How to do a Svend Press
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Svend Press
Instructions for Proper Form
Svend Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike traditional presses, it involves pressing a pair of plates together with both hands, which increases tension in the chest throughout the movement. This is a great exercise for achieving better muscle activation by focusing on squeezing the chest muscles, making it an excellent addition to any chest workout.
- Stand in an upright posture with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Press two light barbell plates between your palms and position them in the middle of your chest just below shoulder height.
- Continue to press the barbell plates together as you extend your arms forward keeping the plates in front of the middle of your chest.
- You should remain in an upright posture as you flex your elbows to return the barbell plates back to the starting position.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Svend Press standards by male, female, weight, age and height
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Alternative Exercises to Svend Press
1. Dumbbell Floor Press
73.8 mSCORESWAPPED 611 TIMESThe Dumbbell Floor Press targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders, offering a safer alternative to the bench press by limiting the range of motion. This exercise is effective for strengthening the upper body, with a focus on the lockout portion of the press, enhancing tricep strength and reducing shoulder strain. Ideal for those with limited equipment or seeking to minimize shoulder stress while still engaging the chest and arms.
2. Push Up on Knees
83.4 mSCORESWAPPED 560 TIMESPush Up on Knees is a beginner-friendly variation of the standard Push Up. This compound, bodyweight exercise primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. By performing the exercise on your knees, you reduce the overall resistance, making it easier to execute. This is a great exercise for building the foundational strength needed to progress to full Push Ups.
- Beginner
- Chest
3. Walkout to Push Up
15.4 mSCORESWAPPED 323 TIMESCombines a forward walkout with a push-up, targeting the chest, shoulders, core, and arm muscles. This full-body exercise improves flexibility, stability, and strength, making it perfect for a dynamic warm-up or conditioning.
- Beginner
- Chest
4. Hand Release Push Up
93.3 mSCORESWAPPED 271 TIMESHand Release Push Up is a variation on the standard push up. While the movement itself is nearly identical to a standard push up, by lifting your hands off the ground, you ensure that you’re moving through your full range of motion on each repetition.
- Beginner
- Chest
5. Push Up
94.5 mSCORESWAPPED 266 TIMESPush Ups may be the most recognizable exercises out there. It’s one of the best bodyweight exercises you can do, and is a great way to develop functional strength in your upper body for pushing movements. It’s fantastic for beginners, or anyone with limited equipment, while still being a great addition for even the most seasoned lifters.
- Intermediate
- Chest
6. Dumbbell Fly
98.3 mSCORESWAPPED 262 TIMESDumbbell Fly’s are one of the most common isolation chest exercises, and for good. It primarily targets the muscles in the chest, but also recruits the shoulders for stability. The use of dumbbells ensures that you’re targeting each side of the body independently, and prevents compensating for any weaknesses between sides. In addition the isolated nature of this exercise is a great way to fatigue your chest, and focus on building both muscle mass and increasing strength in your chest.
7. Dumbbell Bench Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 234 TIMESDumbbell Bench Press is a variation on the standard Bench Press. Like Bench Press, this compound exercise primarily targets the chest, while also training the triceps and shoulders. The use of dumbbells allows for greater instability which can help you become more stable on pushing movements in general, while also isolating each side of the body to prevent you from compensating for any weaknesses between sides.
8. Machine Fly
98.2 mSCORESWAPPED 233 TIMESMachine Fly is a variation on the more standard Dumbbell Fly. This isolation chest exercise primarily targets the chest, but also recruits the shoulders. The use of a machine makes the exercise more stable allowing you to focus on exertion or learn the movement with minimal risk of injury. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to learn the movement, or advanced lifters looking to push this movement to it’s limit.
- Beginner
- Chest
- Fly Machine
9. Dumbbell Squeeze Press
91.1 mSCORESWAPPED 213 TIMESSimilar to other Bench Press variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Unlike many other variations, some of the tension from this exercise is caused by pressing two dumbbells together rather than simply relying on the weight of those dumbbells. This helps maintain more tension in your chest throughout the movement without relying on other pieces of equipment. The positioning of the dumbbells can also take some tension out of your shoulders, and helps to further isolate your chest.
10. Incline Svend Press
28.9 mSCORESWAPPED 212 TIMESIncline Svend Press is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the chest. By performing this exercise on an incline bench, you can add more emphasis to the upper chest and shoulders. The Svend Press component involves compressing two weights together which helps activate the chest muscles more deeply. This is a great variation to improve muscle activation and build strength in the upper chest.