Do This Chest Exercise Immediately After Bench Press
Summary
Jeff Cavaliere of ATHLEANX presents a cable-based “ground and pound press” as an ideal complement to traditional pressing exercises like bench press, incline bench press, and weighted dips. The exercise addresses a key limitation of barbell and dumbbell pressing by introducing resisted adduction, targeting the chest through a strength curve that fills the gap left by conventional pressing movements. It also delivers significant core activation as a secondary benefit.
Key Points
- Standard pressing exercises have a weakness: With hands fixed on a barbell or dumbbells, the top of the press is the easiest portion — gravity acts straight down through the humerus, placing minimal tension on the chest at lockout.
- Resisted adduction is missing from most pressing: Full chest development requires not just pushing, but also adducting the arms across the body under resistance — something a fixed barbell cannot provide.
- The “ground and pound press” flips the strength curve: In the inverted cable position, the hardest point is at the bottom, where the cables pull the arms back and upward — the opposite of a traditional bench press.
- The movement combines a press and a crossover: You press downward and draw the hands across the body simultaneously, loading both the push and adduction functions of the chest.
- Cable angle drives adduction resistance: Setting the cables out wide ensures resistance is applied laterally, reinforcing the crossover/adduction component throughout the range of motion.
- Core activation is significantly higher: Performing the exercise in an inverted, ground-based position demands far more core stability than lying on a bench.
- A mechanical drop set is possible: By shifting body position relative to the cables, you can extend the set and increase overall stress on the chest without changing the load.
- Bands are a valid substitute: If no cable machine is available, heavy resistance bands anchored to a pull-up bar replicate the same movement pattern.
Exercise Details
Exercise: Ground and Pound Press (Inverted Cable Press)
Target Muscles:
- Primary: Chest (with emphasis on chest adduction)
- Secondary: Core stabilizers
Proper Form Cues:
- Set cables (or bands) out wide to maximize lateral resistance
- Press the hands down and across the body simultaneously — do not just push straight down
- Perform in alternating fashion, one arm at a time
- Maintain body position against the upward pull of the cables throughout the movement
Strength Curve:
- Resistance is greatest at the bottom of the movement (opposite of barbell bench press), making this a direct complement to standard pressing exercises
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Pressing straight down without the crossover/adduction component — this reduces chest engagement
- Neglecting core bracing, which is essential given the unsupported inverted position
Sets/Reps:
- No specific sets or reps prescribed; originally used as a power exercise with lighter weight and more acceleration for MMA athletes
- Recommended as a superset immediately following major compound pressing exercises