Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press: How To Do, Benefits & Variations

If you are interested in learning more about neutral grip dumbbell presses for developing your chest, triceps, and shoulders to achieve a more defined upper body, then you should read the whole blog.

The barbell bench press is one of the most popular chest-building exercises, but many lifters suffer from shoulder pain when using the traditional barbell bench.

The neutral-grip dumbbell press is a great bench press alternative because it emphasizes chest and triceps without causing shoulder pain. Because your palms are facing each other, it reduces the strain on your shoulders.

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about how to perform the neutral grip dumbbell press correctly. You will also learn its benefits, how to avoid common mistakes, and what are the best variation of it and how to do them. You will also learn some of the best alternatives of it.

Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press Benefits

There are several reasons why you might be motivated to do neutral grip dumbbell press exercises, and below I’ve mentioned a few of them.

• Many lifters use the neutral-grip dumbbell press to build a strong chest, especially when recovering from surgery or shoulder injuries.
• Neutral grip chest press requires more muscular control than barbells, enhancing kinesthetic awareness.
• It allows for greater joint safety and stabilization and allows the joints to move naturally within their range of motion.
• The variety it affords prevents physical and mental exhaustion.
• Dumbbells variations allow for a greater range of movement (ROM), which leads to an increased number of muscle fibers recruited.
• Hammer press with dumbbell allow unilateral training (training one limb at a time), increase core stability, and improve muscular imbalances.
• Neutral grip press workouts are perfect for the at-home exerciser with the limited space.

Neutral Grip Chest Press Muscles Worked

The neutral grip dumbbell press primarily works the pectoralis major and Tricep muscles.

It has the involvement of several synergist muscles, these muscles include,

• Rhomboids,
• Anterior deltoids, and
• Latissimus dorsi.

A handful of other muscles worked or play the role of stabilizer muscles, include your

• Biceps brachii,
• Brachialis,
• Wrist flexors,

Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

The neutral grip dumbbell bench press is the best variation of the dumbbell bench press and an exercise used to build the muscles of the chest. As the name suggests, you will rotate your hands into a neutral grip with your palms facing each other.

A neutral grip while performing a dumbbell bench press can help alleviate some of the stress on the shoulder and elbow joints.

How To Do Neutral Grip Chest Press

1. Grab two dumbbells with a neutral or hammer grip and lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor.
2. You should hold the weights above your shoulder.
3. Now raise the weights above your head, feeling a strong chest muscle contraction.
4. Bring the dumbbells back to the starting position and feel a good stretch in your pecs.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Pro-Tips

• Keep your elbows close to your sides.
• To ensure the shoulders remain in a safe position, keep your shoulder blades pinched together.
• Keep your shoulder blades pinched together to ensure the shoulders remain in a safe position.
• Don’t allow the dumbbells to collide at the top of each rep
• Maintain a neutral, long spine to avoid hyperextending the neck.

Best Variations Of Neutral Grip Dumbbell Chest Press

The neutral grip dumbbell press can be done in different ways to suit your fitness level.

If you are new to performing a neutral grip bench press, you may want to apply a few modifications to make the exercise easier. One way is to use a lighter weight.

If you are looking for a more advanced variation to stimulate different muscle fibers in the chest, then you should try incline and decline neutral grip dumbbell press. You can make it more difficult by using heavier weight. But focus on form while doing the same.

Neutral grip incline dumbbell press

Doing presses with a neutral grip on an incline bench can help develop the upper pectoral muscles and add some pressing variety to your program.

You also increase the range of motion at your elbow joints when you perform it on an incline bench.

How To Do neutral grip incline dumbbell press

1. Lie on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand and in neutral grip.
2. Hold the weights above you at shoulder height.
3. Now extend the weights to the top overhead, feeling a good chest muscle contraction.
4. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and feel a good stretch in your pecs.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Do not lock out your elbows during the concentric (Positive) phase of the exercise.
• Perform them before triceps in any workout.

Decline Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

The decline neutral grip chest press is a compound exercise which primarily targets the lower Pectoralis Major (Chest). But the triceps and shoulders are secondary movers during the exercise, and they receive heavy stimulation as well.

Using a neutral grip is a safe alternative to the pronated grip as it protects the shoulder joints, and this is a great advantage. So, include the decline hammer-grip dumbbell bench press in your chest routine for great results.

How To Do Decline Neutral Grip Dumbbell Chest Press

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral/hammer grip and lie on a decline bench.
2. Hold the weights above you at shoulder height.
3. Now extend the weights to the top overhead, feeling a good chest muscle contraction.
4. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and feel a good stretch in your pecs.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Do not lock out your elbows during the concentric (Positive) phase of the exercise.
• Perform them before triceps in any workout.

Close-Grip Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press

The close-grip neutral-grip dumbbell press is executed exactly the same way as the original. As you press, you will squeeze the dumbbells together. When you do this, you will start to feel your triceps and inner chest muscles engage even deeper.

Best Alternate Of neutral grip dumbbell press

Before, we take a look at the best neutral grip dumbbell press alternatives. We must keep in mind that a good alternative to the neutral grip chest press will be able to satisfy the following criteria:

1. Activate the chest muscle groups, which are trained in the neutral grip bench press.

2. Isolate the muscle groups during execution.

3. Train the chest muscle through a longer range of motion

Dumbbell Squeeze Press

The dumbbell squeeze press is one of the most effective chest pressing exercises which target the middle chest. You can perform to induce functional hypertrophy in the middle body, particularly the pectorals.

During the squeeze press, the dumbbells are kept in contact with each other at all times, and you’re actively squeezing them inward (against each other) as hard as possible.

Close-Grip Bench Press

The close grip bench press is a variation of the bench press and an exercise used to build muscle and strength in the triceps. This position places emphasis on building strength and size of the triceps muscles, as well as the chest.

The close grip bench press is a superior movement when talking about exercises that will pack mass onto your triceps.

Narrow Grip Push-Ups

If you’re looking for a bodyweight alternative to the neutral grip dumbbell press exercise that helps you build inner pecs, then the close grip push-up is a great staple exercise to get you started.

Narrow Grip Push-Ups is the best exercise to build inner pec. Take a narrower push-ups stance than you normally do, which is similar to a close-grip push-up that helps in building the inner chest.

Cable Crossover

If you have access to a cable setup, I recommend you try it as an alternative to the neutral grip dumbbell press. Cable Crossovers are the best exercises for really focusing tension on the inner chest.

It is the best exercise to build massive pectorals. It provides constant tension to build massive pecs. Standing Cable Crossover Exercise helps to develop and define Inner chest muscles.

Takeaways

The neutral-grip dumbbell press is a great alternative to the bench press for shoulder health. Whether you are a strength sport athlete or a regular gym goer, I recommend adding the neutral grip chest press to your chest training. You will feel the results for yourself.

12 Most Effective INNER CHEST Exercises And Workout (BUILD MASSIVE CHEST)

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