equipment

Dumbbell, Bench

sets

3

reps

10-15

rest

60-90 sec

1. Set a bench to an incline of roughly 30 to 45 degrees.
2. Lie face down with your chest against the pad.
3. Plant your feet on the floor or the bench footrest for stability.
4. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging straight down.
5. Let your shoulder blades reach forward slightly at the start.

1. Pull both dumbbells up toward your hips, leading with your elbows.
2. Keep your upper arms fairly close to your sides.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top.
4. Lower the dumbbells under control until your arms are fully extended.
5. Keep your chest in contact with the pad for every repetition.

Exhale as you pull the dumbbells up, inhale as you lower them.

• Keep your chest on the pad — that is the point of the variation.
• Lead with the elbows rather than the hands.
• Let the shoulder blades move fully at both ends.
• Keep your neck neutral rather than looking up.
• Use a controlled tempo instead of heaving the weight.

• Lifting the chest off the pad to move heavier dumbbells.
• Shrugging the shoulders up during the pull.
• Cutting the bottom of the range short.
• Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides.
• Craning the head up to look forward.

From arms hanging fully extended with the shoulder blades reaching forward to the dumbbells at hip level with the blades squeezed together.