Lie on the bench and stick your chest out and pull your shoulders back and down. It’s okay for your back to arch as you do this. This will make it easier to work your chest and prevent the shoulders from taking over. Another benefit of doing this is that you’ll get a better stretch across your chest as you control the handles back. This stretch is important because muscles tend to grow best when placed under tension in a stretched position, also known as a lengthened position (muscles lengthen as they stretch).
Keep the handles low in your palms and your wrists straight so the handles are in line with your forearms. You’ll be stronger this way. You can position the handles however you’d like—horizontal as if you were grabbing a bar, neutral grip, or somewhere in between.
Press the handles away from you while keeping your chest out and shoudlers back. Focus on breaking the handles (more pressure placed near your index finger and thumb) and pressing your elbows together as you press. This focus can help increase the amount of stress placed on the chest
Control the handles down until the weight stack is just short of touching, or until the handles are about even with your torso. You should feel a stretch across your chest as you control the handles back.
