French press: how to tone your arms

To be more precise, this exercise will tighten the muscle that spreads the arm – the triceps. It’s called the overhead dumbbell row or the French press. On the Beautiful and Successful women’s site, we will analyze the technique of performing the French press while sitting, lying down and standing, and also find out how to pick up dumbbells and what you need to pay attention to when performing traction from behind the head.

What is the efficiency?
The main advantages are ease of implementation and high efficiency.

Firstly, the dumbbells that we will need to perform traction from behind the head are the most affordable device. Even at home, you can do the French bench press with dumbbells, sitting or standing – as you like.
Secondly, this is the most effective exercise that tightens the triceps. The sagging and flabby arm muscles of the fairer sex are pulled up better than ever with the help of traction. Triceps increase in size. Consequently, the “jelly”, which can often be seen in women in the area of ​​​​the hands, melts before our eyes.
Thirdly, you will not force this muscle group to work when doing homework. Only with the help of a special load will your triceps work. Therefore, traction from behind the head, performed with dumbbells, is called by many the only way that will help remove sagging skin of the hands.
We also add that when doing exactly the French bench press, you will make the pectoral muscles work (for women, what you need), the muscles of the shoulders and forearms.
And finally, we note that many celebrities have been seen doing exactly the thrust from behind the head. So, Halle Berry, preparing for the main role in the film “Catwoman”, pumped up her triceps with the help of a French bench press. Singer Rihanna and actress Kim Kardashian are fans of this exercise and make sure to include this arm skin tightening method in their workouts.
At the same time, it should be remembered that when doing a bench press, we give an additional load on the elbow joint, so you need to be very careful with the loads and know how to do the French press correctly so as not to get injured (microtrauma) of the elbow joint.

Consider how to properly perform this exercise in order to get the maximum benefit for yourself.

French Press Dumbbells
The classic version is performed with a barbell or a curved neck. But this exercise is not less effective for women if the barbell or bar is changed to regular dumbbells. Let’s take a look at which ones suit you best.

If you are just starting training, then you can choose dumbbells weighing 1 kg. Although, as noted by the girls who can be called fans of this exercise, this weight is not enough to pump up the triceps.
To achieve the maximum effect, there is no need to rush. It is necessary to gradually increase the weight and move forward. Listen to your feelings. You can start with dumbbells weighing 1 kg (by the way, they are easily replaced by liter bottles of water), then gradually move on to dumbbells weighing 2 kilograms or more. Remember that the body builds muscle mass gradually and it also needs to be given loads gradually.

Different variations of the same exercise
Whatever technique for the French press (standing, lying or sitting) you choose, the essence of the execution remains the same. Only the starting position is different.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can do this exercise.

Starting position – lying down
One of the popular techniques for performing the French press is lying down with dumbbells. You need to pick up a horizontal (not inclined) surface on which you will need to lie down in order to do everything right.

We take dumbbells in our hands. We lay down on the bench. We put our hands with dumbbells behind our heads. The elbows should be at the same level with the forehead.
Pay attention to the grip of the dumbbells: they should be parallel to each other.

We perform the extension of the arms slowly enough so as not to accidentally “snap” the joint in the elbow. Once again, pay attention – we do everything gradually and slowly.
Do not forget that the main task of this exercise is to tighten the triceps of the arms. The women’s site sympaty.net draws attention to some of the nuances when performing thrust from behind the head in any of the starting positions.

To load the necessary muscles – bring the elbows close to the head.
If the elbows spread during execution, then you will give the load to the back, and not to the arms.
Also, when doing a bench press with dumbbells, many feel pain in the wrist. Therefore, it is better to immediately wrap them with bandages.
Starting position – sitting
This version of the French press can be done in a chair. Many advise girls to start doing dumbbell bench presses from a sitting position, and then move on to doing the French bench press. And only in extreme cases – do standing french deadlifts. You can take one or two dumbbells. We will consider both options.

Execution with two dumbbells

We unfold the dumbbells so that they are parallel to one another.
We sit on the edge of the bench (chair). The arms are bent at the elbows behind the head. At the same time, they are located parallel to the floor.
We begin to slowly unbend our hands, but not completely. We return to the starting position.

Make sure that your elbows do not go to the sides. If you violate the execution methodology and separate them, your hands will fall incorrectly, and the performance will be reduced to zero.

One dumbbell (first method)
There are two ways to perform a seated french press with dumbbells.

You can do bench presses on one hand and on the other alternately. At the same time, the free hand will control the work of the working hand so that it does not go to the side.

When doing the press in this way, you can feel a burning sensation in the area of ​​​​the muscles, both on one and on the other hand. It’s not scary. Keep doing it, keeping in mind the effectiveness of the bench press for women’s arms and chest muscles.

One dumbbell (second method)
You can do everything the same, but at the same time, you will take the dumbbell behind your head with both hands at once, and it in turn, as in the previous version.

Starting position – standing
This method of performing the exercise is not particularly common, since when it is performed, there is an additional load on the spine.

Therefore, if you have not previously done a bench press or sitting with dumbbells, then it is not recommended to start performing while standing.
If you are already trained, then you can do everything from a standing position. You can perform with one or two dumbbells at once.
The technique of how to perform this exercise while standing is exactly the same as described above. In this case, it should be clarified that the legs should be placed shoulder-width apart, and the head should not be tilted forward – the gaze is directed into the distance.

You can also do a standing dumbbell french press. We do it exactly the same as when performing from a sitting position.

Nuances
When performing traction with dumbbells from behind the head, it is important to observe some nuances.

Breath
Be sure to watch your breath.

When lifting (pushing) – exhale through the mouth.
When returning to the starting position, inhale through the nose.
Remember when you need to tighten your muscles – exhale, when no tension is required – inhale.

Elbows
Elbows держите как можно ближе к голове. Effect this will be the maximum. You may notice that if you take your elbows to the sides when performing, then it becomes easier to perform. But the effect that we are aiming for when doing the French press for girls will be reduced.

Technics
Do not forget that this exercise works out the extensor muscle. If you perform the exercise abruptly, an injury to the elbow or head is possible. Therefore, we do everything smoothly, avoiding sudden movements.

So, we have figured out the main nuances of execution for girls and women. For us, women, this exercise is especially useful, as it will help pump triceps and tighten sagging skin in the arms. Also, traction with dumbbells from behind the head must be included in the training program for those involved in volleyball, basketball, tennis, swimming – a sport where hand strength is needed. Do not forget about the safety of the exercise, because health is more important for us than any beauty.