Grab a pair of dumbbells and a decline bench. Start with an externally rotated (supinated) grip at the bottom of the lift. That means your palms are facing your face in coach-speak. As you're lifting the dumbbells up, turn them so they finish in a neutral grip position – your palms are now facing each other.
Make sure to keep the pressing force perpendicular relative to the ground and not to your body (you're on a decline bench, after all).
The Benefits of the Key Press
- The decline limits the involvement of the front delts. That's a good thing if your front delts tend to take over when you're trying to hit your pecs.
- The position also allows for less lockout distance, meaning more sternal pec involvement.
- The bottom position of the lift externally rotates the humerus, which brings the pecs to optimal length for max contraction.
- The use of dumbbells allow for some "play" with the elbow position through the lift, which can act as a shoulder-saver.
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