Half dumbbell bench press and half isometric dumbbell flye, the hex press is a singular high-tension chest-builder. The hex press is carried out on a flat bench with the dumbbells squeezed collectively all through the urgent movement. This function explains why one alternate title for this distinctive chest exercise is the “squeeze press.”
This train additionally goes by “Champagne press,” however the hex press isn’t only for particular events. Like Champagne, the hex press compliments absolutely anything — it’s nice for lifters coaching for a stronger press, a extra muscular chest, or more healthy shoulders.
Able to pop the cork on new chest positive factors? Discover every thing you should know beneath.
Hex Press
Hex Press Video Information
See the hex press in motion, demonstrated by creator Dr. Merrick Lincoln. Word the important thing methods, then take a look at the Step-by-Step breakdown with further kind suggestions.
The best way to Do the Hex Press Step By Step
It might seem like a close-grip dumbbell bench press however, whereas there are some similarities, there are essential variations that make the hex press stand out. Observe these steps for correct, environment friendly, and efficient method.
Step 1 — Set Up 5 Factors of Contact
Just like the bench press, the hex press is carried out on a flat bench. Maintain a dumbbell in every hand, arrange with 5 factors of contact for stability — the again of your head on the bench, your shoulder blades on the bench, your buttock on the bench, your proper foot touching the ground, and your left foot touching the ground. (1)
Kind Tip: Recruit a “spotter,” or particular person who can help you for those who run into hassle throughout the train. Any train involving weights passing over the physique requires a spotter. (1) A spotter is very necessary when studying an unfamiliar train. The spotter stands behind the bench and, if help is important, they are going to help by greedy your wrists to information the dumbbells. (1)
Step 2 — Set Your Shoulders and Squeeze the Dumbbells Collectively
Raise your chest towards the ceiling by arching your again and pulling your shoulder blades collectively. Preserve this place all through the train. With a impartial grip (palms going through one another), convey the dumbbells collectively simply above your sternum and squeeze them collectively onerous.
Kind Tip: If you happen to’re utilizing hexagonal-shaped dumbbells — the namesake tools for the hex press — guarantee flat surfaces of the dumbbells are aligned and squeezed collectively.
Step 3 — Preserve Strain, Press to Lockout
Provoke the press by flexing your shoulders and lengthening your elbows. Preserve the dumbbells squeezed collectively and elbows tucked all through the motion. Don’t lower inward stress as you attain the highest, locked out, place.
Kind Tip: Preserve rigidity. Along with the profound contraction you’ll really feel in your chest, it is best to really feel rigidity in your higher again and lats, which preserve your shoulder blades pulled collectively (retracted) and preserve your elbows tucked towards your sides.
Step 4 — Decrease with out Separating
Decrease to the middle of your chest utilizing the identical arm path because the upward motion section. Concentrate on retaining the dumbbells firmly squeezed collectively all through the reducing section, which can really feel barely unnatural at first, for the reason that reducing section of most workouts emphasizes a muscle stretch.
Kind Tip: Take into consideration “rowing” or actively pulling the dumbbells again your chest. “Rowing” the weights again to the beginning place reinforces rigidity in your higher again and eliminates the necessity to reset your arch earlier than the following repletion.
Hex Press Errors to Keep away from
Dodge these widespread errors for cleaner method and simpler hex presses.
Shedding The “Squeeze” Between Dumbbells
The stress exerted between the dumbbells is a part of the particular sauce that makes the hex press efficient — and additional spicy. It promotes muscular engagement in elements of the chest which may not in any other case be as energetic.
On the backside place of the train, the lifter’s elbows are bent, and shoulder inner rotation power is required to maintain the dumbbells collectively. Towards the highest place, arms are straighter, and shoulder horizontal adduction power is required to maintain the dumbbells collectively. Though it could get more durable to maintain the squeeze on the prime and backside of the motion, agency stress between the dumbbells have to be maintained all through.
Dropping Your Chest, Releasing Your Shoulder Blades, or Flaring Your Elbows
Lack of rigidity within the again permits the chest to drop, shoulder blades to unfold, and higher arms to float away from the lifter’s sides. These three errors are likely to happen collectively, they usually could make the hex press much less efficient.
If you happen to really feel any of those faults, reset by arching your backbone, retracting your shoulder blades (and pinning them to the bench), and tucking your elbows towards your ribcage. Now, preserve this rigidity and end.
Non-Perpendicular Strain Between Dumbbells
When squeezing the dumbbells collectively, it’s important to keep up opposing forces from the left and proper arm which might be horizontally aligned and practically equal in magnitude. In any other case, dumbbells might slip or roll aside, resulting in lack of rigidity, missed reps, or worse.
Get the texture of making the squeeze utilizing gentle dumbbells throughout your “work up” units and give attention to sustaining even, regular stress all through the exercise.
The best way to Progress the Hex Press
When first performing the hex press, begin with comparatively gentle dumbbells to hone method. When you’re snug with the train, a “working weight” 20 to 30% decrease than what you’d usually use for a conventional dumbbell bench press will possible be acceptable. From there, lifters have a number of nice choices for progressing the hex press.
Squeeze Tougher
The only approach to progress the hex press is to use extra inward stress to the dumbbells. Growing the “squeeze” makes the train harder and boosts the coaching stimulus skilled by the chest and shoulder muscle tissue.
Enhance Weight
Squeezing more durable throughout the hex press could make just about any weight more difficult, however this development methodology isn’t prone to stimulate triceps progress or carry over to heavy urgent as effectively as growing the burden.
When you’re capable of hit or surpass your repetition goal on the ultimate working set, it could be time to make use of heavier dumbbells. Ideally, leaping as much as the following pair of dumbbells on the rack will drop you again towards the underside of your goal repetition vary.
Enhance Repetition Quantity
As you get stronger with the hex press, take into account performing further repetitions per set. For instance, for those who usually carry out eight to 12 repetitions, and also you’re persistently hitting 12 reps with extra left within the tank, change your goal to 12 to 16 repetition units. Shifting the repetition vary upward helps to make sure difficult units and ongoing muscle acquire.
Advantages of the Hex Press
The hex press biases your chest whereas requiring solely gentle to average weights and minimal shoulder extension. Altogether, the hex press might present new chest progress and a extra shoulder-friendly urgent expertise.
Sturdy Chest Coaching
Carried out correctly, the hex press allows maximal or near-maximal chest contraction all through each repetition — a feat not potential throughout conventional presses. Right here’s why:
Conventional workouts are restricted by the quantity of resistance our muscle tissue can overcome throughout the sticking level, or probably the most difficult portion of the motion. For presses, the sticking level happens towards the start of the upward motion section. (2) In the course of the the rest of the motion, your muscle tissue aren’t maximally challenged. In the course of the hex press, you may guarantee your muscle tissue are adequately stimulated by squeezing the weights collectively as onerous as you want.
Not feeling adequately challenged? Merely squeeze the dumbbells collectively more durable to demand extra power from the chest. Furthermore, squeezing as you press just about ensures thorough engagement of pectoralis main — Learn extra within the “Muscle tissue Labored” part beneath.
Reinforces Thoughts-Muscle Connection and Urgent Approach
Horizontal urgent workouts, such because the bench press and dumbbell bench press, are a mainstay for energy coaching and physique growth. A number of technical parts are widespread throughout all bench-supported horizontal urgent workouts, together with the necessity for shoulder blade retraction and co-contraction of muscle tissue across the shoulder joints. Additionally fascinating is the feeling of muscular effort from the chest. Lifters spend months, even years, honing their kind to enhance effectivity and effectiveness.
Happily, the hex press may also help lifters to construct energy, method, and a mind-muscle connection that may reinforce correct efficiency of different horizontal presses. In the course of the hex press, squeezing the dumbbells collectively creates the sensation of peak pectoralis main contraction all through the urgent motion. This sensation of “flexing the pecs” may also help to reinforce the mind-muscle connection, which can be conducive to higher positive factors. (3)
Squeezing the dumbbells collectively additionally encourages higher involvement of your rhomboids and center trapezius, as they need to counteract forces from pectoralis main, subscapularis, serratus anterior, and different muscle tissue on the entrance of the torso. Rhomboids and center traps are the muscle tissue primarily accountable for sustaining retraction of the shoulder blades. Elevated demand throughout the hex press might encourage lifters to create a tighter setup for bench-supported horizontal urgent.
Shoulder-Pleasant Urgent
People with sure shoulder issues, equivalent to shoulder instability, might not tolerate conventional urgent. (4)(5) People who current with apprehension and ache within the entrance of the shoulder when the arm is introduced out and prolonged behind the physique might have a selected sort of instability referred to as anterior instability. (4)(6) This downside is widespread amongst lifters. One small research reported over two-thirds of leisure resistance trainees confirmed indicators and signs of anterior instability. (6)
Not like the fundamental dumbbell bench press or barbell bench press, the hex press limits shoulder extension on the backside of the motion. Your arms can’t journey behind your physique, as a result of the dumbbells aren’t allowed to clear the chest. This function could also be higher tolerated by lifters with practical anterior instability.
As a result of each model of shoulder ache is totally different, these struggling with shoulder points ought to search a certified sports activities drugs supplier — and the hex press is perhaps value discussing, as it could current a chance to coach round or practice by means of sure shoulder points with the suitable steering.
Muscle tissue Labored by the Hex Press
As a neutral-grip urgent motion, the hex press trains the muscle tissue that flex your shoulders and lengthen your elbows. Squeezing the dumbbells collectively additionally trains the muscle tissue of shoulder horizontal adduction (i.e. these educated throughout a chest flye) and the muscle tissue of shoulder inner rotation. Listed here are the foremost gamers.
Pectoralis Main
You’ll really feel the hex press most profoundly in pectoralis main, the most important, most superficial muscle tissue of your chest. The pectoralis main has two main elements — the clavicular head, or higher chest, and the sternocostal head, which composes the center to decrease a part of the chest. Every half contributes to varied shoulder actions and the hex press covers just about all bases for coaching your pectoralis main.
Shoulder flexion is resisted throughout the urgent motion of the hex press. The clavicular head of pectoralis main is educated throughout resisted shoulder flexion. (7) Shoulder horizontal adduction is educated by squeezing the dumbbells collectively towards the highest of the hex press.
Each heads of the pectoralis main are educated throughout shoulder horizontal adduction, together with a handful of various muscle tissue. (7)(8) Shoulder inner rotation is educated when the dumbbells are squeezed collectively towards the underside of the hex press. Once more, each heads are educated throughout inner rotation train, albeit the sternocostal head is probably going biased. (9)
Anterior Deltoid
The deltoid is the “cap” of muscle surrounding the entrance, again, and aspect of your shoulder. It’s divided into three practical elements, every with totally different actions — anterior, center, and posterior. The anterior deltoid, or entrance delts, flex the shoulder and help with squeezing the dumbbells collectively throughout the hex press. (7) Whereas typical urgent workouts hit this a part of the delt, the additional squeeze of the hex press makes this train simpler for anterior deltoid growth.
Triceps Brachii
The hex press trains your triceps brachii, the three-headed muscle on the bottom of your arms. Along with filling your sleeves, the triceps brachii helps enhance your bench press numbers by enhancing lockout energy. For a fantastic triceps pump, attempt three or 4 units of hex press with light-to-moderate weight dumbbells for high-repetition units with 60 seconds relaxation between every set.
Rotator Cuff
Though conventional urgent largely trains muscle tissue on the entrance of your chest and shoulders, the motion additionally prompts necessary muscle tissue situated deep behind the shoulders— the posterior rotator cuff. (10) The posterior rotator cuff serves a stabilizing perform throughout the press.
By actively squeezing the dumbbells collectively, notably throughout the backside half of the hex press, the deep muscle on the entrance of the shoulder, or anterior rotator cuff, is engaged. Therefore, the hex press seems to be uniquely suited to coach each the posterior and anterior rotator cuff muscle tissue.
The best way to Program the Hex Press
The hex press might be programmed in quite a lot of methods on push day, throughout a selected chest workout, or throughout a full physique exercise. Hex presses can construct muscle and energy. As well as, they prime your chest and shoulders for heavy work and work properly for intensification methods.
As a Low-to-Reasonable Weight, Excessive-Repetition Chest Builder
Whether or not coaching for constructing muscle (i.e. “hypertrophy”) or energy, excessive effort units — these carried as much as or close to muscular failure — are efficient even comparatively with gentle weight. (11)(12)(13)
Choose light-to-moderate weight dumbbells (e.g. 40 to 70% of what you’d use for the standard dumbbell bench press). Then, take every working set to inside two or three repetitions of failure. Two to 4 units of eight or extra repetitions will promote energy and measurement, offered units are carried out with excessive ranges of effort.
As a Light-weight Activation Train
Do you or somebody you understand endure from the lack to really feel the chest working throughout presses? Don’t despair. The hex press is perhaps the repair.
Merely carry out one to a few gentle units of hex presses earlier than your major press of the day (i.e. earlier than the bench press, incline press, and so forth.). Concentrate on the “squeeze” throughout the hex press. Then, like an overfilled shaker bottle, the mind-muscle connection to your pecs will spill over to your major urgent motion.
Maximally squeezing the dumbbells collectively throughout a set of hex urgent might enhance energy output throughout a subsequent set of presses by way of a phenomenon referred to as post-activation potentiation. (14) This impact could also be particularly interesting for athletes and lifters coaching to be extra athletic.
As A part of a Big Set
A large set is an intensification method consisting of 4 or extra workouts in collection with out relaxation between. Like supersets, the workouts used big units can goal non-competing muscle teams or similar muscle tissue.
When all 4 workouts within the big set goal the identical muscle tissue, they’ve been proven to provide comparable hypertrophy to supersets and conventional units that used 90 second relaxation intervals. (15) However right here’s the kicker — big units take much less time than supersets and conventional units.
The hex press requires easy tools, minimal setup, and compliments many various big set configurations. Right here’s a pattern big set:
- Dumbbell Bench Press — 3-4 x 12
- Dumbbell Pullover — 3-4 x 12
- Dumbbell Flye — 3-4 x 12
- Hex Press — 3-4 x 12
Take no relaxation between particular person workouts. Swap dumbbells if crucial and instantly start the following raise. Relaxation 60-90 seconds between big units.
Hex Press Variations
In search of different efficient and shoulder-friendly methods to coach the chest? Relying in your preferences and accessible tools, you would possibly select one of many following variations:
Single-Arm Dumbbell Ground Press
The dumbbell ground press generally is a nice train for studying and coaching horizontal urgent actions. In comparison with the fundamental dumbbell bench press, the ground press limits shoulder extension, because the higher arms will probably be stopped by the bottom. The shoulder extension vary of movement of the ground press is just like the hex press, that means it’s prone to reduce stress on the entrance of the shoulder, as mentioned within the Advantages part, above.
One main disadvantage of the dumbbell ground press, nevertheless, is that it’s normally restricted to gentle dumbbells on account of troublesome setup. Performing the ground press one arm at a time (“unilaterally”) helps to reduce this downside.
Carry out the single-arm dumbbell ground press mendacity in your again, both along with your ft flat on the ground or your legs prolonged out in entrance of you. Start the press with a single dumbbell held along side your chest and your higher arm resting on the ground. Preserve your shoulder blades pinned to the ground as you drive the dumbbell towards the ceiling and decrease with management.
Incline Hex Press
Restricted analysis suggests the incline bench press might present higher positive factors in higher chest, or clavicular head pectoralis main, muscle thickness in comparison with the flat bench press. (8)(16)
Though we have to be cautious extrapolating these findings to the hex press, lifters wishing to construct their higher chest would possibly take into account the incline model of the train. The incline hex press is carried out similar to the hex press, besides an incline bench or adjustable bench set to roughly 45-degrees is used.
Hex Press to Flye Press Combo
A possible shortcoming of the hex press is the lack to show the chest to coaching at lengthy muscle lengths (e.g. “below stretch”). Enter the flye press. The normal flye press entails urgent to lockout after which permitting the dumbbells to unfold aside in a “flye-like” movement throughout the downward motion section, thereby coaching pectoralis main at lengthy muscle lengths throughout the eccentric (reducing section).
For the hex press to flye press combo, get the advantages of the “squeeze” by performing the upward motion section like a hex press and reducing the weights like a flye. Remember to use lighter dumbbells than ordinary for this motion, because the eccentric flye is extraordinarily difficult.
Drugs Ball Push-up
Whereas this last variation isn’t a dumbbell press in any respect, push-up variations are criminally underrated. They are often accomplished practically anyplace. Higher but, push-ups enhance energy and muscle mass equally to the bench press. (17)
Performing push-ups along with your arms on both aspect of a medication ball requires isometric horizontal adduction of the shoulders just like the hex press, whereas coaching by means of an identical urgent vary of movement. Attempt the medication ball squeeze push-up as a hex press various when dumbbells are scarce, once you need to change-up within the really feel of your chest coaching, or when conventional push-ups turn out to be too simple.
FAQs
In bodybuilding communicate, the “interior chest” refers back to the fibers of pectoralis main that connect to the sternum. Particularly, these occupied with constructing their interior chest are possible most involved with the proximal or most central parts of these fibers.
Anybody who performs the hex press correctly will let you know they really feel a robust contraction of this portion of the pectoralis main. Though no research have instantly examined the hex press, not to mention measured its long-term results on chest muscle thickness, there’s a case to be made for its use as an inner-chest builder.
Slender-grip urgent tends to indicate decrease muscular exercise of the sternal a part of pectoralis main in comparison with conventional or wide-grip urgent. (18) Though the arm path of the hex press resembles a narrow-grip or close-grip press, hex urgent entails the extra process of retaining the dumbbells squeezed collectively.
Subsequently, it’s secure to imagine the “squeeze” enhances sternal pectoralis main contraction, a feat lifters could also be unable to perform throughout the conventional bench press. (19)
Though metallic or rubber hexagonal-shaped dumbbells are widespread, many gyms have spherical or “professional model” dumbbells. The hex press can be carried out with spherical dumbbells, as demonstrated within the video at first of the article.
Nonetheless, it is tougher. Spherical dumbbells demand extra exact utility of inward stress to keep away from motion between the dumbbells.
That’s an possibility. Each workouts practice pectoralis main, anterior deltoid, and firm. However pec flyes are a single-joint train and fail to hit the triceps brachii, which does obtain a coaching stimulus throughout the hex press.
Machine pec flyes and cable crossovers can be extra taxing on the shoulders, particularly amongst lifters with practical anterior instability from a earlier harm or cumulative trauma. This pathology is mentioned intimately within the Advantages part.
The radius of the dumbbells offers the impact of a board press, which limits urgent vary of movement. Particularly, shoulder extension is proscribed. People with sure shoulder accidents, equivalent to practical anterior instability, might not tolerate loaded shoulder extension. Therefore, the hex press could also be an acceptable possibility.
Diving deeper, practical anterior instability is considered associated to decreased exercise of subscapularis — a muscle of the rotator cuff. (4) Squeezing the dumbbells collectively on the backside of the hex press elicits sturdy contraction of the subscapularis. This function would possibly enhance tolerance to train or assist deal with subscapularis insufficiency.
Typically, hex urgent tends to be higher tolerated than pec flyes and conventional bench press variations by these with banged up shoulders. Once more, go see a certified sports activities drugs practitioner for those who’re coping with a shoulder harm.
Construct a Magnum Chest with the Champagne Press
The hex press is carried out by aggressively squeezing dumbbells collectively all through a neutral-grip dumbbell bench press. The squeeze engages higher parts of your pecs, which can result in accelerated chest positive factors. The hex press additionally reinforces necessary parts of urgent method, spares sore shoulders from loaded hyperextension, and creates co-contraction conducive to joint stability. Savor the squeeze and have fun the hex press.
References
- Haff, G. G., & Triplett, N. T. (Eds.). (2015). Necessities of Power Coaching and Conditioning 4th ed. Human Kinetics. Champagne, IL, USA. 351-408.
- Kompf, J., & Arandjelović, O. (2017). The sticking level within the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift: Similarities and variations, and their significance for analysis and follow. Sports activities Drugs, 47, 631-640.
- Schoenfeld, B. J., et al. (2018). Differential results of attentional focus methods throughout long-term resistance coaching. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(5), 705-712.
- Moroder, P., et al. (2020). Traits of practical shoulder instability. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgical procedure, 29(1), 68-78.
- Kolber, M. J., et al. (2010). Shoulder accidents attributed to resistance coaching: a quick assessment. The Journal of Power & Conditioning Analysis, 24(6), 1696-1704.
- Kolber, M. J., Corrao, M., & Hanney, W. J. (2013). Traits of anterior shoulder instability and hyperlaxity within the weight-training inhabitants. The Journal of Power & Conditioning Analysis, 27(5), 1333-1339.
- Ackland, D. C., et al. (2008). Second arms of the muscle tissue crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
- dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis main induced by modifications in bench press inclination results in uneven variations within the cross-sectional space measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722
- Ackland, D. C., & Pandy, M. G. (2011). Second arms of the shoulder muscle tissue throughout axial rotation. Journal of Orthopaedic Analysis, 29(5), 658-667.
- Wattanaprakornkul, D., et al. (2011). Path-specific recruitment of rotator cuff muscle tissue throughout bench press and row. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 21(6), 1041-1049.
- Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance coaching suggestions to maximise muscle hypertrophy in an athletic inhabitants: Place stand of the IUSCA. Worldwide Journal of Power and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30.
- Lasevicius, T., et al. (2018). Results of various intensities of resistance coaching with equated quantity load on muscle energy and hypertrophy. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 772-780
- Weakley, J., et al. (2023). Physiological Responses and Variations to Decrease Load Resistance Coaching: Implications for Well being and Efficiency. Sports activities Drugs-Open, 9(1), 1-10.
- Esformes, J. I., et al. (2011). Impact of various kinds of conditioning contraction on higher physique postactivation potentiation. The Journal of Power & Conditioning Analysis, 25(1), 143-148.
- Demirtaş, B., et al. (2022). The impact of three totally different units methodology utilized in resistance coaching on hypertrophy and maximal energy modifications. Bodily Training of College students, 26(6), 270-279.
- Chaves, S. F., et al. (2020). Results of horizontal and incline bench press on neuromuscular variations in untrained younger males. Worldwide Journal of Train Science, 13(6), 859.
- Kikuchi, N., & Nakazato, Okay. (2017). Low-load bench press and push-up induce comparable muscle hypertrophy and energy acquire. Journal of Train Science & Health, 15(1), 37-42.
- López-Vivancos, A., et al. (2023). Electromyographic Exercise of the Pectoralis Main Muscle throughout Conventional Bench Press and Different Variants of Pectoral Workouts: A Systematic Evaluate and Meta-Evaluation. Utilized Sciences, 13(8), 5203.
- Paoli, A., et al. (2019). Thoughts-muscle connection: results of verbal directions on muscle exercise throughout bench press train. European Journal of Translational Myology, 29(2).
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