French bench press behind the head. Standing French Press

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The French Seated Press is an isolating exercise aimed at developing the triceps muscle of the shoulder, allowing, following the execution technique, to focus the load directly on these muscles. Creates a shape, ranging from a taut state to traced arm volumes.

Execution technique

Two hands with a dumbbell

Extensions work the longest head of the triceps. The hands in the elbows are rigidly fixed and pressed against the ears, the movements are performed with the forearm, the back and shoulders are in a vertical position.

We perform the French bench press with a flat back on a bench with a short back:

We sit on the bench, the back is straight, the shoulders are vertically up.
Wrapping your palms, take weighting and placing it on your chest, squeeze it out on straight arms.
On inspiration, we lower the weight behind the head, on exhalation, we bring it to its original position.
The trajectory of movement is from top to bottom, it is important that the dumbbell falls under the weight of its own weight, on the rise - an effort is made to lift it so that the muscles receive maximum load.
The number of repetitions is 3 × 12.

Sitting is easier to control the weight and technique of the forearm, the position of the body, shoulders. Movements and weights are concentrated in this zone.

One hand with a dumbbell

Requires more concentration, more isolated. In order to fix the back, you can use the Scott bench () when performing, while sitting on the contrary.

You should lightly hold the elbow with your free hand to prevent it from deflecting:

Sit down, back straight, shoulders straight.
We start a hand with a dumbbell behind the head, tightly pressing the elbow joints to the ears, we hold the weight with effort. We lower the weight behind the head, bending the forearm.
As you exhale, raise your arm to the starting position.
Repetitions - according to the training plan.

The amplitude should be maximum, but at the same time not reach extreme points: try not to lock the elbow joints in the initial state, and, lowering the dumbbell behind the head, do not relax the triceps.

With curved neck

Performing an exercise with a straight bar increases the load on the wrist, so it is more convenient and anatomically correct to perform with a Z-bar.

Sitting on the bench, we bring the barbell above us, take it a little narrower than shoulder level, and fix it. Slightly move the bar away from the vertical, this will increase the impact at the top of the movement. On inspiration - we bend and lower the barbell above us, on exhalation - perform extension, return to its original position. Pay close attention to technique so as not to shift the load to other muscles. We hold the forearms straight, not pushing forward, not pulling back behind the head. The shoulders are motionless, while inhaling - smoothly down, while exhaling - up.

The amplitude is maximum, without stopping the movement at two extreme points.

With a wide setting on the neck, as well as with a reverse grip, the load is more distributed to the back head of the triceps. If you can’t use a barbell, take dumbbells, this option allows you to control the work and evenly distribute the load on all muscle heads.

In the simulator

Can be done in a trainer. We adjust the height of the seat and back of the simulator. The rotator is set at the level elbow joint. With the help of manual feed, we raise the handle, fix the position of the elbows. Squeeze on the inhale, on the exhale - lower. The number of repetitions is calculated individually.

Due to the comfortable anatomically accurate location of the simulator nodes, bench presses with weights are replaced.

What muscles work

In this exercise - the French bench press - the work of all the heads of the triceps is involved. For example, the inner part, which is the least susceptible static load when performing other complexes. By pumping the biceps, the triceps remain unused enough to stimulate growth. Therefore, the French bench press is an ideal option for working out the outer, inner head of the triceps and lateral.

Nuances

Stimulation of triceps growth is achieved through a correctly performed technique of bending the arms behind the head. Unlike biceps, it is difficult to train and requires hard work to achieve results. And, importantly, the volume is given by the triceps.

Important execution points:

The performed exercise with two hands allows you to better control the technique;
during execution with a raised weight above your head, do not spread your elbows to the sides, fix it straight, together;
do not take your elbows back or forward when fixing at the extreme point;
We bend on inspiration, on exhalation - return to its original state;
the amplitude is maximum, not allowing relaxation at the extreme points;
When performed half-sitting, on a bench with the back down, the muscles are best stretched.

Important mistakes - a change in the position of the shoulder, a violation of the amplitude of movement, back deflection, spreading of the elbows - will lead to an incomplete load on the area being worked out, to possible injury. This is a extensor muscle, the humerus should stand still. When working with a dumbbell, the main execution error is a sharp lowering of it behind the head, which leads to an injury to the elbow and head. Any weight that we take, we inhale down, slowly.

Tip: “For triceps, do two to three times more reps than for biceps. Because it is he who gives volume to the hands. Big Rob.

Conclusion

To form the shape of the arm - first of all, you need to work on the triceps, a dead shoulder is a working forearm. Compared to the chest, the back is a small muscle, so you need to work out two workouts a week, one for strength, the other for light weight. change depending on the individual lagging muscle groups. We are individual, so you should not take common programs that are common to everyone.

For optimal pumping, we do push-ups from the floor with a narrow arm position, so that it is difficult to do 8-10 times, by this we increase the effectiveness of the next complex - the seated press.

Big hands are the goal of any man. But for them to be really big, you need to try. Usually beginners pay a lot of attention to the biceps and much less to the triceps. This is the wrong approach, because the triceps takes on more than 60% of the volume of the arm. In addition, even a very pumped up biceps will not stand out if it is not “supported” by the triceps. So let's develop harmoniously and work out all the muscles! Today we will talk about the most common and effective

general characteristics

An exercise like French with dumbbells allows you to qualitatively work out all three heads of the triceps. Only one joint (elbow) and a minimum number of auxiliary muscles are involved in the movement, so the exercise is insulating. It is useful and effective for athletes of any level, but especially for beginners. If you are a beginner and want to feel the work of the extensor of the arm, then choose the French bench press with dumbbells.

The base for triceps is represented by such exercises as push-ups on the uneven bars and bench press with a narrow grip lying. These exercises involve several joints at once and a large number of different muscle fibers.

When to do the Dumbbell French Bench Press

Since the exercise is insulating, it must be performed either at the beginning of the lesson or at the end. It all depends on your training method. For example, if you are doing the pre-fatigue method, then you need to do this exercise before the basic ones. And if your workout goes according to the usual plan, then it is better to leave the French bench press with dumbbells for the end of the session, when the whole base is done.

Differences from the analogue with a barbell

Unlike a similar bench press with dumbbells, it is not so traumatic. Dumbbells allow you to increase the range of motion of the arms and make the exercise safer for the elbow joints. Additionally, to some extent, muscles are connected to the work. shoulder girdle and chest. But the main load falls on the long head of the extensor of the arms. Another plus of the dumbbell bench press is that there is no bar, which means that nothing will fall on your head.

But it won't be without its downsides. As with any exercise, working with dumbbells is harder than with a barbell of the same weight. The fact is that when working with dumbbells, you need to constantly monitor coordination and the correct amplitude of the hands. If you relax even a little, they will definitely be led to the side, and this can be extremely dangerous for the joints. In this case, the main task of the athlete during the exercise is to keep the elbows in one position, parallel to each other. This is difficult to do, especially when the muscles are already tired and the chest and shoulder are striving to work. But if you can do the movements as controlled as possible, then you will not only save the joints, but also work out the triceps perfectly.

1. So, for starters, prepare two dumbbells and put them near the bench. Sitting on the edge of the bench, take dumbbells and put them on your knees. Now you will be comfortable to lie down. Lie down on a flat bench and lift the dumbbells up. Hands should be shoulder-width apart and at right angles to the body. The palms are looking at each other. Remember this position, as it is the starting point.

2. With an inhalation, slowly lower the dumbbells to your head until they Bottom part will not be approximately at the same level with the ears. When lowering, the elbows and shoulders should be motionless. Only the elbow joints and forearm work.

3. Having lingered literally for a fraction of a second at the bottom, as you exhale, make a smooth rise of the dumbbells to the starting position. The arms should be extended to the end so that the triceps are reduced as much as possible.

4. It remains only to do the exercise 8-12 times. So that at the end of the approach the extensor of the arm is well tired, you need to correctly select the weight of the dumbbells. Do not be lazy to spend a couple of approaches on this.

Notes

1. A little more about weight. Do not try to take too heavy shells. With the right technique, less weight will be enough. And too much weight can lead to unpleasant consequences - sprains and tendons and injuries.

2. If you have problems with the elbow joint, it is better to replace the French bench press with dumbbells with another exercise where the load on the elbows is not so big. This can be a basic exercise, such as a bench press with a narrow grip.

3. If you find it difficult to follow both hands, you can perform the movement alternately. Another option that will help to cope with hands that strive to go to the side is to use one dumbbell. In this case, the dumbbell should be heavier than for one hand. It is worth taking it in the way shown in the photo.

4. If you want the triceps to contract even more efficiently, it's not a question. Just turn the brushes outward at the top point so that the palms look forward. Then return the brushes to their original position and continue the movement.

5. Top priority is close control of the elbows and shoulders. Only the elbow joint works!

6. It is important to monitor the range of motion and ensure that the muscle contracts well at the top and stretches at the bottom.

7. To slightly increase the range of motion and help the triceps stretch well in the lower position, you can tilt your arms slightly towards your head.

8. To protect yourself from falling dumbbells, you can use straps. This measure will also help unload the muscles of the forearm, which are responsible for and after a good workout constantly remind of themselves, distracting from the target muscles.

home workout

If you work out at home and don't have a bench, don't worry. This exercise can also be done on the floor. Moreover, the French bench press on the floor with dumbbells is no less effective than on the bench.

In addition to the French press, you can do a regular triceps press. It differs only in the position of the forearm - turned perpendicular to the body. This exercise is done for each hand separately and allows you to achieve good amplitude even on the floor.

Conclusion

Today we figured out how to work out with the help of the French bench press. Do not neglect the triceps, because in our body all the muscles are important, and even the most beautiful biceps without triceps will not look good! French bench press with dumbbells for girls is as relevant as for men. Technologically, it is no different. Only girls usually do it not for pumping triceps. And just to raise your hands.

And finally, it is worth reminding once again that safety is above all, and health is much more important than beauty!

Athletes use the French bench press to work out the back head of the triceps. During the exercise, the following types of muscles work:

medial head of the triceps - responsible for the bend of the elbow joint;
lateral lateral head - helps the medial head during extension in the elbow joint;
long back head - responsible for extension at the elbow, not allowing the joint to go beyond the head.

In addition to the main muscles, auxiliary muscles work during the bench press. These include the elbow - is responsible for the extension of the arm, protects the elbow joint from injury. More details about the exercise will tell the traditional method of its implementation.

How to do a seated french press?

To perform the exercise correctly, you will need to use a special bench. It will need to be located at the block device, and then equipped with a handle with a cable passing through the lower block. Take a sitting position on the bench, ask the assistant to give the handle, then take it in your hands, firmly crash your feet into the floor, raise your hands behind your head with your palms up with a wide grip. Fix the body in this position, bend slightly in the lower back - this will be the starting position.
Inhale deeply, straighten your elbows and squeeze the handle so that your hands are above your head, continuing the line of the body. It is not allowed to bend your elbows! At the top point, exhale, tighten the triceps. Slowly lower your arms and return to the starting position.

During the bench press, do not tilt your back! Only small deflections in the lower back are allowed, the muscles of which will play the role of stabilizers to maintain balance. Make sure that the muscles are as tense as possible, as in this case you can reduce the risk of injury!

In order to achieve maximum contraction of the elbow muscle and the long head of the triceps, it is important to straighten your arms at the top point to failure. And in order to block the shift of the load from the main muscles to the rest, watch the position of the upper arm in the process - it must be in a vertical fixed position!

The correct position of the chin will help you to maintain the correct posture during the exercise - it should look forward and in no case fall! invert Special attention worth the weight of the projectile. Try to focus not on maximum weights, but on the correct execution technique!

If doing the French press in a seated position is problematic, you can replace the exercise with an alternative bench press in a standing position, when you can achieve optimal balance through proper footwork.
French bench press in a sitting position can be performed by both experienced and novice athletes, after watching the thematic video and studying the instructions.

Features of the French bench press with an EZ bar

The seated EZ-bar French press allows you to pump the back head of the triceps, at least the lower part of it. To perform the French bench press with an EZ bar, you need to do the following:

Prepare a vertical back with a platform. Get into a sitting position and place your feet firmly on the floor. Pay attention to the position of the back - it should be clearly pressed against the back, while a slight deflection is acceptable in the lower back.
Grip the EZ bar with a close grip.
Raise the projectile so that it is above the crown of the head. Keep an eye on each arm and body - they must remain perfectly even, only in this case, the EZ-bar seated French press can be considered correctly performed.
Inhale, hold your breath, bend your arms slightly and gently lower the projectile behind your head. At the same time, try to ensure that both the body and top part hands did not move.
Lower the EZ bar behind your head until your triceps feel like strings are under tension. At the peak point, tighten your muscles and squeeze the bar back to its original position.
Exhale only after passing the most difficult stage.
In the upper current, do not forget to make a short pause and strain your muscles as much as possible.

In order to prevent rounding of the spine, initially bend a little in the lower back, straining the muscles of the lumbar girdle. The elbows should not move in the process, as should the torso, shoulders, and legs. All you have to do is bend and unbend your elbows.

If we compare the EZ bar with a regular straight bar, then it can be noted that using it during the bench press is justified in every sense. It is due to it that you can reduce the load on the elbows. But it is better to refuse a heavy barbell, since such a projectile can cause a curvature of the spine.

Don't do the EZ Bar Seated French Press if you don't already have strong and flexible deltoid joints. If you can't keep the EZ bar straight while sitting, try standing up, using your core and legs. More information about the technique of performing the bench press can be found in the video on the site.

Features of the french bench press with dumbbells

For correct execution french bench press with dumbbells with one or two hands will also require a bench. Consider the option with two hands. Take the projectile on the back of the palms and lift it above your head so that your palms look at the ceiling. Hold the projectile firmly in your hand.

As you exhale, gently bend your arms from the dumbbell so that it goes behind your head, and your forearms are in contact with your biceps. In the process of lowering the dumbbell, it is important not to allow the shoulders to move. Only the forearms can move at this moment. At the moment of lowering the dumbbells behind the head, the triceps are maximally stretched. You can always visually see how the dumbbell bench press is performed while sitting on the video site.

What needs to be remembered?

Exhaling, raise your arms to their original position, connecting only triceps to work! You can perform a dumbbell press with one hand, alternating right with left. It is extremely important not to break the execution technique!

In the process of doing the dumbbell press, use the safest grip - hold the projectile with both hands. Bend your arms as you inhale, lift up as you exhale. Avoid jerking: too sudden movements can cause injury. Do dumbbell presses 8-10 times in 3-4 sets. You can do the bench press with one hand, but it is more difficult and more traumatic, especially for beginners!

Throughout the process of doing the exercise with dumbbells with both one hand and two, mute bend in the lower back, keep the abdominal and back muscles in tension. Be careful when straightening your arms so as not to get injured!

Do not forget about the correct weight of the dumbbells. Start with small weights, working out the technical side of the bench, and then gradually increase them. Remember that the main thing during the bench press, both with dumbbells and with a barbell, is correct technique and security.

There are no big hands. In this article, we will look at a great exercise for triceps - standing French press with a barbell.

What is this exercise for?

Of course, the base is the main tool for building muscle mass and volume. The bench press, and many other exercises, can stimulate the release of the necessary hormones for the synthesis of new protein structures.

Standing can also be increased muscle mass, so by doing this exercise, you will work with free weights. Athletes have long noticed that when more muscles are involved in the movement, then the return of the body will be much higher.

Work with free weights is used just for this, since, in addition to the main muscle groups, it also involves most of the additional ones responsible for the balance and stabilization of the body in relation to space.

That's why you should not forget to include in your training program french bench press with dumbbells standing or from a barbell.

What must be done before doing the exercise?

The main mistake that young athletes make is a bad warm-up. Everyone is eager to go into battle for big weights. At this point, they think that the body will warm up on its own in the process of training.

Keep in mind that when doing the French bench press, you must first warm up and warm up well. Indeed, after lifting the barbell or dumbbells from the racks, the load falls on the spine, and it is quite large.

If you have not stretched your lower back or longitudinal muscles of the back well enough, then your body may not be ready for such loads. This threatens to pinch the nerve or protrude the vertebrae (especially if the working weight is more than 40-50 kg).

Further, when you start the flexion and extension of the arms, the weight of the barbell, the force of gravity, as well as friction, has a devastating effect on the joints if the movements are not performed correctly. It often happens when an athlete is just starting to pump triceps with a standing French press, he feels pain in both elbow joints.

The exercise must be stopped immediately. Call the coach, let him look after your technique. If it's wrong, he will correct you. In the case when the technique is correct, but it still hurts to perform, this method of pumping up triceps should be abandoned.

Either the exercise simply does not suit you according to anatomical features, or you have already managed to harm the elbow joints. In the second case, it is necessary to consult a sports doctor for advice on the treatment and prevention of such pain. And until full treatment and rehabilitation, you should not even try to train your hands with a standing French press.

Why do this exercise correctly?

If you grossly violate the execution technique described below, then you can cause irreparable harm to your elbow joints, as well as your shoulders, which are also well included in the work.

In order for the exercise to benefit you, and not harm you, do not use too much, heavy weight. After all, if the weight is too large, then your hands may lean back unnaturally or the bar may fall on your head. And then no rehabilitation will help.

Correct technique

Consider how to properly perform a French bench press with dumbbells while standing. There are two options for performing - with one or with two dumbbells. Undoubtedly, in training, you should try doing the French bench press in both options and choose the one that suits you best.

Be sure to pay attention to the position of the elbows while performing hand movements. Elbows should not move left-right or forward-backward.

Doing a standing french press

In order to properly perform the French press from behind your head, take one dumbbell in your hand, put it on your shoulder. Lower the projectile so that it seems to be standing on your shoulder, hold it with both hands. Now you need to bring the dumbbell to its original position: grab your thumbs with your left and right hand dumbbell handle and lift the projectile over your head. This will be the starting position.

Try to stand in such a way that you feel confident about your balance. Press your elbows as close to your ears as possible. Now, while inhaling, we lower the dumbbell behind the head to such a position that the angle of flexion in the elbow joint is close to 90 degrees.

After you lower your hands as low as possible and every centimeter further brings you discomfort, start exhaling slowly to raise the projectile, returning it to its original position.

If you want to perform this exercise alternately with both hands, then you should take a light dumbbell weighing 10-12 kg. In the process, hold the shoulder or elbow that is involved in the movement with your free hand. This will increase the control of the movement, which will improve the execution technique.

You can do the same with a barbell. Many people prefer to use a curved neck, but you should not be guided by this. Do it the way you feel most comfortable.

The fact is that the French bench press is exactly the exercise that allows you to maximize the use of the long head of the triceps. Namely, this part of the muscle, which, let me remind you, occupies 70% of a person’s arm, is almost always lagging behind, and limits our progress in other fundamental exercises for a bodybuilder.

The lagging triceps limits the growth of the chest, deltas and biceps. Therefore, in order to have a harmoniously developed triceps, and indeed, a large and embossed arm, the French press must be included in your training scheme without fail. Believe me, you won't regret it.

Standing barbell and dumbbells

This is the base variation. this exercise, which many athletes adhere to.

A few technical points: do not spread your elbows during the movement, otherwise the triceps will turn off from work, and also try to start moving up only when your forearms touch the biceps.

It is worth noting that from a technical point of view, all variations of the exercise are quite easy. As for me, firstly, performing a movement with a barbell prevents the development of imbalance, and secondly, performing a standing movement reduces its risk of injury. However, more on that later.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Option

The standing dumbbell french press is an exercise that can both develop imbalance and eliminate it. Another advantage of this variation of the "Frenchman" is that it is great for beginners, as well as people who are lagging behind the triceps.

For example, for many, it is this muscle that lags behind. And 20 kilograms in the French press, while maintaining the correct technique in the required number of approaches and repetitions, is an unbearable burden for them. Dumbbells are the best solution and you need to use them until you can press at least an empty neck. By the way, I recommend reading.

Having prepared for the bench press with dumbbells, you can immediately break through the stagnation in the bench press. With the development of triceps, the results in other “triceps-containing” movements will also go up. And all thanks to the fact that initial stage you took dumbbells in your hands.

Bench press

The French bench press is the most common variation of this movement. It is difficult to say why the lying variation has gained such popularity, perhaps because it is easier to perform the exercise lying down.

The French press is a great isolation exercise for the triceps. And I would like to focus special attention on the word "isolating". The fact is that while performing this movement while standing, we have the opportunity to cheat, helping our triceps to do the necessary work.

This can become an advantage when an athlete understands that he comes to the gym to pump muscles, and not self-esteem. It’s also a disadvantage if an athlete hangs an unbearable weight on the bar and tries with all his might to squeeze heavy barbell. This can lead to injury to the elbow joint, which is one of the most fragile joints in our body.

rare variant

The least common variation of this exercise is to perform it with dumbbells lying down. Again, variation is effective either when you can't do the exercise technically right with the barbell, or when you're correcting the imbalance.

However, this is one of the best exercises for triceps, so I won’t convince fans of this particular variation in the need to get up from the bench and pick up a barbell. Also pay attention to, which also works well on triceps.

When to perform?

At the end of the workout. And this is very important! As we noted above, the exercise is quite traumatic.

Watching fans who have learned that for better biceps growth you also need to pump triceps, you want to climb into the coffin and close the lid behind you. Bouncing along with a barbell with which they cannot sit down, young men whose joints, it would seem, are about to crack, like a loser turnstile who decided to twist the “sun”, cause extreme concern among those who are directly related to the iron sports.

Load progression

Load progression is a principle without which your triceps will not grow even if you use all of the above variations of this movement.

But we will deliberately focus on the progression of loads in this movement, since it is somewhat different from the progression scheme in other exercises. You need to be extremely careful with the new kilograms on the bar. It is desirable to completely reduce the steps of progress to 1–2.5 kilograms.

At the same time, it is better to perform the exercise in a multi-set mode (5–7 sets) in a high number of repetitions (12–30 repetitions is the norm for a French bench press).

So, we get to 20 repetitions in 7 sets and add extra pounds- two, after which we reach the same marks and again add kilograms to the bar.

Benefits of exercise

French bench press - most effective exercise for triceps growth. Bench presses, dips, and other movements that involve triceps are less effective than French bench presses.

And given the fact that the “Frenchman” is an isolating exercise, you have the opportunity to tighten the triceps separately from the chest and deltas. What is most interesting, the growth of triceps is noticeable after the first training. This is especially true for those who put a lot of emphasis on basic work without using isolating exercises.

First, you will see the result in the mirror and on the centimeter. Secondly, the result will manifest itself in the form of improved results in basic exercises such as the classic bench press. And this is a reason to think for those who do not have a relationship with the progression of loads in the classic bench press. Perhaps the problem is in the triceps, which needs to be tightened.

If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments. And also I will be grateful for the pressed social buttons. See you soon!

Sincerely, Vladimir Manerov