms to the point of being entirely optional if you’re into that sort of thing.
The biggest compromise with a home gym is typically a lack of options since equipment must be prioritized to accommodate limited floor space. Home lifters should outfit their training area with the basics, and often forgo multiple benches dedicated to specific angles, oversized cable machines with a selection of pulleys, and all sorts of standalone single-purpose machines for flyes or presses.
Credit: Srdjan Randjelovic / Shutterstock
Fortunately, as long as you have a basic bench and an adjustable dumbbell set or a few pairs of dumbbells, you can always train your chest with the right plan. And here’s the plan to follow.
The Dumbbell-Only Workout
This workout focuses on exercise variety and techniques to increase time under tension to get the most benefit from limited equipment. Perform all sets of each exercise before moving to the next exercise, and perform the workout once or twice per week depending on your overall training split.
Single-Arm Flat Dumbbell Press
How to Do it: Lie on a flat bench as if performing a standard dumbbell bench press, with a dumbbell in only one hand. The single-arm element makes this unilateral exercise an intense core drill while also recruiting the chest significantly.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-8 per side
Rest time: No rest between sides, 45 seconds rest between sets.
Neutral-Grip Incline Dumbbell Press
How to Do it: Set the bench to an incline angle. If the bench cannot adjust, place blocks or weight plates under the feet to elevate one side several inches. Keep the hands facing each other, not facing your feet, to slightly decrease shoulder stress and increase pec recruitment.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 10-12
Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.
Flat Dumbbell Press With Pause
How to Do it: Perform the classic flat dumbbell bench press, while pausing in the bottom (stretched) position of each rep for two seconds.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-10
Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.
Best Bodyweight Chest Workout
Sometimes having no equipment to train with can be a blessing in disguise. It forces you to be creative in program design, think outside the box, and buckle down to focus on only the most effective exercises.
Bodyweight training has a bad reputation for being “lesser than” training with free weights, but if you know what you’re doing and actually push yourself with the right movements, you’ll never call bodyweight training “easy” again.
The Brutally Simple Bodyweight Workout
When you think of “bodyweight chest exercise”, you think of push-ups. You might also think of dips, but technically you need dip bars for those, so they’re not truly a bodyweight-only exercise.
This workout could not be more straightforward. Do 100 push-ups, no matter how long it takes. Three to five days later, do 100 push-ups again but get them done in less time. It’s basic density training — get the same amount of work done in less time or do more work in the same amount of time.
Credit: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
Because 100 is a nice round number, that’s the stationary target and you’ll focus on shaving down the time each session. Also, it’s just kinda cool to be able to say, “I knocked out 100 push-ups this morning.” Knocking out 105 push-ups sounds strange.
The most critical element here is that, no matter how fatigued you are, you cannot sacrifice form to squeeze out ugly reps. It’s 100 perfect-technique push-ups, not 36 perfect push-ups followed by 64 half-reps. Each rep should have the chest nearly touching the floor (depending on your shoulder mobility) at the bottom and arms locked out at the top.
Push-up
How to Do it: Support your body on your toes and hands, with your hands set slightly outside shoulder-width. While keeping a straight line from your neck to your ankles during each rep, bend your elbows to lower your entire body, and press to full lockout. To reduce shoulder joint strain, aim your elbows more towards your feet than your shoulders.
Sets and Reps: 100 reps total, broken down into as many or as few sets as necessary until completion.
Rest time: Rest as needed. Start a timer immediately before beginning the first rep and stop the timer immediately after completing the last rep. Record the total time and aim to improve by one second or more each workout.
Best Chest Workout for Muscle Mass
A muscle-building chest workout is a bodybuilder’s bread and butter. The typical lifter will reluctantly trudge through their leg day but channel that lack of enthusiasm into chest day, and that’s A-okay as long as they get their work done in each session.
Chest Day, Best Day
This is a time-tested, bodybuilding-style approach to training. Attacking a body part with multiple exercises and different angles, taking each set right up to muscular failure with high-intensity techniques, and ideally getting a serious pump in the target muscle by the end of the session.
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This particular workout can standalone for a chest-only session or it can be followed by training the shoulders and triceps as part of a “pushing muscle” day. You can also get a complete upper body workout by training back immediately before chest or interspersing the exercises as supersets.
Dip
How to Do it: Begin at the top position on a set of dip bars. Emphasize chest recruitment and stretch by leaning your upper body forward (not staying upright) as you bend your elbows and lower as far as mobility allows. Pause briefly before pressing back up.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.
Pec-Deck With One-and-a-Half Reps
How to Do it: On a pec-deck machine, set the seat so your hands are gripping the handles below shoulder height and in-line with your mid-chest. Perform each set using the “one and a half rep” technique by lowering the weight into a full stretch, raising the weight to full contraction, then lowering the weight halfway down, bringing it up to full contraction again, and finally lowering it fully. That’s counted as one full rep.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-10
Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.
Flat Barbell Bench Press
How to Do it: Take a beyond shoulder-width grip and lower the bar in-line with the mid-chest. If shoulder mobility allows, touch the bar to your chest briefly before pressing upwards. Be aware that the previous exercise will have pre-exhausted the chest muscles and they’re beginning this exercise already fatigued. Choose an appropriate weight and use a spotter if possible.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
Rest time: 90 seconds rest before returning to the previous exercise.
Smith Machine Incline Press
How to Do it: Position a 30 or 45-degree incline bench under a Smith machine so the bar is lined up with your upper chest/collarbone area. Grip the bar slightly wider than the flat barbell bench press grip. Perform repetitions smoothly with no pause at lockout or in the stretch position, bringing the bar to at least chin-level at the bottom.
Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-15
Rest time: 45 seconds between sets.
Best Chest Workout For Strength
“How much ‘ya bench?” might as well be gym-speak for “Hi, how are you?” It’s asked as often and it’s answered as honestly. Everyone’s always “fine, thanks” and everyone always benches “around 300.”
Regardless of the questionable reputation as an ego lift, the bench press is a genuine assessment of upper body pressing power. Building a strong and powerful chest is, has, and will always be a priority for most dedicated lifters. Here’s a simple and effective plan to build serious pressing strength.
The Bigger Bench Plan
A chest-focused strength workout will, appropriately, be centered around the flat barbell bench press. It’s one of the classic “big three” powerlifts for a reason, because it’s one of the very few ways to move significant weight with an upper body press.
Credit: sportpoint / Shutterstock
The once-a-week workout uses science-based explosive training, known as “post-activation potentiation”, to improve power output on the bench press, followed by specific accessory exercises to build strength in the chest and pressing muscles. (1)(2)(3)
Plyometric Push-up
How to Do it: From a basic push-up position (hands and toes touching the ground, with a straight line from neck to ankles), descend under control to the bottom position and explode upwards with maximum force. The hands should leave the ground briefly. Catch yourself and pause at the top before performing the next rep.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 5
Rest time: 60 seconds before moving to the next exercise.
Flat Barbell Bench Press
How to Do it: Take a beyond shoulder-width grip and lower the bar in-line with the mid-chest. If shoulder mobility allows, touch the bar to your chest briefly before pressing upwards. Pause at full lockout briefly before lowering the bar under control.
Sets and Reps: 5 x 3
Rest time: Three minutes before returning to the first exercise.
Floor Press
How to Do it: Lie on the floor with a bar set in a rack at arms length above your head. Keep the legs straight throughout the set. Unrack the bar and lower under control until your elbows delicately touch the ground (do not slam the weight down). Pause with the elbows on the ground for one second before pressing to full lockout.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 4-6
Rest time: Three minutes between sets.
Dip
How to Do it: Begin at the top position on a set of dip bars. Bend your elbows and lower to the bottom of the rep. The torso may be slightly upright during the movement to involve the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pause briefly before pressing back up. Increase resistance with a weight belt, weighted vest, or by squeezing a dumbbell between your thighs above your knees.
Sets and Reps: 4 x 6-8
Rest time: Two minutes between sets.
The Chest Muscles
Many lifters design chest workouts with the intention of training “all parts of the chest”. That approach can certainly be effective, but it first requires knowing exactly what does, and what does not, make up “all parts of the chest.” Here’s a quick and useful lesson in functional anatomy.
Pectoralis Major
The pec major is the muscle everyone simply refers to as “the chest”. It’s the large chunk of muscle on the upper torso, above the abs and below the neck. Common bodybuilding lore says the body part is divided into the “upper chest”, “mid chest”, “lower chest”, “inner chest” and “outer chest”, while claiming each section can be targeted by specific exercises. This is wrong. Or at least, it’s a huge misinterpretation of how the body actually works.
Credit: Magic mine / Shutterstock
The pec major is one muscle, just like the biceps are one muscle. However, just like the biceps include multiple heads which can be recruited differently to contribute to slightly different overall growth, the pec major contains two heads — the sternocostal and the clavicular.
The sternocostal head is responsible for the vast majority of movement and is recruited in all pressing exercises. The clavicular head is the region commonly referred to as “upper chest” and has been shown to be recruited more efficiently with exercises done at a 30 or 45-degree incline. (4) (5).
So, anatomically speaking, there’s “the upper chest” and “the rest of the chest”. The majority of exercises will work both heads, while inclined exercises prioritize the upper chest, and anyone who talks about targeting the “inner chest” or “outer-lower chest sweep” isn’t really talking about training the human body.
Pectoralis Minor
The pec minor lives underneath the pec major and attaches to the scapula (shoulder blade) to play a role in scapular movement. It’s involved in nearly every chest exercise, but is specifically called into action when the scapulae move forward, such as during a push-up or chest press exercise.
Due to its relatively small size, location, and function, it’s not likely to experience significant (or visible) muscle growth but serves an invaluable role for overall joint function and health.
Serratus Anterior
The serratus anterior is the finger-like cluster of muscles slightly below the chest, along the side of the ribs. Similar to the pec minor, they attach to the scapulae and play a role in scapular movement, stability, and health. (6) The serratus is also involved during chest pressing exercises, particularly toward the lockout position when/if the scapulae are allowed to “flex” forward (protraction).
Serratus muscle growth is minimal, but when the muscles are developed, and particularly when accompanied by low body fat, they can be a noticeable addition to an impressive physique.
A Chest Warm-Up is Essential
No matter your goal or training plan, a specific chest warm-up can help to improve overall performance and reduce the risk of injury. Pec tears, shoulder strains, and excessive elbow stress can occur when poorly planned workouts combine with inadequate warm-ups.
Credit: MDV Edwards / Shutterstock
A thorough and effective warm-up can be time-efficient without compromising on benefits. Grab a resistance band and use this quick circuit to start any chest session.
The Complete Chest Warm-Up Circuit
Slow Push-up Plus: Perform a basic push-up taking two seconds to lower your body and two seconds to press up. When your arms are locked at the top of each rep, continue “pressing” to reach the shoulder blades towards the ground before performing the next rep (this added range of motion is the “plus” part of a “push-up plus”). Do three repetitions before moving immediately to the next exercise.
Push-up Plank Shoulder Tap: From the top of a push-up position, spread your feet slightly wider for support and alternate touching each shoulder with the opposite hand. Perform 10 reps total, alternating each hand, before moving immediately to the next exercise.
Band Pull-Apart: Take a resistance band with a palms-down grip, holding the band at arms-length in front of your body. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, pull both hands back to perform a reverse flye movement with your shoulders and upper back until the band touches your chest. Return to the starting position under control. Perform 10 reps before repeating the first exercise. Do a total of four sets of the complete circuit.
Powerful, High-Performance Pecs
Whether you want to bench press a motorcycle, build a beach-worthy physique, or just get a great workout at home or on the road, you’re now armed with plenty of options to train what is arguably the most popular body part in the gym. Just be sure to follow a well-designed plan and never let your ego write checks your joints can’t cash.
References
Krzysztofik, M., & Wilk, M. (2020). The Effects of Plyometric Conditioning on Post-Activation Bench Press Performance. Journal of human kinetics, 74, 99–108.
https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2020-0017Ulrich G, Parstorfer M. Effects of Plyometric Versus Concentric and Eccentric Conditioning Contractions on Upper-Body Postactivation Potentiation. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2017 Jul;12(6):736-741. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2016-0278. Epub 2016 Oct 13. PMID: 27736266.
Clark, Ross A1,3; Humphries, Brendan2; Hohmann, Erik3,4; Bryant, Adam L1 The Influence of Variable Range of Motion Training on Neuromuscular Performance and Control of External Loads, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: March 2011 – Volume 25 – Issue 3 – p 704-711 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c6a0ff
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Rodríguez-Ridao, D., Antequera-Vique, J. A., Martín-Fuentes, I., & Muyor, J. M. (2020). Effect of Five Bench Inclinations on the Electromyographic Activity of the Pectoralis Major, Anterior Deltoid, and Triceps Brachii during the Bench Press Exercise. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(19), 7339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197339
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The lemon was first created as a cross between a lime and a citron, and all three grow on evergreen shrubs. The Arabs introduced this small citrus fruit to the Europeans, who then brought them to Spain in the 11th century. Along with other fruits and vegetables, Christopher Columbus brought lemons with him on his […]
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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Warrior Fit Testimonials
First, I want to say thank you for convincing me to do Tabata! I was struggling to lose weight and Finally I found something that helped! I really appreciate your coaching! - Craig T.
Ever since I was convinced to do Tabata I have seen huge results, I lost 6 pounds and gained energy in the first 3 weeks. I have been working out for 3 months before I decided to do Tabata and I struggled to lose weight.
At first I thought "How am I losing weight by bringing my heart rate up then cooling down then bringing it up again?" I don’t know how it works but it does!
Thank you!! - Theresa F.
The first day of Tabata, I wondered WHAT AM I DOING - I AM 56 !! Five weeks later I knew that it was what I needed. I learned that I could push myself well beyond my comfort zone and feel good later. I have a marked improvement in physical as well as emotional endurance. - Lyn C.
When I was first told about Tabata I was very excited from the word go, however that excitement stemmed from the fact that I had no clue what it meant. I missed the first week of class b/c I was traveling for work so when I came in during the 2nd week I had some making it up to do.
It was hard at first b/c my body wasn't used to working out at such a fast pace, but once I got into a rhythm I started to feel very good. These classes are no joke. If you stick with it you will leave there feeling stronger, healthier and overall better about yourself and what you've accomplished.
I would recommend these classes to anyone. Darrin is a great trainer and he'll keep you going with his energy.
- Jami L.
Warriors Fit Audio
Warrior Fit uses High Intensity Music to get ya Moooovin' So we can all "Get Our Sweat On"
The link below will give ya a freeee shot at Audible plus a couple audio books just to try it out and if you haven't used audio books on your commutes you are missing out. Get pumped up before you get to where you are going and exercise your mind. I use it Everyday. Go get yours now!
Grocery shopping can be a tad overwhelming, especially when you’re trying a new way of eating. Primal, paleo, keto, Whole30, vegetarian, vegan—they all have their own set of guidelines about what foods are “allowed” and which you should limit or avoid.
from the Oldways Whole Grain Council. By the same token, a food could call itself “keto-friendly” and still be made with canola or other oils you typically avoid.
Certified Paleo
Keto Certified
Whole30 Approved®: Consistent with the rules of the Whole30® program, meaning no added sugar or sweeteners, grains, legumes, dairy, carrageenan, or sulfites. Must also meet Whole30’s Animal Welfare Policy.
Certified Gluten-Free
Certified Vegan
Non-GMO Project Verified
“Warm” and “salad” might not be two words you’d normally associate, but we promise you that this warm spinach salad recipe has the goods!
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For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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