• Fitness & Health
• Sport & Exercise Science
• Physical Education
• Strength & Conditioning
• Sports Medicine
• Sport Management
• Dance

How to perform a dumbbell bench press

This is an excerpt from Exercises for Resistance Training by Lauren R. Tapp,Joshua Wludyga.

Primary Muscles Trained

Pectoralis major and anterior deltoid (shoulder horizontal adduction); triceps brachii (elbow extension)

Beginning Position

• Sit on a bench with both feet on the floor and one dumbbell in each hand.
• Lean back into a supine position on the bench while positioning your hands and dumbbells over your shoulders.
• Grip the dumbbells firmly with your wrists in a pronated position.

Movement Phases

1. While exhaling, press the dumbbells straight up by extending your arms.
2. While inhaling, lower the dumbbells until they are aligned with your chest.

Teaching Cues

• Keep your wrists in a pronated position throughout the movement.
• Bring your hands slightly closer together at the top of the movement.
• Lower the dumbbells in a controlled manner.

Spotting Guidelines

With heavier dumbbells, the lifter may need assistance. Depending on the needs of the lifter, the spotter may or may not help get the lifter get started by allowing the lifter to get in position and then handing them one dumbbell at a time. During the exercise, the spotter should stand behind the bench, ready to act when the lifter struggles. The spotter should place a firm grip with each hand around the wrists of the lifter. Spotting at the elbows is incorrect as it could allow forward or backward movement of the dumbbell. At the completion of the exercise, the spotter should retrieve one dumbbell at a time from the lifter while they are still in the active position.

Exercise Variations

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

In this variation, the back pad of the bench is set at an upward angle (approximately 45 degrees). The lifter will lower the dumbbells to the top of their chest and then extend the elbows, pressing straight up. All other positions and movement cues are similar.

One-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

In this variation, the lifter will hold both dumbbells in the beginning position but press only one dumbbell up at a time. The lifter can perform the entire set on the same side and then repeat on the other side, or they can perform one set in an alternating pattern, completing one full repetition before beginning the next repetition on the opposite side. This variation can be performed on a flat, incline, or decline bench.

Exercise Modification

Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

As an alternative to a pronated grip, the lifter can turn the palms inward, assuming a neutral grip. In addition to emphasizing triceps involvement, this grip may be more comfortable for lifters with shoulder limitations.

More Excerpts From Exercises for Resistance Training

---