Illustrations: Everkinetic (Greg Priday), CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped, resized & combined
Chest
Set the bench to 30 degrees, sit down, and stand the dumbbells on your thighs.
Lie back while kneeing the dumbbells up, then pin your shoulder blades into the pad.
Start with the dumbbells straight over your upper chest, wrists straight and solid.
Lower until the dumbbells are level with your upper chest and you feel the stretch, elbows not fully flared.
Press up and slightly inward until the elbows are almost straight, hold a beat, then lower under control.
Setting the bench too upright so the front delts take over the chest's job.
Pushing the head into the pad to help grind the weight up.
Shortening the range because the weight is too heavy, so the upper chest never gets stretched.
Letting the dumbbells tip back and bending the wrists under the load.
Keep the elbows slightly in front of your torso line so the load stays on the upper chest.
A 3-second lowering and 1-second press makes the same dumbbells feel far heavier.
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