I only have dumbells and have found that they have worked just fine so far. I have looked online and previously I had been benching with the dbs as if it were a bar i.e. extend each arm straight up so that a little more than body width apart when arms straightened.

Recently I saw that people start with them in the same lowered position a little wider than shoulder but when they press they bring them together so that they basically touch at the top.

Is this better, if so what are the benefits?

One more question: over christmas I was using gyms cause I went away and I used an actual bar and could bench much more than I could with dbs. How much more can you press with a bar than with dbs?

Thanks

When I do DB Bench Press, I usually bring them up so they are close together, usually within a couple inches of each other or even less. I'm not sure how this differs from other methods; I've never done them any other way. For the record, when I was in the gym a while ago I could do 175lbs barbell 4 times and 80lbs DBs 2 times. I've been working out a home for 6 months or so and can now do 80lbs DBs 5 times even though I've dropped 20lbs of body weight. I'm going to hit the gym again in a couple weeks to do a big, clean bulk. Hopefully, I can still bench 175lbs on the bar.

Best way to db press is to have a neutral grip (palms facing each other). This puts less stress on the shoulders.

You have to balance and stabilize them individually, without help from the bar.

I actually found if you are used to the barbell, you will lift much less with dumbells, but if you are used to dumbells and switch back to a barbell, the difference isn't as great

This article has some interesting comparisons about how your strength totals should "translate" across various exercises:

TESTOSTERONE NATION - How Much Can You Lift (Wimp)?

It estimates dumbbell bench at about 77% of barbell bench.

As it happens, my personal experience comes in at about roughly that same amount.

Yeah, that's how it's done, you press the dumbbells like you would with a barbell, however you apply a slightly eliptical "flyish" motion, thus when you straighten your arms the dumbells nearly touch or touch eachother. The good thing about DB press compared to BB press is that the DBs don't restrict you to a linear motion like the BB's.
Type Dumbbell bench press on youtube you'll find some videos that show you how it's done.

I DB press with arms straight up and then turn my palms to face each other then bring them together and squeeze my chest.

I sort of see it as a cross between a press and a fly.

Do these 'proper' presses target the pecs more? I ask this because I don't feel it as much in my tris anymore.

Yep, most definitely. You should still feel a fair bit of tri-work though, depending on how far you lower the db's. As soon as you lower the db just below chest level, ie. when your elbows go below horizontal, you are going to involve the triceps.

There will be more pec area covered by using the db's as you're gonna be involving not only the outer, and middle areas of the chest, but also the inner-pecs when you reach the top of the press. So all in all, these are gonna be much better than barbell/bench pressing for 'developing' the chest.....the bench press will be better for providing mass development (size).

Howzit & Health New Year!

What is "offered" should not be taken as Absolute but should keep you interested in educating yourself with your physical bodily function and the use of progressive resistance exercise and selected resistance equipment.
The most significant aspect of your workout will be how well you perform the exercises. You will need to have someone with "lifting-experience" to offer what it is he or she sees. Remember that bad technique comes from bad body mechanics. Proper/good techniques comes through clear understanding of what is and what should be. What it is you make "right" can be done Better.

Dumbell exercises are great supplemental exercise that compliments Barbell exercises. DB exercises provides a bit more freedom and reduces stress of joint-muscle action by allowing the shoulder's ball-n-socket to move in a more normal rotational path to where the use of a barbell can hinder and limit the process.
This happens most of the time because the barbell is straight and the exerciser needs to find out positioning of hands-width, the contact spot of the bar touching the right area of the chest, breathing pattern, outward and inward phase-movement of the elbows and correct exercise-posture to stabilize/support the body through the movement. To bring up a few things.

What you can lift with a Barbell Bench Press is different because of the "Centering-stimulis factor" which simply means that there is more involvement of the whole body and you oppose to when using DBs - balancing and structural stability takes a second or two to kick-in.
Good Bench Pressers can Lift say 315 pounds but when they go on to DB Chest Press they can't "cleanly" do in each hand #150.

As for "touching" the DB together, it is best to leave a few inches between them because you will over-do the exercise by making the shoulder-arms do most of the work. The chest muscles stop or hits its peak before the DBs meet.
You can find out where and when if you lie down and place one hand on your pec (either one. you ain't got a big selection) and go through the Press motion and assess for your self than try to keep in mind when actually doing the DB exercise.
Bench Press is a good exercise and Db exercise are good too.

Before closing, please remember that active physical progressive exercises means that you are both student/teacher. The "sense of learning" is knowing that, which you don't know. Always challenge the knowledge that is offered (mine too) so understand what is useful and what is useless and keep on questioning.
Good Health To You and good luck!
mikey

I have a reconstructed shoulder, the orthopedic surgeon, two physical therapists, and a friend of mine who was a Mr. Michigan finalist all suggested I give up the barbell bench and stick with dumbbells when benching. The reason was freedom of movement and reduction of joint stress. I have tried pressing dumbbells as if they were a barbell as you describe and when the weight is significant I can feel the stress in my shoulder. The funny thing is push-ups cause no pain or discomfort. For my purposes the dumbbells and push-ups provide more then adequate training, so, personally I’ll stick with the dumbbells.

Btw, two horses together can pull more the sum of the horses individually, so why wouldn’t your arms and chest work the same way. Not as scientific as the other explanations but a tangible one.

Yeah I stick with the dumbbells as well pretty much all the time... that is unless I need to stroke my own ego and max out on the barbell bench.

Dumbbell benching I have found to make you stronger and rip you up more... I am go into the science of why I believe this but I will refrain from the bore of that.