Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
An incline dumbbell press targeting the upper chest, front delts, and triceps — a cornerstone of upper-chest training.
How to do it
- Set a bench to 30-45 degrees and sit down with a dumbbell resting on each thigh.
- Kick the dumbbells up to your shoulders one at a time, then lie back with the weights at chest level.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench, feet flat on the floor.
- Press both dumbbells straight up to full arm extension until the weights nearly touch overhead.
- Lower under control to chest level with your elbows at roughly 45-60 degrees from your torso.
- Pause briefly at the bottom, then press powerfully back up, finishing every rep with a strong lockout.
Key technique cue
Press the dumbbells straight up, not out, elbows ~45–60° — bench no steeper than 45°.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Flaring the elbows straight out to the sides, which stresses the front shoulders and takes work off the chest.
- ✕ Setting the bench too steep, which turns the movement into a shoulder press and loses the upper-chest focus.
- ✕ Bouncing the dumbbells at the bottom or stopping short, missing the productive chest stretch.
- ✕ Pressing the dumbbells wide and outward instead of straight up, which destabilizes the lift and shortens the press.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds upper-chest size and a visible upper line.
- ✓ Develops front-delt and triceps strength alongside the chest.
- ✓ Trains each side independently, correcting side-to-side pressing imbalances.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 2 You are here - Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
- Barbell Incline Bench Press
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Step 3
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Incline Bench Press loads the upper chest, front shoulders, and triceps through a press performed on a bench set at 30-45 degrees. Using dumbbells instead of a barbell gives each side an independent range of motion and lets the lifter find a comfortable wrist and elbow path under load. It is a go-to upper-chest exercise. It fits every push day, every hypertrophy program, and any aesthetics-focused training trying to build a visible upper chest. It also covers the need for both unilateral and bilateral training, making it useful for beginners and advanced lifters alike.
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