The dumbbell bench press is arguably the best exercise for building your chest!

But to better target the chest and avoid shoulder injury, you want to avoid making this mistake. Many people use a very wide arm path and press the weight up and down. This can not only increase risk of shoulder discomfort and potential injury, but it also just doesn’t stimulate the chest very well. Instead, to maximize chest activation, you want your arm path to line up in the same direction that most of the chest fibers run. To do this, tuck your elbows to about a 45–60degree angle away from your body and allow your grip to turn in slightly with your elbows.

Just keep in mind that when you apply this form, the dumbbells will no longer move straight up and down but rather forwards on the way down towards your midchest and backwards on the way up towards your shoulders. Don’t be afraid to lighten the weight to ensure you are using the correct form.

Try this out on your next workout and you’ll feel a difference right away!