So I almost dropped an 80lb dumbell on my face at the gym yesteday..

[Dragoon42]

Originally posted by: bignateyk

Originally posted by: Rapidskies
Umm why not use a bar instead of dumbells for a bench?

because I dont always have a spotter

Originally posted by: ebaycj
Ummm.. left-hand only, dumbbell bench press 70lbs, FTW ?

EDIT: then 75, then 80, then back to normal dumbbell bench (both arms @ once).

hmm.. ive never tried to bench with just one arm.. wouldnt it be really unbalanced?

gah....bench excercises is usually good to have a spotter, unless you're using cables. I learned my lesson the same way you did. Cept it happened to a friend of mine. Landed pretty much on the top of his chest, cept it got a bit of his throat.

Anyways, it might be different because your left arm my take a different posture from your right arm. Does this make sense? Watch yourself when you workout, or have someone tell you if your form is off.

 

[Rubycon]

Who's the dumb bell now? :laugh:

 

[Dragoon42]

Originally posted by: F22 Raptor
First of all, you have only been lifting for a year, you should still be doing compound exercises, which means barbell presses.

Second your explosiveness is bad, which is why you have trouble with your first rep. You need to pause at the bottom of your reps, not bounce or use your arms as elastic bands, which I gaurantee you are doing with barbells. Control the weight.

Third, your form is bad. You need to make sure your shoulder blades are pinching the bench evevly before you begin, and set up always with proper form. Elitelifts.com has great articles on form. This will also help you get the weight up initially.

Fourth, your left arm is not weaker then your right, it has nothing to do with strength. It is nueromechanics. The more you lift the more your central nervous system becomes efficient at preforming the lift, since you have not done compound exercises your CNS is still making your right arm dominate during the lift.

Lower the weight and concentrate on form. Also if you dropped the weight as hard you suggest, I doubt you can handle that weight, and your form needs serious work.

I didn't see this post, this is QFT. You gotta have good form and keep the weight controlled.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: F22 Raptor
First of all, you have only been lifting for a year, you should still be doing compound exercises, which means barbell presses.

Second your explosiveness is bad, which is why you have trouble with your first rep. You need to pause at the bottom of your reps, not bounce or use your arms as elastic bands, which I gaurantee you are doing with barbells. Control the weight.

Third, your form is bad. You need to make sure your shoulder blades are pinching the bench evevly before you begin, and set up always with proper form. Elitelifts.com has great articles on form. This will also help you get the weight up initially.

Fourth, your left arm is not weaker then your right, it has nothing to do with strength. It is nueromechanics. The more you lift the more your central nervous system becomes efficient at preforming the lift, since you have not done compound exercises your CNS is still making your right arm dominate during the lift.

Lower the weight and concentrate on form. Also if you dropped the weight as hard you suggest, I doubt you can handle that weight, and your form needs serious work.

Why do you say that he must be doing a Barbell bench in order for the exercise to be a compound exercise? Last I checked, regardless if a person is using a barbell or dumbells, the lifter is still working his chest, triceps, shoulders, stomach, etc...which, again, last time I checked, would qualify Dumbbell Bench as a compound exercise.

 

[fbrdphreak]

If you're having trouble it sounds like you need to drop down in weight. Go back to some 50lb-ers and get your form perfect, then move up.

 

[bignateyk]

elitelifts.com just goes to some search page...

Is there a different site you meant with the form articles?

 

[cchen]

Could also be a weakness in your left rotator cuff

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
elitelifts.com just goes to some search page...

Is there a different site you meant with the form articles?

Seems to be down at the moment. You can also try out T-Nation.

 

[SVT Cobra]

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet

Originally posted by: F22 Raptor
First of all, you have only been lifting for a year, you should still be doing compound exercises, which means barbell presses.

Second your explosiveness is bad, which is why you have trouble with your first rep. You need to pause at the bottom of your reps, not bounce or use your arms as elastic bands, which I gaurantee you are doing with barbells. Control the weight.

Third, your form is bad. You need to make sure your shoulder blades are pinching the bench evevly before you begin, and set up always with proper form. Elitelifts.com has great articles on form. This will also help you get the weight up initially.

Fourth, your left arm is not weaker then your right, it has nothing to do with strength. It is nueromechanics. The more you lift the more your central nervous system becomes efficient at preforming the lift, since you have not done compound exercises your CNS is still making your right arm dominate during the lift.

Lower the weight and concentrate on form. Also if you dropped the weight as hard you suggest, I doubt you can handle that weight, and your form needs serious work.

Why do you say that he must be doing a Barbell bench in order for the exercise to be a compound exercise? Last I checked, regardless if a person is using a barbell or dumbells, the lifter is still working his chest, triceps, shoulders, stomach, etc...which, again, last time I checked, would qualify Dumbbell Bench as a compound exercise.

Yes, but when you are "new" to weight lifting, dumbell presses still shouldn't be used over barbell presses because they isolate some of the chest and stabilizer muscles. The barbell press is still more of a compound exercise, especially because of the set up involved the ability to engage your traps more.