Svend Press Benefits, Muscle Worked and Varations

Svend Press: Benefits, Muscle Worked and Variation

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The svend press is a chest exercise that some people think is a little weird. It’s mostly used as an at-home chest exercise and as an alternative chest exercise without a bench.

It is an alternative and free weights exercise that primarily targets the chest, and to a lesser degree that also targets the shoulders and the triceps.

In this exercise guide, we will dwell deeper into the How to do svend press and look at what muscles do it work. What are the benefits of using it, how to do it with proper form and technique, and some variations of it.

What is Svend Press

But what is a svend press? Well, it might look like a pressing exercise, but it’s actually a chest exercise that focuses on applying constant tension and isometrically work to your chest.

The exercise is done by taking a few plates and pushing them together with your palms at your chest height, then slowly pushing your hands outwards while constantly pushing your hands against the plate. You can also add variations in standing svend press by using Dumbbell and by doing it on a bench.

Svend Press Exercise can be integrated into the chest workout to increase muscle hypertrophy, and create chiseled and defined pectorals.

The standing squeeze press is not a major mass-building exercise. You can use it to warm up your chest at the start of a chest workout or to flush your chest at the end of your chest workout.

You can also do a Svend press as a superset with a primary chest exercise, like the bench press. In other words, as soon as you complete a set of the bench press, you should perform the Svend press.

Svend Press Muscles Worked

Even when it comes to a simple question like what muscles do this exercise work, there are many discrepancies and different opinions.

Plate Squeeze Press
  • Svend Press primarily targets the chest.
  • Your shoulders and especially your front deltoids will work isometrically throughout the exercise to keep your arms and the weight up and moving in a straight path. 
  • Your arms will also receive their share of work because you are constantly squeezing the plates together. This affects mostly your biceps, but also your triceps to a degree.

Svend Press Benefits

Many people have their share of doubts about the standing svend press aka plate press. Its overall effectiveness as a muscle builder might be doubtable, but the exercise still has a few benefits.

  •  The svend chest press is quite a budget-friendly exercise, meaning it doesn’t really need any special equipment. It is a good option for a home chest workout.
  • The Svend chest press exercise will also help you enhance the mind-muscle connection you have with your pectoral muscles.
  • It’s a different way to train your chest and front deltoids. Usually, when we train our muscles eccentrically meaning by movement, either by pulling or pushing heavy objects. Well, the svend press trains your muscles isometrically. Basically, by keeping your muscle under constant tension for a longer period of time. 
  • Overcoming a bench press plateau.

Exercise Tips and Recommendations

Here are some helpful hints (key elements to consider) on how to perform the Svend chest press exercise safely and effectively.

  • Make sure to perform a decent and thorough warm-up before starting the exercise.
  • Keep the weight pinched between your palms, and do not hold it any way with your fingers. 
  • When performing the svend press, try to keep your chest and pecs contracted and under tension throughout the exercise.
  • Use as comfortable and smooth plates as possible, so it would be better to press your palms against them. 
  • Do not sway back and forth with your body. Moreover, avoid leaning backward or arching your back at all costs.
  • This exercise is all about time under tension, so do not rush here and don’t move your arms too fast. The slower you go, the better.
  • Try to move in as a straight path as possible and avoid dropping your arms, lifting them up, or swinging up and down.
  • Don’t overdo it with weight. A heavier weight means your form and technique will largely suffer, and the effort will shift more on your shoulder muscles than your pecs. 
  • As this exercise depends largely on time under tension, then you should keep your repetitions longer, anywhere from 10 to 20 reps.
  • Keep your core engaged, and your abs contracted and tight for the whole exercise. 

1. Standing Svend Press Exercise Guide

Plate press is one of the best inner chest exercise. It is an alternative and free weights exercise that primarily targets the inner chest, and to a lesser degree that also targets the shoulders and the triceps.

Svend Press Benefits, Muscle Worked and Varations

How To Do

  1. Grab 2-3 plates and squeeze them together with your palms.
  2. Pull your shoulders back and stick out your chest.
  3. Bring the plates to the middle of your chest, extend your arms forward and slightly upward.
  4. Contract your chest as hard as possible. Reverse your arms in the exact same movement pattern.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Svend press variations

The variations are based on the equipment you use and the position you are in.

For example, while the original version of this exercise is meant to be done while standing up, it can also be done either by lying down, kneeling, or even sitting.

Also, you can replace the weightlifting plates with a dumbbell, kettlebell, or even a medicine ball.

Here we will discus the following Svend Press variations.

  • Lying Svend Press
  • Incline Svend Press
  • Dumbbell Svend Press
  • Kneeling svend press
  • Cable Landmine Press

2. Lying Svend Press

Lying svend press is a great and much more effective way to target and of course train your chest compared to the standing version. It can be used as a great at-home bench press alternative.

In this variation, you perform the exercise while lying flat on the bench or on the floor, with your weight on your chest.

The lying svend press will focus a lot more on your whole chest muscles because it’s an upwards pushing movement from a dead stop.

Lying Svend Press

Muscle Worked

  • Primary muscles worked: Pectoral muscles, Front deltoids
  • Secondary muscles worked: Middle deltoids, Biceps, Triceps, and Core

How To Do Lying Svend Press

  • Lie down flat on the bench or on the floor. Press the plate and position them in the centre of your chest.
  • Keeping the tension, press them up and away from your chest. Try to keep them in a straight line.
  • Lower the weights down to your chest again, making sure to maintain the pressure between the plates throughout.
  • Keep squeezing the weight and contracting your chest throughout the exercise. Once your arms are completely extended, pause the movement for a few seconds and then slowly return down.

3. Incline Svend Press

The incline variation is done by lying down on a 30 to 45-degree bench. It will target more of your upper chest muscles and your front deltoids. 

lncline Svend Press

Muscle Worked

  • Primary muscles worked: Upper Chest, Front deltoids
  • Secondary muscles worked: Lower chest, Middle deltoids, Biceps, Triceps, and Core

How To Do Incline Svend Press

  1. Grab a weight plate that you are able to handle.
  2. Get a workout bench and raise it to an incline.
  3. Bring the plates to the middle of your chest, extend your arms forward and slightly upward.
  4. Keep squeezing the weight and contracting your chest throughout the exercise, and then bring it back inward.
  5. Do this the desired number of times. 

4. Dumbbell Svend Press

In this variation, you will be using a dumbbell or even two to perform the exercise. Using dumbbells will allow you to use more weight. It is especially good and useful while you perform the exercise lying position.

Dumbbell Svend Press

How To Do Dumbbell Svend Press

  1. Lie down on a bench and grab the dumbbell that you are able to handle.
  2. Press the dumbbells together and position them in the centre of your chest and then, keeping the tension, press them up and away from your chest.
  3. Lower the weights down to your chest again, making sure to maintain the pressure between the dumbbells throughout.
  4. Keep squeezing the weight and contracting your chest throughout the exercise. Once your arms are completely extended, pause the movement for a few seconds and then slowly return down.

Other Variations of the Svend Press Exercise:

  • Kneeling svend press – This version is done by kneeling down on the ground. You will use less of your core muscles when kneeling on the floor. Also, it will keep your body firmer and more fixed.
  • Cable svend press: In these exercises, you will use cables instead of other equipment. It can be done standing, kneeling, sitting, or even lying down. The cables will make the exercise more difficult because they will be constantly trying to pull your hands apart.
  • Seated svend press – This variation is as straightforward as it sounds. It has the same benefits as the kneeling version.

Svend Press Alternatives

Below are three alternative exercises to the Svend press that help increase chest strength and muscle hypertrophy.

  • Dumbbell Floor Press
  • The Landmine Chest Press
  • Floor Press with Bands

Takeaways

The Svend press would primarily boost your chest, so it appears that other accessory exercises such as dips, pushups, and flyes will do much more than that for chest growth. The Svend press does, however, have specific uses.

It can be used to diversify your chest workout and can even help overcome stagnation and help you make continued progress.

People also ask

Does Svend press work?

Svend Press Exercise work the chest workout to increase muscle hypertrophy, and create chiseled and defined pectorals. The Svend press can be a great way to avoid strains on your shoulder joints and rotator cuff while still increasing the muscle growth of your chest muscles.

What can I use instead of Svend press?

There are many other exercises that are better than the svend press for training the chest muscles. Below are three alternative exercises to the Svend press that help increase chest strength and muscular size.

  • Dumbbell Floor Press
  • The Landmine Chest Press
  • Floor Press with Bands

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