[jornT]

When doing DB presses (milatairy or bench presses) should you move the weights towards each other at the peak of the movement?

I would think no, because when doing the barbell variants of the movement you dont end up having your hands in the middle of the barbell at the peak. But i just want to be sure.

What would the effect be if you did it? I would think that with bench presses it would involve more triceps (cuz its more like a small grip bench press) and with milatairy presses it would involve more traps?

So what do you guys think/recomment? thx in advance!

[fahad]

with dumbells i would say bring them close together 2 get a better peak of contraction but they dont nasassery have 2 touch cuz if u just bang the dumbells hard at the top i think that it will take some tension of the muscle.......

[dero_hawk]

well just push straight up no need to move it side to side and remember don't fully lock out your elbows. the only time it should come close to banging the other weight is when you have a lot of momentum.

[Rocky]

I always bring them together at the top - cos' although you don't do it with barbells, to me that is part of the reason for using Dumbells - to get a different motion out of the movement to hit the muscle slightly differently. The same way as you would change a hand or foot position to hit a muscle differently. Plus I feel I get a better contraction - particularly in pecs on bench press. Really squeeze the pecs at the top! Move them together in a controlled arc from the bottom of the movement.

[Diesel]

I used to bring them together at the top but i do not anymore. when you bring them closer it will put more stress on the triceps. You will get a better range of motion and probably feel it a little better in the chest (just b/c there is more movement). but, for me, when i do these my objective is to keep the stress on the chest or the shoulders and not the triceps. so, i just push straight up and straight down and i do not lock out.

[Uriel]

The whole point of dumbbells is to have a better ROM. Keep your forearms vertical through the whole lift. This means the weights come up in an arch twards eachother as you press. In shoulder presses it won't make a huge difference, but in chest presses definetly do this, it'll work your inner chest far better.

[MaKaVeLi]

With DB presses you definately need an arch - that's the whole idea of doing this type of movement. But you don't have to overdo it by making the DBs touch, unless they're some looong as DBs or (as already mentioned) the momentum makes them do so.

[canablistic_Turnip]

Dumbell presses increase the range of motion thus you get a better stretch at the bottom of the exercise stimulating more muscles. To keep the tention at the top consciously squeese the muscle there to work the inner chest. Best full range of motion (apart from cable cross overs)

[rude_boy]

IMO...an essential exercise for chest development. I didn't start doing db presses until a month or so ago...and wow...di my chest respond!

Personally, I do touch at the top and contract for a second or two...I find that it helps shape the pec a lot better.

[philosopher]

if you do it for the chest i would bring them together just to squeese the muscle a little bit harder and to work out the innner section.
for the schoulders its what you like the most, i personally bring them together at the top just to get that peak contraction.

[Nothin' but a peanut!!]

i used to bring everything in towards but just find that everything gets a rest while doing it because im concentrating on pushing them in to nearly touch and feel it more in my shoulders from jsut trying to stabilise them and push it all in. dumbells DO give a better ROM but toget it i feel you dont necessarily have to push them in to touch, eg when you bring them out back down on a rep you can take them out a little wider and a little deeper and then just puch them back in and yo're imo still getting a great deal better rom than with a barbell.
i dont know alot about machines becuase my gym has nothing modern, but isnt it the hammer strength have a chest press that hands angle in thru the rep naturally? also cable work with the chest or better yet flyes extremly depe stretch and contract hard at the top.
i just feel without touching i can go bang bang bang but touching takes too much concentration away from my mindset while performing a set i feel.