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How to do it
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back as you kick 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 until your arms are fully extended, with the weights stacked over your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly to chest level with the elbows tracked at about 45 to 60 degrees.
- Pause briefly when the dumbbells reach the side of your chest, keeping full upper-back tension.
- Press the dumbbells back up explosively by driving through the chest and triceps to the top.
Common mistakes
- Letting the elbows flare wide to 90 degrees, which strains the front shoulders and weakens the chest drive.
- Pressing the dumbbells together at the top so they clack — wasted range and no extra chest work.
- Losing the upper-back squeeze mid-set, causing the shoulders to roll forward under load.
- Cutting the range short and pressing only the top half, missing the deepest stretch on the chest.
Muscles worked
Good to know
- What muscles does the Dumbbell Bench Press work?
- Mainly the chest. It also works the triceps.
- What equipment do you need for the Dumbbell Bench Press?
- It uses dumbbells. Without it, the Bodyweight Knee Push Ups and the Cable Bench Press train the same muscles the same way.
- Is the Dumbbell Bench Press good for beginners?
- GymVim rates it beginner.