Dumbbell Bench Press
The dumbbell version of the classic bench press — a chest exercise with more range of motion and friendlier on the shoulders than the barbell.
How to do it
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back, kicking the weights up to your chest.
- Plant your feet flat on the floor and pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
- Press the dumbbells up to full arm extension, with the weights over your shoulders.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to chest level with your elbows at about 45–60 degrees.
- Pause briefly when the dumbbells reach the sides of your chest, keeping full upper-back tension.
- Press the dumbbells back up explosively, driving through your chest and triceps to the top.
Key technique cue
Keep the shoulder blades in the bench all set, elbows ~45–60° — don't flare to 90° or clank the dumbbells.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Flaring the elbows out to 90 degrees, which overloads the front delts and weakens chest drive.
- ✕ Bringing the dumbbells together to clank at the top — lost range and no extra chest work.
- ✕ Losing the upper-back squeeze mid-set, which lets the shoulders roll forward under load.
- ✕ Cutting the range short and pressing only the top half, missing the deepest chest stretch.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds chest size, triceps and front delt strength through a greater range than the barbell.
- ✓ Trains both sides independently so neither arm can cheat.
- ✓ Easier on the shoulders than the fixed path of the barbell bench press.
Progression: from easier to harder
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About the exercise
The Dumbbell Bench Press is the dumbbell counterpart of the barbell bench press. Each arm presses its own load, which deepens the available range, allows a more natural shoulder path and forces both sides to do their share of the work. It is a chest, triceps and front delt exercise that usually feels better on the shoulders than the barbell. It is a core push-day exercise and the natural partner to the barbell version in any program. It is also the right pick for home gyms with limited equipment and for beginner programs where learning the barbell bench first is overkill.
Updated
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Intermediate Barbell High Incline Bench Press -
Intermediate Barbell Incline Bench Press
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