Video: How to do a Dumbbell Chest Press

This is the first of a series of videos with Ali, our personal trainer at The Sandpiper Club, Lancaster.

In this video we join Ally and his client, Sally to show us some simple exercises to try out next time you are at the gym.

If you would like a boost in your training and want to tone up but require a little guidance, then personal training is for you!

• More How to videos with Ali

The Dumbbell Chest Press

This exercise works your chest muscles, shoulders, and triceps and you can vary the difficulty by selecting different weights.

1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
2. Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
3. Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.
4. Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.

• Written by: +Kris Littlewood