Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do the Dumbbell Bench Press

1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
2. Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
3. Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.
4. Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	chest
Secondary	shoulders, triceps
Equipment	dumbbell
Difficulty	beginner
Type	compound

No dumbbell? Train the same muscles with these

Ordered by how likely you are to own the 6 options.

Clock Push-Up Bodyweight Decline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Medium Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Reverse Grip Bodyweight Incline Push-Up Wide Bodyweight

Harder than the Dumbbell Bench Press

Plyo Kettlebell Pushups expert · Kettlebell Flat Bench Cable Flyes intermediate · Cable Machine Incline Cable Flye intermediate · Cable Machine

Superset the Dumbbell Bench Press with

Opposing middle back work — alternate sets without extra rest.

Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row middle back Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In middle back Dumbbell Incline Row middle back One-Arm Dumbbell Row middle back

Common questions

What muscles does the Dumbbell Bench Press work?

The Dumbbell Bench Press primarily works the chest, with the shoulders and triceps as secondary movers. Alternating Floor Press, Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, and Barbell Guillotine Bench Press train the same muscle, across 11 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Dumbbell Bench Press?

Dumbbells. Without dumbbells, Clock Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, and Incline Push-Up train the same muscle, and 17 of the catalogue's options for this muscle need no equipment.

Is the Dumbbell Bench Press suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Dumbbell Bench Press is rated beginner. Plyo Kettlebell Pushups, Flat Bench Cable Flyes, and Incline Cable Flye are the progressions from here.

Where should the Dumbbell Bench Press go in a workout?

Early — the Dumbbell Bench Press is compound, working 3 muscle groups, so run it first or second while you are fresh, then superset Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row and Bent Over Two-Dumbbell Row With Palms In later.

Similar exercises

Alternating Floor Press Kettlebell Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Barbell Guillotine Bench Press Barbell Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip Barbell Bench Press - With Bands Resistance Bands Bent-Arm Dumbbell Pullover Dumbbell