What Is a Dumbbell French Press?

The dumbbell French press is a weight lifting exercise that works the triceps with hand held weights. The triceps are the group of muscles located at the back of the upper arm. Along with the biceps they compose the muscles you see when you flex your arm. Although many weight lifters focus on the biceps as a visual symbol of arm strength, it is actually the triceps that compose a majority of the upper arm muscle bulk. This is why exercising the triceps are so important. In women, the back of the upper arm can become loose and flabby. Toning the triceps can reduce this.

Features

The dumbbell French press is a simple weight resistance exercise that can be done virtually anywhere with two hand held weights. Pick up a light dumbbell in each hand and lay flat on your back. A weight bench works best but any flat surface will do. Raise the dumbbells straight up so that your arms are perpendicular to the ground and your thumbs face each other. This is the starting position for the dumbbell French press. Bend your arms at your elbows and lower the weight toward your head. As you do this, rotate your thumbs so they face your head. Stop when your forearms are at a 90-degree angle to your upper arms. Press the weight back up to your starting position and rotate your thumbs back so they face each other again. This is the French press. Be sure to keep your elbows stationary throughout the movement. The only thing moving should be your upper arms.

Function

It is important to use light dumbbells that you can keep under control. Heavier is not necessarily better when performing dumbbell French presses. The triceps are a small muscle group and light weights allow you to focus on them. If you lift too much weight you will cheat and use other muscles to help. Do three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions of the dumbbell French press. You should feel a significant burn in your triceps as you complete each set. If you do not then increase the weight or slow down your repetitions. Maintain strict form throughout the motion.

Effects

The triceps are a three-headed muscle group at the back of the upper arm. They are not as obvious or visible as the biceps above them, but they are just as important to the appearance of the arm. The dumbbell French press will tighten, tone and build the triceps muscles. You should see noticeable improvement after several weeks of consistently performing the exercise.

Considerations

If you are doing the dumbbell French press correctly, your triceps muscles will be sore the next day. This is normal. Weight resistance exercises create tiny tears in the muscle fibers. This is the soreness you feel. When the tears heal the muscles are stronger, tighter and bigger than before. It is essential that you allow sore muscles to fully heal before using them to lift weights again. Always rest a day or two after performing the dumbbell French press. Ideally, only do it once or twice per week. Be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night. This is important for muscle recovery. Eat more protein like the kind found in lean meat, milk products and beans. Protein helps muscles repair.

Warning

Only use light weights while performing the dumbbell French press. If you use heavy weights you might lose control of them and drop them on your head. Only use dumbbells that you can lower in a controlled fashion.