Trainer, author and fitness model Kirk Charles, NASM-CPT CESYou know that as you get older, life can get more complicated. But that shouldn’t stop you from staying on top of your game. He’ll help you answer the tough training questions that come with age so you can be, too. Fit beyond 40.
The dumbbell bench fly It has never been one of my favorite exercises for my clients, especially those with sprained shoulders. I’ve seen a lot of guys in the gym trying to move too much weight while pushing their range of motion too far. The movement has always seemed too risky for the shoulders, especially for my older clients who value joint safety in the gym above all else. Fortunately, I can point my clients to a safer variation, the T-bench dumbbell fly, which also has the added benefit of working the core at the same time. This one is custom made for anyone who wants a solid breast pump without putting their shoulders at risk.
To set up, grab a pair of dumbbells and find a sturdy weight bench. Sit in the center of the bench, dumbbells resting on your thighs. Then slide down so your shoulder blades rest on the bench. Lift your hips up, with your feet on the floor shoulder-width apart and your knees bent at 90 degrees. Press the dumbbells up so they’re directly over your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Drive your shoulders down into the bench, then squeeze your glutes and abs. Put your body, from the knees to the shoulders, in a straight line.
From this starting position, slowly open your elbows to lower your arms. As you descend, the bench will eventually prevent your upper arms from lowering. Pause to stop, then squeeze your pecs to fly the dumbbells back to the starting position. That is a repetition.
There are two big safety advantages to the T-bench dumbbell fly. First, the bench keeps your arms from going too low during the eccentric (descending) portion of the movement. This will keep your shoulders within a safe range of motion. Second, that bench back effect forces you to move more deliberately. Because of these safety measures, you can confidently use heavier weights than you would in other fly-style exercises.
Another advantage is that the T-bench dumbbell fly becomes more than just a simple chest movement. Due to the position, your core must remain locked during reps so your waist doesn’t sag. You’ll definitely get a nice burn in your glutes, hamstrings, and abs as the reps build.
The best way to do dumbbell flyes is to slowly lower the dumbbells down for a count of three to five seconds. Also, if you weigh a bit more, at the bottom of the rep you can bend your elbows a bit more and push back up to the starting position, further reducing the amount of stress on your shoulders.
Start with lower weights so you can get used to the position, then work up from there. Try 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps to start, then drop down to sets of 4 to 6 reps when you get heavy.
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