Dumbbell Bench Press
How to do it
Starting position
- Lie on the bench and plant both feet firmly on the floor.
- Hold the dumbbells and raise them with your palms facing your feet.
- Keep your head, back, and glutes on the bench, and look at the ceiling.
Movement
- Keep your forearms perpendicular to the floor.
- Slowly press the dumbbells up and straighten your arms.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Breathing
Inhale as you lower the dumbbells and exhale as you raise them.
Trainer tips
- Lower the dumbbells deep to the sides of your chest
- As you lift, focus on squeezing your chest together
- Pin your shoulder blades against the bench
Cautions
- Bending your wrists back strains the joints, so hold the dumbbells straight.
- If your shoulders shrug up, it can cause rotator cuff injuries, so keep your back locked in.
- When lifting heavy weight, have a spotter stay close to your wrists.
- Banging the dumbbells together at the top
- Flaring the elbows excessively when lowering
- Overarching the lower back to lift the chest
Exercise info
| Primary muscles |  Chest |
|---|---|
| Secondary muscles | Front delts · Triceps |
| Equipment |  Dumbbell Flat bench |
| Movement pattern | Horizontal push |
| Rep range | 8–12 reps |
25 similar exercises
Representative exercise: Dumbbell Bench Press
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- Svend Bench Press
- Dumbbell Lying Hammer Press (version 2)
- Dumbbell JM Bench Press
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- Dumbbell Rotational Bench Press
- Dumbbell Close Grip Press
- Dumbbell Decline Bench Press
- Dumbbell Lying One Arm Press
- Dumbbell Reverse Grip Bench Press
- Dumbbell Decline Hammer Press
- Dumbbell Alternate Bench Press (High Start)
- Smith Reverse-grip Press
- Dumbbell Decline One Arm Hammer Press
- Barbell JM Press
- Dumbbell 2 Point Bench Press
- Dumbbell 3 Point Bench Press
- Dumbbell Opposite 2 Point Bench Press
- Smith JM Bench Press
- EZ Barbell JM Bench Press
- Dumbbell Hammer Press on Exercise Ball
- Dumbbell One Arm Side Lying Bench Press
- Kettlebell Reverse Grip Bench Press
- Dumbbell One Arm Wide Grip Bench Press
- Dumbbell Single Arm Alternate Decline Bench Press
Exercise GuideAre you letting the dumbbells drop as you lower them?Watch the video and see how to fix it
How GYMKC sets the weight for this exercise
For example, if you do 8 reps with 12 kg in each hand and log that you could have done about 2 more, GYMKC estimates your 1RM per hand at about 16.2 kg.
With the dumbbell, each step is 2 kg (5 lb), so the next weight is 14 kg per hand. Within your 8–12 reps target, the sets you log decide whether to add reps first or add weight.
These numbers are an example of how the calculation works. Your actual prescription is recalculated every set from your own records. See how the calculation works
Related exercises
Dumbbell Single Arm Floor PressHarderDumbbell 45 degrees PressHarderDumbbell Floor PressSimilar exerciseMachine Incline Chest PressSimilar exerciseKneeling Push-UpSimilar exerciseBarbell Larsen PressSame muscle · different equipmentBand Chest PressSame muscle · different equipment
This information is based on our analysis of public content from evidence-based training experts in Korea and abroad. It is not a substitute for medical advice.
Weights and sets differ from person to person. The GYMKC app uses the sets you log to calculate the weight and reps for your next set.