One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do the One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in one hand on top of your thigh.
2. By using your thigh to help you get the dumbbell up, clean the dumbbell up so that you can hold it in front of you at shoulder width. Use the hand you are not lifting with to help position the dumbbell over you properly.
3. Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrist forward so that the palm of your hand is facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
4. Bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe in. Keep full control of the dumbbell at all times. Tip: Use the hand that you are not lifting with to help keep the dumbbell balance as you may struggle a bit at first. Only use your non-lifting hand if it is needed. Otherwise, keep it resting to the side.
5. As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
6. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
7. Switch arms and repeat the movement.

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 One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

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

Superset the One Arm 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 One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press work?

The One Arm 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 One Arm 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 One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press suitable for beginners?

Yes, the One Arm 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 One Arm Dumbbell Bench Press go in a workout?

Early — the One Arm 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