Thread: French Press Question

I use a dumbell and train one side at a time......joints feel great

you tried it with a barbell?

Just give it a try. If it doesn't bother your elbows, then rock on. I prefer to use a single dumbbell, and it hold it with both hands, but whatever floats your boat.

I use dumbells exclusively for this, switching between 1arm- and 2arm-extensions. You get a great ROM with 1arm extensions, but the weight you can get up to with two arms is great in and of itself. Started them like 3 years ago with a 45, now Im pushing 125s with as full an ROM as my arm will allow. I love em, and do them frequently.

if the straight bar hurts your elbows try an EZ curl bar, but then you might as well just use a DB in both hands

I dont like the clicking sound, which I can even feel that I get in my left elbow from these.

I say go for it with the heaviest weight you can do. Then after a month or two your elbow can look like my left one. Funny what a double torn left tendon in the left elbow looks like. A double snapping of a twig sound will get your attention.

Here do me a favor.
1) when doing skull crushers you warm up with 5-10 sets of really light weight, not 2, 3 or 4 and then go for it. At one time i had almost 23" arms and was all tri's. My bi's were so flat that they would hold a cup of coffee on them. You warm them tri's up real good prior to anytype of french pressing and then go for the heavyweight

Tough old bastard who knows

I do mine the same as Pimp, and I like them a lot. I've found that it doesn't bother my elbows as long as I don't try to overdo the weight and I keep my elbows as close together as possible. It seems to target the muscle better (as opposed to the joint, if that makes sense.)

Originally Posted by Mudge

I dont like the clicking sound, which I can even feel that I get in my left elbow from these.

When I first started working out I had a clicking noise in my left shoulder. It was recommended that I start taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin and about 5 or 6 weeks later the clicking went away.

Originally Posted by Tough Old Man

I say go for it with the heaviest weight you can do. Then after a month or two your elbow can look like my left one. Funny what a double torn left tendon in the left elbow looks like. A double snapping of a twig sound will get your attention.


Tough old bastard who knows

Why you wonna give me that advice dude?

is this exercise going to make my tris stronger? or is it one of those "shaping" exercises that will give you definition and no strength gains?