What is the Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Press?
The Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Press is a pressing exercise where you rest your upper back on a Swiss ball and press two dumbbells up over your chest. It mainly trains your chest, front deltoids and triceps. Your glutes and hamstrings hold your hips up in a bridge.
Quick facts
- Level: Intermediate
- Equipment: Dumbbells and a Swiss ball
- Movement pattern: Horizontal push
- Force: Push and hold
- Type: Compound
- Sides: Both arms together
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
- Chest (pectoralis major)
- Front deltoids
- Triceps
Secondary muscles
- Gluteus maximus
- Hamstrings
Your glutes and hamstrings work to keep your hips level with your knees. They hold position rather than move the weight.
How to do the Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Press
- Setup: Sit on a Swiss ball with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Setup: Walk your feet forward until your upper back and shoulders rest on the ball.
- Start: Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Bring the dumbbells to the sides of your chest.
- Move: Brace your core and squeeze your glutes. Press the dumbbells up until your arms are straight.
- Move: Pause briefly at the top.
- Return: Lower the dumbbells under control to the sides of your chest. Keep your hips up the whole time.
Coaching cues
- Squeeze your glutes to keep your hips high.
- Press straight up over your chest.
- Keep the ball still under your shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag. Squeeze your glutes and keep your hips level with your knees on every rep.
- Flaring the elbows straight out. Keep your elbows at an angle to your body as you lower the dumbbells.
- Feet too close together. Set your feet about hip-width apart or wider so the ball stays steady.
- Lowering too fast. Control the dumbbells all the way down. A fast drop makes the ball roll.
Easier and harder options
- Harder: Swiss Ball Dumbbell Alternating Chest Press. Pressing one arm at a time loads one side more, so your trunk works harder to stop you rotating.
Training focus and energy demand
This press is used to build chest and arm strength while training your hips and trunk to hold a bridge. Balance limits the load, so it usually suits lighter dumbbells than a bench press.
Your body draws on several energy systems at once, and the mix shifts with load, speed, set length and rest. Short, hard sets lean on fast energy stored in the muscle. Longer sets with brief rests lean more on aerobic energy. Hard efforts that last from several seconds to a few minutes also rely heavily on energy your muscles make quickly from carbohydrate.
FAQs
Is this harder than a bench press?
It is harder to balance, but you will usually press less weight. A bench press lets you lift heavier because the bench does not move.
How do I get into position with dumbbells?
Hold the dumbbells on your thighs as you sit on the ball. Walk your feet out slowly and bring the dumbbells to your chest as you roll back.