Workout

French bench press with a barbell for girls. French bench press with a barbell. Option with two dumbbells

Bonjour, jocks and phytonyashki! Remember, the Musketeers sang in the movie "A la ger, com a la ger"! I mean: "In war as in war"! This phrase, slightly modified, can be easily applied to the gym. After all, if you don’t work hard here, as in a war, eating modestly, but satisfyingly, then you won’t see any results. In the mirror, a skinny or a sad ssbbw will stare at you all the time in response.

Among other things, your combat arsenal should include not only effective exercises, but also a thoughtful approach to what and why you are doing, and many more combat tricks that you cannot do without.

Why is it that I was drawn to the French way today? Yes, I just want to tell you about how to do a French bench press. There were times when I hated him. Elbows always strove to part somewhere, all the hamstrings on my arms, the existence of which I never suspected, were shaking.

The curved neck always turned the wrong way and dreamed of punching me in the forehead with an iron protrusion. When I started doing this exercise, each jock considered it his duty to come up and start correcting me.

In general, while observing the technique of performing the French bench press, you will need to know a lot of nuances, and today we will talk about them so that you, too, will forever fall in love with this isolating complex.

This exercise is very popular and widely used in bodybuilding during. If you go into details, then we have such a load that purposefully involves only the specified muscle group in the work. The same pumping of the triceps usually includes push-ups on the uneven bars or bench press with a narrow grip.

There are several varieties of performing such an exercise, but work with a barbell is considered a classic of the genre. The French bench press is number one, that is, something that must be present in the arsenal of any bodybuilder. And, therefore, rather look for a horizontal bench and a barbell. You can also work out to pump other muscle groups:

How to do french press with a barbell?

I recommend that you first, ideally, master the technique of performing the exercise, and then start loading the barbell. Otherwise, you risk injuring your elbows, which experience serious stress under such a load. That is why while working, watch these joints.

Bring the bar either to the forehead, or lower it slightly behind the head. Select the weight in such a way that you can do 10 or more repetitions without violating the technique. By the way, in order to avoid injury, do not load your elbows with a French bench press for more than 3 months.

So, the French bench press technique provides that you must grab the bar in such a way that there is a distance of 20-25 centimeters between the palms. In general, make sure that your elbows do not scatter to the sides in any case. They must remain strictly parallel to the body.

To understand well what I'm talking about, grab the bar and try to raise and lower it above you with your elbows apart, and then pressed. Feel where the load has gone for you in this or that case.

A wide grip turns off the load on the elbow joint, and hence the triceps. As a result, it makes the shoulder work to a greater extent and significantly disrupts the usual anatomical movement of the joint, which again is fraught with injuries.

Elbows are, in general, the key figure of any isolating complexes for triceps. You must understand that this muscle will only tense correctly if you push the weight precisely with the elbow joint, without connecting other joints or muscle groups. And try to make sure that the elbow does not move from the set point. Make sure that he does not "walk" and remains in the same plane.

By the way, this exercise can be performed both with a straight short neck and with a curved one. Moreover, the second option is more preferable due to the correct anatomical position of the hands. We bend and straighten the limbs to the end, we do it very smoothly, without jerking.

Please note that the French press exercise is not done with legs thrown over the bench. When lifting a lot of weight, and just with an unsuccessful movement, you can lose balance and seriously injure yourself. The legs are only on the floor, and the feet are firmly pressed.

How to do french press? In general, the technique itself is as simple as eating soup and waving a spoon.

You have to bend your elbows, bring them to your forehead (medial and lateral heads turn on) or just below your head (long head works) and lift the barbell.
We do from 10 to 15 repetitions for 3-4 sets.
The weight is based on your experience. Usually it is from 10 to 30 kg.

I have already talked about the trauma of such a complex, and so, often the shoulder or elbow is damaged at the moment when a person tries to lift the bar from the floor from behind his head. Do not under any circumstances do this. Do not lower it just behind the head after the set. Enlist the help of a partner so that he can submit and receive your cargo.

One of the options provides, by the way, the implementation of such a complex on the floor. The bench may not be horizontal, but inclined upward at an angle of 45 degrees or downward at an angle of 30 degrees. This will help diversify activities and loads.

Loading the triceps with dumbbells

French bench press is also performed with dumbbells. This is a good replacement rod. I don’t know about you, but I constantly try to hit my forehead with a bar. Therefore, for the same clumsy jocks, the choice of dumbbells will obviously be a better option. On the other hand, it is much more difficult to work synchronously with dumbbells than with a barbell.

How to do french press with dumbbells?

The grip in this case will be slightly different than when lifting the barbell. We take dumbbells in such a way that they run parallel to the ears, and the fingers are directed to the cheekbones.
The arms are straightened and slightly laid back to the head.
Upper limbs should be fully flexed and extended.
In any of the varieties of this exercise, the entire load, that is, lifting the load up, will go on exhalation.
Elbows, as in the previous case, do not spread too wide, and when you lower your palms down, they tend to the ears (but make sure that this time you do not beat yourself on the temples).
You can, as in the version with a barbell, lower the dumbbells behind your head, and then return them to their original position. This again is due to the position of the elbows, when they go either vertically or slightly directed towards the head (so the triceps are stretched more).
The maximum load on the triceps will be if you start to turn your hands outward at the top point. That is, the fingers are directed away from you.

By the way, if we consider the total load, then due to the technical complexity, when lifting dumbbells, a little less weight is traditionally taken than when working with a barbell.

French press with one dumbbell

The last variation of the French press is the elbow extension with a dumbbell. In this case, you will work out the long head of the triceps. This, by the way, is the version of classes that are performed while sitting on a bench, you can also stand up. The loin in such a case does not arch back, and the stomach remains retracted. Shoulders also do not round with a flat chest.

Take a dumbbell in your hands and wind it up behind your head.
On the inhale we lower it by the shoulders, and on the exhale we raise it.
Elbows and in this case are not divorced to the sides, and the shoulders are held strictly vertically. The projectile goes down as deep as possible, the arms work in full amplitude.
You can take a little less weight and hold a dumbbell in one hand. This will allow you to focus on each tricep. In this case, with the second free hand, you can support the working limb by the forearm to fix it.
In principle, all exercises with dumbbells can be done while standing. If you want, then take the disk.

There are also special simulators for working out the triceps, but they are not available in every gym.

Well, my stubborn kachata! We loaded the triceps in full and now we sit and think, where else can we find interesting and effective exercises for other muscle groups? I always have answers to any questions, so I immediately throw you a link:

We go to this page and immediately find here a lot of useful and important information for the formation of an ideal body.

That's all I want to tell you about the French bench press, but, of course, not everything I can tell you about living in sports style. Come visit, it will be interesting!

Not a single bodybuilding professional has ever done without a French press exercise. This exercise helps to work out all the bundles of the triceps. It is the triceps that forms the main volume and shape of the arm, since it occupies a large part and has one more bundle than the biceps. The correct technique of the French bench press and its variations will help to evenly distribute the load on the entire muscle and increase its volume.

This exercise is insulating, and works out the triceps muscle of the shoulder (long, medial and lateral heads). Also, the ulnar muscle is often included in the triceps assistants. Various variations of the exercise to a greater extent affect one or another head, sometimes without the help of the forearms. In some cases, for example, standing or sitting, it is necessary to stabilize the torso, in which the abdominal muscles, the anterior serratus muscles are connected.

Pros of exercise

Helps to work out all the bundles of the triceps muscle of the shoulder, developing them evenly.
Forms volumes of hands, and also emphasizes a relief.
The exercise can be performed both independently (on blocks or with special racks for the French bench press), and with an assistant who will maintain free weight on the last repetitions.
Exercise can be performed at home, it is enough to have at least one dumbbell or barbell.
Grip options will help reduce pain in the wrist or elbow joints, making the execution accessible and more effective.

Important! Due to morphological features, not everyone will be comfortable with the bench press technique. If pain occurs, you should change the grip width to a narrower one, or take your elbows a little to the sides.

How to do a French bench press: options for doing it

French barbell press

The technique of performing the French bench press with a barbell is aimed at working out all the heads of the triceps muscle of the shoulder.

When lowering the bar to the forehead, the medial and lateral heads are subjected to a greater load.
When the bar is behind the head - a long head. You can perform both with a straight neck and a curved one.

The choice of the neck will depend on the sensations in the joints, in order to relieve the load on the wrist joints, put your palms closer to each other.

Place the bar on the french press stands, or hold the bar on your chest, place your palms on the bar shoulder-width apart, and slowly lie down on your back. At the bottom point, lift the bar up, fully straightening your elbows.
Press your lower back against the bench, if not possible, place your feet on the bench, thus removing the deflection of the lumbar.
Hold the bar above your shoulders, do not take your elbows to the sides.
As you inhale, lower the bar to your forehead, but without touching. Movement occurs only in the elbow joint.
With an exhalation, unbend your elbows to the end, without retracting them when lifting through the sides.

Implementation options. When discomfort occurs in the elbow joints, move your elbows slightly away from your shoulders, stabilizing the position. Also, the French bench press can be performed with an ez bar, choosing a comfortable grip width.

French press with dumbbells

This technique is performed with two dumbbells, the exercise works out the entire triceps, evenly distributing the load on all muscle heads. The elbow muscle is also connected. Comfortable neutral grip of dumbbells will reduce the load on the hands.

Grab some light weight dumbbells.
Lie down slowly on your back and raise your straight arms above your shoulders to a vertical position.
Hold the hands with a neutral grip, dumbbells parallel to each other.
As you inhale, lower the dumbbells in parallel, working in the same plane, do not take your elbows to the sides.
Exhale as you fully extend your elbows.

French bench press with ez bar

Doing bench presses while seated on a low-backed bench will help stabilize your lower back, prevent body sway, and make technique easier. Also, this exercise can be performed while standing, the main thing is not to sway and keep the torso, straining the muscles of the abdomen and lower back. The exercise technique develops the triceps, but to a greater extent - the long and lateral heads.

Place your palms on the curved bar in a narrow position with an overhand grip.
Sit on a bench, press your lower back to the back.
Raise the bar above your head, keep your arms straight.
Without twisting the wrist, while inhaling, lower the bar behind the head, keeping the shoulder and elbow joints stationary. The shoulders remain on the sides of the head, only the forearms drop.
Exhale as you extend your elbows and return the bar above your head.

Seated French press with two hands

This French press technique is also performed while standing. Holding 1 dumbbell with both hands, you can get a load on the long head of the triceps, thanks to the vertical position of the hands. Additional muscle - elbow.

Sitting on a bench, rest your lower back against the back.
Place the brushes under the dumbbell pancake from below.
Raise your arms above your head to a vertical position, bringing your elbows closer to your head.
As you inhale, lower the dumbbell to the back of your head without moving your elbows and shoulders.
Exhale as you extend the dumbbell over your head.

Option number 2. Extension (bench press) with one hand with a dumbbell

This exercise can replace the French press. It is performed in both sitting and standing positions. One-arm extension will work the triceps and ulnar muscle. The vertical position of the hands contributes to a greater load on the long head of the triceps muscle.

Sitting or standing, hold a dumbbell with one hand, raise your arm vertically up and stabilize your shoulder position.
As you inhale, lower the dumbbell behind your head without moving your elbow to the side. Tighten your abdominal muscles to keep your lower back in position.
Exhale as you extend your arm.
The same movement is performed on the other side.

French Press in the lower block of the Crossover

This modification of the bench press is performed lying on a horizontal bench. The triceps and forearms work by extending the straight handle attached to the Crossover's lower block. Lowering the handle to the forehead, the lateral and medial heads are included in the work. When placed behind the head, it is long. Working in the block allows you to increase the work of the triceps, since the muscle is constantly under load with resistance, as the lower block pulls the arms back.

Lie down on a horizontal bench, set one edge closer to the lower block.
Grasp the handle, placing your hands with a direct grip from above shoulder width apart.
Raise your arms to a vertical position, keep your elbows in one point.
As you inhale, lower the handle to your forehead, do not spread your elbows through the sides. Hold the handle, not allowing the block to outweigh.
Exhale as you straighten your arms.

Option number 2. Press (extension) from the lower block from behind the head

This option can replace the neck press from behind the head (standing or sitting). In addition to the triceps and forearm muscles, the serratus anterior and abdominal muscles work, maintaining the position of the lower back. The long head of the triceps is subjected to a greater load in the vertical position of the arms. The exercise can also be performed with ropes.

Grasp the handle of the lower block with a straight grip from above shoulder width apart.
Turn your back to the Crossover with your arms straight above your head. The cable is stretched as much as possible, the hands should hold the handle, not allowing the counterweight to fill up the body back.
As you inhale, lower the handle behind your head, keep your elbows in place.
Exhale as you fully extend your arms above your head.

Conclusion

Variants and modifications of the French press technique allow you to periodically change the load on different bundles of the triceps, or affect the muscle as a whole. Changing the bench options, from program to program, will not allow you to get used to the same type of load. The main thing is to choose a grip that is comfortable for you, taking into account the individual characteristics of morphology. It is important to feel the work of the triceps, concentrate on the sensations in the muscle. The French press will bring much more benefit if you do not perform the exercise with a lot of weight, but focus on technique.

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In this article, we will analyze a very popular exercise in bodybuilding - the French bench press. This exercise focuses on developing the triceps.

French bench press - execution technique

Due to complete isolation, the triceps muscle of the shoulder receives effective stimulation, which is difficult to achieve in practical terms in other exercises.

French bench press: features of the exercise

Such triceps exercises, as they are, are due to the inclusion of two or more joints in the work. It would seem, fulfill them and you will be happy. But when they are performed, part of the load takes the shoulder joint, the back and chest work, as a result, the triceps receive less positive stimulation.

The French bench press has a huge advantage over these two exercises in terms of isolating the triceps. The shoulder joint is turned off due to the immobile position of the elbows and the shoulder section of the arms.

The main function of the triceps in our body is to extend the arm at the elbow. The main feature of the French bench press is that the movement occurs only in the elbow joint. It turns out that the load almost completely falls on one muscle - on the triceps.

This exercise helps to shape the thickness of the arms by increasing the volume of the lateral and long heads of the triceps.

Let's deal with the execution technique, especially since it is necessary to take into account several important nuances.

French bench press: execution technique

The exercise is performed on a horizontal bench with a straight or curved barbell bar. The curvature of the neck does not significantly affect the performance. Decide for yourself how it is more convenient to perform the movement.

In order for the positive load to be received exclusively by the triceps, it is necessary that the shoulder sections of the arms (anatomically, the humerus) are parallel to each other at any point in the amplitude. This position of the hands should be rigidly fixed and maintained throughout the set.

You should choose the grip in such a way that it is comfortable for you to perform extensions in the elbow joint. Usually this grip corresponds to the width of a little narrower than the shoulders.

An important point when doing the French bench press is determining the place to lower the barbell. You can lower the bar closer to the nose or behind the head. By lowering the bar closer to the nose, you engage the lateral and medial heads of the triceps. When lowering behind the head, the main load begins to be borne by the long head of the triceps, which lacks loads in other exercises.

In the initial position, the bar is on arms fully extended at the elbows, slightly at an angle, closer to the back of the head. This is necessary to ensure the correct trajectory when bringing the projectile behind the head, and to keep the triceps tension at the top.

Perform the exercise without jerks and jerks. Lower the bar as you inhale slowly, only by bending your elbows. Raise the projectile to the top point on the exhale, a little faster, also due to the full extension of the arm at the elbow. Avoid any shoulder movements - you should pull the weight with only the strength of the triceps.

Hold for a moment at the bottom point - this is how you stretch your triceps. At the top point, also pause a little - feeling the maximum contraction. During the movement, try to keep your elbows as close to each other as possible.

In order to maximize the use of the triceps in the work and minimize the effect of the stabilizer muscles, perform full extension of the arm at the elbow. Only in this way, you can achieve a complete contraction of the triceps. Do not press the bar with your shoulders, back or chest. The shoulders are strictly motionless.

For more isolated work, place your feet on a bench. This will minimize the work of auxiliary muscle groups and focus on the work of the triceps. However, you need to be 100% sure that you can keep your balance. Use a wide bench or do the exercise on the floor - the effect is wonderful.

Perform a French bench press with a wide rep range (10-20). The fact is that in this exercise the elbow joint bears a significant load. Using large weights and a small number of repetitions, the load on the elbow joint becomes simply monstrous (traumatic). Therefore, before doing the exercise, do it by warming up the joints well.

French bench press: video

To better understand how to perform the French bench press, the video below explains all the technical nuances and clearly shows their implementation.

Conclusion

Don't hang huge weights. Triceps is not such a big muscle, for its growth it is much more important to observe the correct technique than to chase the progression of weights (although it is certainly necessary) and cheat (only justified when you get to your genetic limit).

Using acceptably heavy weights, high reps, and proper form, the French bench press is a great exercise for building muscle in your arms!

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Read other blog articles.

Exercise technique;
Typical rookie mistakes;
What can replace this exercise.

What Muscles Does the French Barbell Press Work?

The French bench press is the exercise that puts the most stress on the long bundle of our triceps, which, for most athletes, responds the hardest to strength training. It's all about the right range of motion: here we can stretch and shorten the long head of the triceps as much as possible. For the greatest stretch of the triceps in the negative phase of the movement, some athletes perform this exercise with a barbell or dumbbell on an incline bench at an angle of 30-45 degrees. The lateral and medial bundles of the triceps also receive a sufficient share of the load, due to which there is a huge leap in the development of the muscles of the hands.

In addition to triceps, the anterior bundles of the deltoid muscles and the muscles of the forearms are actively included in the work. The core muscles are responsible for stabilizing our body, so they also carry a small static load.

Proper French Press Technique

Not only the volume and strength of your muscles, but also the condition of the joints and ligaments that work during the movement depends on how clearly you follow the correct technique for performing the French bench press. The French bench press is just one of those exercises where there is only one factor, paying due attention to which you will certainly succeed - technique.

And now attention: most gym goers have no idea how to properly do a French bench press with a barbell. There are a lot of mistakes: starting from the position of the elbows and ending with the setting of the feet.

The French Bench Press is the exercise that puts the most stress on the long head of our triceps, which tends to be the hardest to train.

It's all about the right range of motion: here we can stretch and shorten the long head of the triceps as much as possible. For the greatest stretch, some athletes perform this exercise on an incline bench at an angle of 30-45 degrees. The lateral and medial bundles of the triceps also receive a sufficient share of the load, due to which there is a huge leap in the development of the muscles of the hands.

Starting position

First, place the bar at the head of the bench at a comfortable level for you or ask your training partner to give it to you.
Bend your elbows, gently grab the bar with your palms at a symmetrical distance from the center and lift it up, fully straightening your elbows. This is our starting position. Grip width depends on which bar you work with, so in order to diversify the load, I recommend changing the bar from workout to workout: straight, EZ- or W-shaped, all of which are great for French benching.

Barbell bench press

Slowly begin to lower the bar down, while taking a smooth breath. There are two opinions as to where it is necessary to lower the projectile: behind the head or to the forehead. I think it makes more sense to lower the bar behind the head, as if trying to put it back on the bench, so we increase the range of motion and emphasize the load more on the long head of the triceps. However, it should be understood that this is not the most convenient exercise from the point of view of biomechanics, and one should not strive for huge working weights and neglect the warm-up, take my word for it, injuring the elbow joints and ligaments on the French press is a trifling matter.
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Once you have lowered the barbell low enough and properly stretched the long head of the triceps, begin to press the barbell up to its original position, exhaling powerfully. In this case, the elbows should be in the same position as when lowering, it is unacceptable to spread them apart or bring them inward, and the buttocks, upper back and back of the head should be pressed tightly against the bench. After you have returned to the starting position, repeat the movement.

If you want to make it harder, try doing the French incline bench press. Ask a friend in the gym for help to give you a barbell, throwing it yourself is not very convenient.

The biomechanics of the French bench press on the horizontal and incline bench are the same, but a slight incline gives us the opportunity to stretch the triceps even more (and even more load the elbow joints and ligaments, remember this too).

For this reason, the French incline press should not be approached with too much zeal and fanaticism, the weights should be moderate, and the movement technique should not change. When doing the French incline bench press, you can lift the back of your head off the bench a little and bring the barbell behind your head - this way you will add a few precious centimeters to the amplitude of the bench press and stretch the long head of the triceps even more.

The technique of performing the French bench press with a barbell on a horizontal bench is well demonstrated in this video:

Typical beginner mistakes

This is terribly unfair, but often the more effective the exercise, the more traumatic it is. The French press in this matter is no exception. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the technical errors listed below and try never to repeat them.

Elbows should be located at the same level throughout the approach. Try to keep them still, any movement to the side (especially inward) greatly increases the risk of injury. To avoid this, start doing the French press with minimal weights, mentally concentrating as much as possible not only on stretching and contracting the triceps, but also on the position of the elbows.

Don't reinvent the wheel. I have repeatedly seen the following picture in the gym - the athlete puts his feet on the bench during the approach of the French press, there is absolutely no point in this, the load on the muscles does not change at all, and it becomes much more difficult to maintain a stable position on the bench.

Don't tilt your head down. Often, many beginner athletes throw their heads down (below the level of a horizontal bench) during the French press, ostensibly in order to better stretch the triceps. In fact, there is absolutely no difference where your head is located, since the amplitude will be the same in both cases. But if you lower your head down, your intracranial pressure rises, which we don't need at all during strength training.

Pay due attention to the warm-up. You should not even begin to perform this exercise without properly stretching your elbows, shoulders and hands. Neglecting the warm-up, sooner or later you will definitely get injured, and you won’t be able to work out the triceps well - it’s much more difficult to “feel” the movement on cold joints and muscles.

What alternatives are there to the French Barbell Press?

Probably no triceps exercise gives such a powerful impetus to growth as the French bench press does. However, for some athletes, this exercise will seem too technical from a technical point of view - indeed, it is quite difficult to concentrate on the work of the muscle group we need and monitor the correct position of the elbows. For some, it may be contraindicated for individual reasons: degenerative changes in the elbow joint, ligament damage, recovery from an injury, etc.

You can try to solve this problem by reducing the working weights in the French press or changing the barbell to dumbbells or a block machine. In any of the proposed options, the position of the elbows is slightly different, and, perhaps, in some of them you will not feel pain and discomfort, for example, in the French press from the lower block while standing - the angle of the elbows in this version of the exercise is anatomically very convenient.

If this does not help, you should focus on other isolated exercises. Therefore, to all those for whom the French bench press with a barbell is not suitable, I advise you to choose for yourself a couple of movements from the list below.

Close Grip Bench Press

- This is a basic triceps exercise, loading for the most part the lateral head of the triceps, the anterior deltas and the inner part of the pectoral muscles also receive an indirect load. Its advantage lies in the fact that the degree of tensile load on the elbow joints is practically minimal here, so its implementation (of course, with moderate weights) will not harm health. What’s more, many therapists recommend doing close-grip bench presses with minimal weights and high reps as part of exercise routines, as this is the best way to pump blood into the injured area and speed up the healing of the injury.

Push-ups on the uneven bars

In you can well accentuate the load on the medal and lateral heads of the triceps, if during the movement you do not spread your elbows to the sides, but keep them as close to the body as possible. To further increase blood flow to the triceps, I recommend doing push-ups on the uneven bars in a slightly shortened amplitude, trying not to completely straighten the elbow joints at the top point. An option for more advanced athletes is to do push-ups on the uneven bars with additional weights.

Extension of the arms from the upper block

This exercise is aimed more at working out and shaping the triceps than at gaining muscle mass. If you follow the correct technique and do not try to perform extensions with maximum working weights, this exercise will only benefit the elbow joints and ligaments. The exercise can be performed with any suitable handle, one or two hands at the same time, I recommend alternating all possible variations from workout to workout.

Medicine ball push-ups with narrow arms

In biomechanics, this exercise is similar to the bench press with a narrow grip, but here the task is complicated by the fact that we work with our own weight and independently regulate the trajectory of movement. The entire array of the triceps, the lower and inner parts of the chest and a huge number of stabilizing muscles work, in addition, due to the prolonged static-dynamic load, the strength of the ligaments and tendons increases. A more simplified option is to perform push-ups with a narrow setting of hands from the floor.

Back push-ups

Due to this exercise, the arm visually becomes more massive and voluminous. It is necessary to lean with your palms on the bench, which is slightly behind, stretch your legs forward, you can leave them on the floor or put them on the next bench - it depends on the level of training of the athlete. Here you should work in the longest possible amplitude, trying to lower the buttocks down as low as possible, the load falls mainly on the medial triceps bundle. In addition to triceps, the front deltas and abdominal muscles also carry an indirect load in push-ups with an emphasis on the back.

It should be noted that the exercises listed above can be not only an alternative to the barbell French press, but also a great addition to a high-volume triceps workout. For most athletes, no more than three triceps exercises in one workout will do, so you provide good volume and intensity, but do not overtrain your muscles, since the level of catabolic processes in the body will not be so great. And if you can safely do French bench presses without experiencing pain and discomfort, feel free to include a couple more exercises from the list above in your workout, so the load will be optimal.

If you want to understand in more detail the biomechanics and technique of performing the French press, watch this detailed video:

Inclusion in the training program

French bench press is often included in the complexes on the day of the triceps workout. Most often it is trained with the chest:

Chest and triceps workout
An exercise	Sets x reps
Bench press	4x12,10,8,6
Incline Dumbbell Press	4x10
Push-ups on the uneven bars	3x12
Incline dumbbell curl	3x12
French bench press	4x12,12,10,10
Extension with one arm with a dumbbell from behind the head	3x10

Another option is a separate arm day, which includes work on the triceps and biceps:

Arm workout
An exercise	Sets x reps
Close Grip Bench Press	4x12,10,8,6
French bench press	3x12.10.8
Kickback with a dumbbell	3x10
Extensions on the upper block with a rope	3x15
Lifting the bar for biceps while standing	4x15,12,10,8
Barbell Curls on the Scott Bench	3x10
Alternate lifting of dumbbells sitting on an incline bench	3x10
Lifting the bar for biceps with a reverse grip	4x10

In order for your triceps to be in great shape, you need to train them. One of the most effective exercises will help you with this - the French bench press, as well as options for performing this exercise while sitting and standing.

The Secret of Powerful Hands

When beginners come to the gym, many of the first things they want to pump up are biceps. They do not know that most of the volume of the arms is formed by the muscle that straightens the arm - the triceps. It is located on the back of the hand.

But with biceps, it's a different story - if you focus only on it, your arms will be thin, and your physical achievements will come to naught - the thickness of your arms will not increase much. One round bicep doesn't matter when the back of the arm is flat and thin, without any hint of relief.

Therefore, we will download triceps! To do this, we will get acquainted with such an exercise as the French bench press. There are a lot of variations in execution - it will be right to do it with one hand, and with two, and with dumbbells, and with an EZ bar.

The technique is about the same, except for the starting positions. There is a seated french press, a standing french press, and a prone french press. Sometimes it is called a lying barbell lift, a seated barbell raise, but this is not correct. When it comes to dumbbells, the exercise is called dumbbell overhead row, or dumbbell overhead press.

We will analyze in order how certain variants of the French bench press are made.

French presses from different positions

Bench press

French bench press is performed in the following technique:

We are looking for a horizontal bench. An inclined one is also suitable, if it is completely straightened. It is advisable to put a towel or T-shirt under your head.
It is more convenient to take the EZ neck. It has a special curved shape that allows you to turn your arms in a certain way, pumping either the outer or the inner part of the triceps. Most often, the neck is taken with a narrow grip.
We put the neck on our knees, lie down and take it away by the head.
Slightly bent arms at the elbows go behind the head so that the elbows are at the level of the forehead. This is the starting position for this exercise.
Let's clarify the grip: the hands are located on the sides of the central loop of the EZ bar, palms away from you (straight grip).
We bend our arms so that the neck is near the top of the head (almost touching).
We slowly unbend our arms, but do not straighten them completely, it is not recommended to “snap” the elbow joints.
We do 10 warm-up repetitions. Then we lower the barbell to the belt, sit down and put it on the floor. If you have a partner, they can help you pick up the barbell and lower it to the floor.

The dumbbell French bench press is done in exactly the same way, only the arms are rotated a little differently: you take the dumbbell handles so that they are parallel to each other.

Important technical details:

Elbows should be moved as close as possible. When they spread to the sides, the load goes from the back bundle of triceps to the side, or even to the latissimus dorsi.
If your wrists hurt (this may be because they bend significantly during the French press), you need to put on wristbands or wrap your wrists with bandages.

French bench press with dumbbells makes sense to do when all the vultures are busy.

Seated press

The seated French press is performed on an incline bench, the back of which is set at a right angle.

To do the exercise correctly, it is best to take dumbbells.

The difficulty of performing with a neck is an uncomfortable position of the hands. When doing a French bench press with a barbell, it is difficult to achieve such a position of the hands that the shoulders are perpendicular to the floor. Usually they are slightly overwhelmed forward, and the exercise begins to resemble a seated bench press.

If you decide to use a straight or EZ neck, it is better to do it lying down, if you do it sitting - take dumbbells.

Option with two dumbbells

Take 2 dumbbells, turn them around so that the plates are in front and behind, your hands should be oriented with palms facing each other.
Raise your arms slightly bent at the elbows with dumbbells above your head. Try to set the angle of the shoulder in relation to the floor at 90 degrees.
Bend your arms at the elbows so that the shoulder does not move to the sides. Take the dumbbells behind your head to an acute angle at the elbow.
Raise the weight to the original position.

Do 10 warm-up reps with a light weight, then take a worker and do 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps. Make sure that the elbows do not diverge to the sides.

If you turn your arms the other way, the dumbbell pancakes will prevent you from lowering the weights a sufficient angle behind your head. Therefore, the hands are oriented exactly as noted above.

Single dumbbell option

With one dumbbell, you should do the French press while standing or sitting on a bench.

The technique is this:

We take a dumbbell in the right hand. We bring it up, the shoulder is strictly perpendicular to the floor.
We turn the arm in such a way that when bending the dumbbell goes towards the head, and not strictly back.
We support the right hand with the left hand so that it does not go to the sides during the exercise.
We do 10 warm-up repetitions for each hand, take the working weight and perform 3 sets of 10 times to failure.

The weights here are small, but since this exercise is the last one on the day of triceps, you will have little strength. We do it through burning, through fatigue. If necessary, reduce the weight each set, or ask a partner to help you return the dumbbell to its original position above your head.

Another way to work with one dumbbell, but with two hands:

The exercise will resemble a sitting pullover. We grab the dumbbell with both hands behind the pancake, passing it between the index and thumb of each hand.
We bring the dumbbell over our heads, try to keep our elbows closer to our ears, and not turn them outward.
We bend our arms, lowering the dumbbell behind the head. We raise. Do this 10 times to warm up if you haven't warmed up yet. With a working weight, you need to do 10 repetitions in 3 sets.

You can do a standing dumbbell french press.

Standing Press Technique

The standing French press can also be done with a barbell or dumbbells, but the latter option is more convenient. Since the technique with dumbbells was considered in the previous case, we will analyze the barbell here.

The technique is as follows:

Take the barbell, put your feet shoulder-width apart.
Straighten your shoulders, take your pelvis back.
Look ahead, do not tilt your head!
Raise the barbell so that your elbows are pointing up and your shoulder is at a right angle to the floor.
Elbows do not need to be spread apart or reduced to each other. They must be parallel to each other.
Straighten your arms completely, too, should not be. Lower the weight behind your head to the possible angle. Return back.
If you haven't warmed up, do 10 reps with an empty bar (for girls) or a light weight. Next, set the working weight and do 3 sets of 10 times.

The standing French press is not the most common version of this exercise. It is inconvenient in that the spine receives an extra load. It should be done when there is not enough space in the gym or all the benches are occupied.

Which option to do and when

The French incline bench press (90-degree backrest), standing or lying down is done after basic exercises, for example, after the bench press or parallel bars. In conclusion, you should perform an extension of the arm with a dumbbell from behind the head.

At the end of the workout, you should feel like your triceps can no longer squeeze anything. If so, the training was correct and successful!

Mistakes and how to avoid them

Breath

The breathing technique in all exercises is the same. For some reason, some athletes get confused when to inhale and when to exhale. Apparently, the fact that different exercises are performed differently misleads them. In fact, everything is simple.

When you do a lift, push, press, you exhale through your mouth. This is the effort to exhale.

When you return the weight back, that is, in those moments when maximum effort is not required from your muscles, inhale air through your nose. Everything is simple!

Elbow position

Elbows set to the side make it easier to perform. If you want to get the most out of the exercise, keep your elbows close together (press them to your head).

Wrong sequence of exercises

And the standing or seated French press is very similar. It makes no sense to exhaust yourself on one exercise, and then try to do another.

If you decide to do both exercises in one workout, distribute the load so that you have enough for both exercises. For example, 2 sets in the press and 3 in the extension, or vice versa.

Painful joints

It is believed that the exercise is dangerous for the elbows. This is true. If you have vulnerable elbows, we recommend using medium-hard elbow braces (purchased in orthopedic salons) or elastic bandages.