Yes you read the title correctly; this exercise is actually called the Svend Press. The Svend Press is my favorite exercise to target my inner chest. The movement requires you to flex your chest why pressing a plate.
To do a Svend Press:
1. Hold a plate between your hands. Your hands should be on the flat side of the plate, therefore you will have to press your hands against the plate to hold it.
2. Extend your arms and press the plate forward.
3. Bend your elbows and bring the plate in front of your chest.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for the allotted amount of reps.
TIPS:
1. Keep your chest activated during the entire exercise. When you press against the plates with your hands, you will feel a nice contraction in your inner chest.
2. You can press one plate or multiples plates at the same time. In the pictures, I am holding two 5lbs plates.
3. Make sure to keep your shoulders back and really squeeze your chest when your arms extended.
3. I like to do this exercise standing up, but it also can be done lying down on a flat bench or on an incline bench.
4. You will not have to start with a very heavy weight. I currently only use 10-20lbs to do this exercise.
5. Slower controlled motions will make this exercise more effective. Fast pulsing motions will not activate all of the muscles in your chest and put a strain on your shoulders, defeating the purpose of the exercise.
6. Try aiming to do 10-15 reps of the exercise per set. If you can easily go over 15 reps, increase the weight.
Watch a short video of the exercise being done by clicking here!
Have you ever tried a Svend Press? Let me know what you think! Contact me at corestrengthalec@gmail.com for more questions, comments, and ideas for new topics.