French press with a dumbbell while standing and sitting. French press with dumbbells standing: features and effectiveness of the exercise. What are the benefits of performing the French variation while standing?

It is best performed with a dumbbell, since a dumbbell will best load the triceps, and the exercise can be performed with both two and one hands. By performing a French press while seated with one arm, you will be able to work your muscles much more intensely, since it will be easier for you to mentally concentrate on the work of the muscles and it will be more convenient for you to lower the dumbbell down, which will also allow you to stretch your triceps.

If you prefer to perform exercises with a barbell, then you should prefer the standing technique of performing this exercise, since the body position will not be so constrained, which will allow you to better control your elbows. It is the lower neuroconnectivity that forces you to perform the French press while sitting at a slow pace, which, of course, is good for pumping up the triceps, but, in this case, we are talking exclusively about building its quality, not mass.

Work of muscles and joints

The position created by the seated French press allows you to work out the inner triceps bundle in the most accentuated manner, which is very important in bodybuilding, since this bundle is the shortest and weakest, which, accordingly, forces you to put in more effort to ensure its hypertrophy. It is also important that the athlete manages to stretch the triceps by lowering the dumbbell lower than usual, especially when the exercise is performed with one hand.

This technique of performing a seated French press allows you to work the triceps at the lowest point, which is the least traumatic and harmful to the elbow joint. Therefore, this exercise is also used as a warm-up before close-grip bench press, but perform the exercise in only one approach, doing 30-35 repetitions. By the way, such preliminary fatigue of the triceps allows you to pump it up much better, since the “failure” of the triceps occurs faster than the failure of all other muscle groups.

Seated French press - diagram

1) Adjust the bench so that the back is slightly tilted back, you can also raise the seat, but the most important thing is to put a tray under your feet that you can rest on.
2) Sit down, placing the dumbbell on your leg, and then lift it onto your shoulder, then straighten your arms to the starting position with it, or ask your partner to give you the dumbbell.
3) Slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head without changing the position of your elbow.
4) Feeling the dumbbell spring at the bottom point, return it to its original position with a powerful push.

Seated French Press – Notes

1) You should always keep your head level, otherwise you may interfere with blood circulation in the neck, which will cause dizziness.
2) The elbow should not be fully extended, which will remove the load from the elbow joint, although it will not allow the triceps to reach its peak contraction.
3) The hand should be fixed and not dangled; it also touches the elbow joint and shoulder girdle.
4) The exercise should be performed in the range of 12-15 repetitions, which will help you better focus on technique, provide sufficient time for the muscles under load and reduce the likelihood of injury.

Anatomy

Since the triceps is the triceps muscle of the arm, then, accordingly, to pump up the triceps you should put more effort than when training the biceps. The seated French press allows you to pump up the weakest triceps bundle, for which, of course, you should put in the most effort, since in all exercises the stronger bundles will “steal” the load. That is why there is no point in trying to take a larger dumbbell, neglecting it, since in this case the entire load on the internal triceps bundle will simply be “stolen” by its stronger bundles.

On the other hand, the seated French press is safer for the joints, since it is performed with a dumbbell, which does not allow the use of as much weight as when performing the exercise while standing, and, in addition, due to the fact that the dumbbell is lowered deeper than the barbell, the athlete time works in the lower phase of the movement, which also has a beneficial effect on the elbows, since the load is always accumulated in the muscles and not in the joints.

The standing French press is a very effective exercise in terms of human anatomy. It isolates the target muscle group, which allows you to more effectively work out the lagging triceps bundles, namely the internal bundle.

Elaboration:

Targeted – all three (lateral, medial, long) heads of the triceps

Synergists - no

Stabilizers – anterior deltoid, pectoralis major (clavicular head), wrist flexors

Advantages:

Complete isolation of the triceps and impact on all three heads at once

Greater range of motion compared to the classic bench press, better stimulation of the triceps

Improving results in other pressing exercises

Greater stability of the shoulder and elbow joints

General development of triceps strength and mass

Visible detail of the triceps brachii muscle

Elimination of asymmetry in the development of triceps muscles

Technique:

1. Grab a barbell (straight or EZ bar) with a close grip and lift it overhead until your arms are fully extended. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and point your elbows slightly inward

2. As you inhale, begin to bend your elbows, keeping them close to your head. Lower the barbell in an arc behind you until your elbows are perpendicular to the floor and your forearms touch your biceps. Using your triceps, return the bar to its original position and exhale. Repeat a specified number of times

Alternative exercises:

In addition to the classic version, there are also alternative exercises:

French press with EZ bar while sitting on a bench

French press sitting on a bench with a dumbbell behind your head

French press sitting from the lower block of the simulator

At the bottom point, hold for 1-2 seconds

Do not spread your elbows too far to the sides

Don't use heavy weights

Lower the barbell down slowly and under control

Look ahead

Which is better, dumbbell or barbell?

A dumbbell behind your head allows you to use more load, and, as a result, load your triceps more. Dumbbells place less stress on your joints. It is not particularly convenient to hold the barbell above your head - the heavy weight pulls you back.

As for the classic French press and standing press, it is better to alternate these exercises with each other for a deeper study of the different heads of the triceps.

Standing French press technique, video:

To keep your triceps in great shape, you need to train them. One of the most effective exercises will help you with this - the French bench press, as well as options for performing this exercise while sitting and standing.

The secret of powerful hands

When newbies join the gym, the first thing many people want to do is build up their biceps. They do not know that most of the volume of the arms is formed by the muscle that straightens the arm - the triceps. It is located on the back of the hand.

But the biceps are a different story - if you focus only on it, your arms will be thin, and your physical achievements will be reduced to nothing - the thickness of your arms will not increase much. One round bicep does not matter when the arm behind is flat and thin, without any hint of relief.

So let's pump up our triceps! To do this, let's get acquainted with such an exercise as the French bench press. There are a lot of variations in execution - it would be correct to do it with one hand, or with two, and with dumbbells, and with an EZ bar.

The technique is approximately the same, except for the starting positions. There is a seated French press, a standing French press and a lying French press. Sometimes it is called lying barbell lift, seated barbell lift, but this is incorrect. If we are talking about dumbbells, then the exercise is called a dumbbell row from behind the head, or a dumbbell press from behind the head.

Let's look in order at how certain versions of the French press are made.

French presses from different positions

Bench press

The French bench press is performed using the following technique:

1. We are looking for a horizontal bench. A slanted one will also work if you straighten it completely. It is advisable to place a towel or T-shirt under your head.
2. It is more convenient to take an EZ bar. It has a special curved shape that allows you to rotate your arms in a certain way, pumping either the outer or inner parts of the triceps. Most often, the bar is grabbed with a narrow grip.
3. We put the bar on our knees, lie down and take it behind our head.
4. Slightly bent arms at the elbows go behind the head so that the elbows are at forehead level. This is the starting position for this exercise.
5. Let's clarify the grip: hands are located on the sides of the central loop of the EZ bar, with palms facing away from you (direct grip).
6. We bend our arms so that the bar is near the top of the head (almost touching).
7. We slowly extend our arms, but do not straighten them completely; it is not recommended to “snap” the elbow joints.
8. We do 10 warm-up repetitions. Then we lower the barbell onto our belt, sit down and put it on the floor. If you have a partner, they can help you grab the barbell and lower it to the floor.

Exercise technique (GIF).

The French bench press with dumbbells is done in exactly the same way, only the arms are turned a little differently: you grab the handles of the dumbbells so that they are parallel to each other.

Important technical nuances:

• You should try to move your elbows as close as possible. When they spread to the sides, the load moves from the rear triceps to the lateral, or generally to the latissimus dorsi muscles.
• If your wrists hurt (this may be because they bend significantly during the French press), you need to wear wristbands or wrap your wrists in bandages.

The French bench press with dumbbells makes sense to do when all the bars are occupied.

Seated press

The seated French press is performed on an incline bench, the back of which is set at a right angle.

To do the exercise correctly, it is best to take dumbbells.

The difficulty of performing with the bar is the awkward position of the hands. When doing a seated French press with a barbell, it is difficult to get your arms in such a position that your shoulders are perpendicular to the floor. Usually they are slightly tipped forward, and the exercise begins to resemble a seated barbell press.

If you decide to use a straight or EZ bar, it is better to do it lying down; if you do it while sitting, take dumbbells.

Option with two dumbbells

1. Take 2 dumbbells, rotate them so that the weights are in front and behind, your hands should be oriented with your palms facing each other.
2. Raise your arms with dumbbells slightly bent at the elbows above your head. Try to set the angle of your shoulder to the floor at 90 degrees.
3. Bend your elbows so that your shoulder does not move to the sides. Move the dumbbells behind your head to an acute angle at the elbow.
4. Lift the weight back to the original position.

Do 10 warm-up reps with a light weight, then pick up a work rep and perform 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. Make sure that your elbows do not move out to the sides.

If you rotate your arms differently, the dumbbell plates will prevent you from lowering the weights to a sufficient angle behind your head. Therefore, the hands are oriented exactly as noted above.

Option with one dumbbell

With one dumbbell you should do a French press while standing or sitting on a bench.

The technique is like this:

1. Take the dumbbell in your right hand. We bring it up, the shoulder is strictly perpendicular to the floor.
2. We turn the arm so that when bending the dumbbell goes towards the head, and not strictly back.
3. We support our right hand with our left hand so that it does not move to the sides during the exercise.
4. We do 10 warm-up repetitions for each arm, take the working weight and perform 3 sets of 10 times until failure.

The weights here are light, but since this exercise is the last one on triceps day, you will have little strength. We do it through the burning sensation, through fatigue. If necessary, reduce the weight each approach, or ask a partner to help you return the dumbbell to the starting position above your head.

Another way to work with one dumbbell, but with two hands:

1. The exercise will resemble a seated pullover. We grasp the dumbbell with both hands by the plate, passing it between the index and thumb of each hand.
2. We lift the dumbbell over our heads, trying to keep our elbows closer to our ears and not turn them outward.
3. Bend your arms, lowering the dumbbell behind your head. We raise. Do this 10 times to warm up if you haven’t warmed up yet. With the working weight you need to do 10 repetitions in 3 approaches.

You can do a French press with dumbbells while standing.

Standing press technique

The standing French press can also be performed with a barbell or dumbbells, but the latter option is more convenient. Since the technique with dumbbells was discussed in the previous case, here we will analyze the barbell.

The technique is as follows:

1. Grab a barbell and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Straighten your shoulders, move your pelvis back.
3. Look forward, do not tilt your head!
4. Raise the barbell so that your elbows point up and your shoulder forms a right angle with the floor.
5. Elbows do not need to be spread apart or brought together. They must be parallel to each other.
6. You shouldn't straighten your arms completely either. Lower the weight behind your head as far as possible. Bring it back.
7. If you haven't warmed up, do 10 reps with an empty bar (for girls) or a light weight. Next, set the working weight and perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

The standing French press is not the most common variation of this exercise. It is inconvenient because the spine receives extra load. It should be done when there is little space in the gym or all the benches are occupied.

Which option to do and when?

The French press on an incline bench (back at an angle of 90 degrees), standing or lying down is done after basic exercises, for example, after the bench press or parallel bars. Finally, you should perform an overhead extension with a dumbbell.

At the end of the workout, you should feel like your triceps can no longer squeeze anything. If so, the training went correctly and successfully!

Mistakes and how to avoid them

Breath

The breathing technique is the same in all exercises. For some reason, some athletes get confused when to inhale and when to exhale. Apparently, the fact that different exercises are performed differently misleads them. It's actually simple.

When you lift, push, press, you exhale through your mouth. This is the effort at which exhalation is made.

When you return the weight back, that is, in those moments when maximum effort is not required from your muscles, inhale air through your nose. It's simple!

Elbow position

Elbows placed to the side make it easier to perform. To get the most out of the exercise, keep your elbows close to each other (tuck them toward your head).

Wrong sequence of exercises

Both the standing and seated French press are very similar. There is no point in exhausting yourself on one exercise and then trying another.

If you decide to do both exercises in one workout, distribute the load so that you have enough for both exercises. For example, 2 sets of bench press and 3 sets of extension, or vice versa.

Sore joints

The exercise is considered dangerous for the elbows. This is true. If you have vulnerable elbows, we recommend using medium-hard elbow braces (purchased at orthopedic stores) or elastic bandages.

The correct technique is described in detail, the exercise is described, important features of execution + a training video from specialists.

Description of the exercise

In this position, it is not entirely convenient to perform a French press, since the elbows always want to go back, so do not abuse it in a sitting or standing position. Do not forget that the load falls on the elbow joints in a point manner and, if performed frequently, can lead to microtraumas and tendon sprains. Try your best to keep your elbows completely vertical, without leaning forward or backward.

Muscles trained

The main load goes on, additional on the elbow area and the anterior bundle.

Execution Features

1) It is better to perform the exercise with a curved barbell, since with a straight barbell the forearm takes an unusual position and the exercise is more difficult.

2) An excellent option would be to perform while standing using an upper block on a crossover and on a lower block if sitting on a gymnastic bench.

3) For greater stretching of the triceps, perform a French press while sitting at an angle of 60-70 degrees, this will greatly stretch the triceps, which will allow them to contract more effectively when lifting the barbell.

4) If you can’t master the technique with a barbell, try using a plate or a kettlebell.

5) It is much more convenient when the palms are facing each other, this allows you to better perform the technique and feel the triceps well, without discomfort in the forearms, but for this you need to use dumbbells. In other words, perform the exercise with a neutral grip, making sure that during the exercise the dumbbells do not touch each other. When you have completed the planned number of sets and repetitions, take heavier dumbbells, clasp them above you and do a dumbbell French press, thus finishing off tired triceps. An example of the movement technique in video No. 3.

The triceps, otherwise known as the triceps brachii muscle, plays a flexion-extension role. It is thanks to the triceps that the size of the arm is formed. The triceps is little involved in work in everyday life, even with increased physical activity, but it makes up the majority of the arm's volume. To develop it, special work is required on this particular muscle. The best isolation exercise for this is the French press. It is called an isolating exercise because the load falls on one muscle, while the rest are isolated from work.

Building your triceps is important if you want powerful, beautiful arms. Biceps alone are not enough.

• barbell,
• dumbbells
• EZ-neck
• other weighting options

The technique is the same

The option with a barbell will allow you to feel and work all the tendons and ligaments of the triceps muscle. The French press with dumbbells does not provide maximum load and is performed with a neutral grip, physiological for a person and does not load the hands.

The dumbbell exercise can also be called a dumbbell overhead row or dumbbell overhead press.

The French press with dumbbells is a specific exercise, you need to be very careful to ensure that the technique for performing it is followed: Only the forearms move, bending at the elbow, the rest of the body remains static.

The French bench press with dumbbells is preferable for athletes during the period of mass building. With this option, the achievements of the power period are preserved. Athletes whose triceps are short and attached above the elbow prefer a horizontal position to perform the exercise. It allows you to work your triceps in maximum isolation. In this case, the elbow is in an unnatural position and takes on a strong load. This is suitable for those who are already lifting heavy weights.

Muscles involved

When performing the exercise while lying down, the force of inertia is eliminated; all heads of the triceps muscle are involved in the work. However, the short head has a smaller load share compared to others. The work of the triceps is isolated, only the elbow joint is involved, the rest remain motionless. The effect of the exercise is to increase the volume of the arm by increasing the lateral and long heads. The components of the triceps: lateral, long and medial heads are shown in the figure below.

Execution technique

1. The bench press should be performed lying horizontally on a bench (you can straighten the inclined bench) or on the floor.
2. We put the dumbbells on our knees, lie down and lift the dumbbells above us. Make sure you use a weight that is acceptable for you (with which you can do 10-12 sets). If you have a partner, he can pass the dumbbells when you are already lying down. The dumbbells must be served one at a time.
3. The starting position assumes that the elbows are not vertical, but slightly tilted towards the head, which ensures maximum tension on the triceps.
4. When lowering, the dumbbells are located near the shoulder joints on both sides of the head, closer to the ears. We lower it while inhaling.
5. The elbows are fixed during the entire exercise and do not move to the sides or back and forth. Move them closer.
6. When lifting, we exhale, the elbow joint straightens completely, but control the sensations in the joints: if you feel clicks or discomfort in the elbow, do not straighten your arms to the end, inform the trainer or stop doing the exercise altogether.
7. At the top point, the distance between the dumbbells is about 20 centimeters. Keep your elbows in one static position and do not spread to the sides, your shoulders are parallel to each other, the position is maintained in a static position throughout the approach.
8. After completing 8-12 repetitions, we give the dumbbells from the top position to a partner or trainer, or we put them on our feet, sit down and lower them.

See the video for an example of execution.

Pushing and jerking while doing the bench press is unacceptable: this can have a negative impact on the joints. The movements are smooth, at the top and bottom points the position is held for a second for maximum contraction and tension of the muscle, respectively.

The French bench press with dumbbells, if the execution technique is followed, is more physiological and safer for the hands than the bench press with a barbell, where the bar requires a static position of the hands. However, the dumbbell version is heavier than the barbell version, so the weight used is 20% lighter. But there is no danger of hitting your forehead with the bar.

Of all the ways to perform the French press, which carries potential danger to the elbows, the prone position is the safest.

When performing the French press, due to its risk of injury, it is important that the joints are already well warmed up, so the optimal time for the exercise is after warming up and performing basic exercises.

For those who have long triceps and its attachment point is located below the elbow, it is recommended to perform a standing French press with dumbbells. Compared to a sitting position, this position makes it possible to get a greater effect due to the fact that the torso and legs form a straight line, but it creates a load on the spine, so lying or sitting is preferable.

Execution technique

The exercise is performed standing on a hard, non-slip surface with the spine perpendicular to the floor and arms raised above the head.

You should try to place the dumbbells behind your head as far as possible, feeling the maximum stretch in the triceps. The body can be moved forward slightly. The pace of the standing press is slow, the movements are smooth. As you inhale, place your arm or arms with a dumbbell behind your head, and as you exhale, fully straighten at the elbow, contracting. The entire structure formed by the body is motionless during the approach, with the exception of flexion and extension of the elbow.

This embodiment is discussed in the video

Those with long triceps choose a sitting position in order to attach the shoulder joint for a more natural work of the triceps muscle at its expense. Multi-joint exercises are more physiological for humans. The sitting position differs little from a completely upright position, except for the loss of some energy due to the bent legs. If the back is supported, its participation in the exercise is completely excluded, and the entire load belongs to the triceps.

Using a bench with an inclined back allows you to stretch the muscle as much as possible.

Execution technique

The position when performing the exercise is sitting on a bench with a short back (or without a back), the spine is vertical.

The body is fixed, the arms are raised, their shoulder parts are pressed to the ears. Only the forearm is involved in the movement.

Grasping the weight with your palms, move it to your chest and squeeze it above your head. As you inhale, lift your head behind your head, and as you exhale, straighten your arms at the elbows. Under its own weight, the weight is lowered as low as possible, stretching the muscle; when lifting, force is applied for the greatest load. The movements are smooth, jerking is dangerous for the elbows, and there is a great danger of hitting yourself in the neck with dumbbells.

Controlling weight and technique in a sitting position is easier. All attention belongs to the muscle being worked.

When performing the exercise with one hand, the concentration of attention on a specific muscle is greatest. At the same time, the free hand holds the working one, which prevents it from deviating and fixes it.

The amplitude of movement is maximum. When the dumbbells reach the lowest point, do not allow the triceps to relax.
​
Nuances:

• elbows should be fixed statically, shoulders should be vertical;
• Elbows should be kept as close as possible and not allowed to move apart;
• you need to bend and straighten your arms to the end, to their full amplitude;
• weight for beginners: girls – 4-5 kg, men – 9-10 kg;
• You can use both dumbbells and a barbell disc;
• the weight should be comfortable for ten repetitions.

Number of approaches and repetitions

The French press is usually done on back day after a compound triceps exercise (such as parallel bars or close-grip triceps bench press). Do 4-5 sets of 10-12 repetitions. You can “finish off” the triceps by doing it with one hand, not two.

Common mistakes: how to avoid them

The French press is considered a potentially dangerous exercise, as it places enormous stress on the elbow joint. When executing it, the following errors may occur.

• The case is not fixed- typical for beginners. If you sway during the exercise, the load is distributed on the back, and the triceps will receive a small part of it. The same thing will happen if you bend your back, change the position of your shoulder, or disrupt the range of motion.
• The weight is too heavy. In this way, you can get injured or, at best, sore throat, and not achieve the intended result - developed triceps. There is a great danger of not being able to cope with the weight and hitting yourself on the head, neck, or shoulders.
• Elbows spread to the sides. You need to carefully monitor the position of your elbows and focus only on flexion and extension movements.
• The pace of execution is fast or the movements are abrupt. These mistakes are fraught with injury, since the load on the elbows becomes dangerous.

For additional elbow protection, you can use medium-hard elbow braces (available at a sporting goods store or orthopedic store) or elastic bandages.