Sports Medicine: The Dumbbell Bench Press

Here's some really good information on Dumbbell Bench Press

By: Joseph M. Horrigan, D.C.

Trainees choose dumbbell bench presses for two main reasons: 1) The dumbbells allow variation in hand position, and that can make the shoulder feel more comfortable; 2) using dumbbells lets them reach parts of the pec that the barbell doesn't'and there may be some degree of truth in that.

The bench press targets the pectoralis major, the delts and the triceps, as well as the serratus anterior, a key shoulder muscle that runs from the inner border of the scapula to the ribs. The shoulder capsule, which is made of ligaments (ligaments attach bone to bone), can be overstretched. Two movements that naturally cause a forward motion of the shoulder are a throwing motion and a bench press or pushup motion. The forward movement of the ball (head of humerus) in the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa) can stretch the capsule or tear the cartilage ring around the socket (glenoid labrum). That can lead to shoulder instability because the ball is moving too much in the forward and downward position.

Some trainees turn to the dumbbell bench press because of the pain that the barbell bench press causes. They claim that turning the dumbbells in slightly can reduce or relieve shoulder pain. They also claim that they feel the dumbbell bench press differently. If you rotate the dumbbells so your palms face each other, you can lower them farther than you could if the dumbbells were in line, as in a barbell bench press. That causes more pec and delt stretch, and you can feel the exercise even more.

If you have an unstable shoulder, though, the dumbbell bench press may increase shoulder pain and worsen the feeling of excessive movement in the shoulder. So don't think dumbbell bench presses automatically let you work around the problem. They may contribute to it.