How to do the dumbbell bench press
The dumbbell bench press gives you a longer range of motion than a barbell and forces each side to work on its own. It is often kinder to the shoulders and it is the obvious lift to use when you train without a spotter.
- Type
- Lift
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and Bench
- Works
- Chest and Triceps
- Also worked
- Front deltoids and Rotator cuff
- Also called
- DB Bench and Dumbbell Chest Press
Set up
- Sit on the end of the bench with a dumbbell resting on each thigh.
- Kick one knee up at a time as you lie back, letting the momentum bring the dumbbells to your shoulders.
- Set your shoulder blades down and back, feet flat on the floor.
- Press both dumbbells up to arm's length over your shoulders.
The rep
- Lower the dumbbells under control until your upper arms are roughly level with your torso.
- Keep your elbows at about 45 degrees from your body, wrists stacked over your elbows.
- Press back up and slightly together without clanking the dumbbells at the top.
- At the end of the set, bring the dumbbells to your chest and sit up with them rather than dropping them to the sides.
Cues that help
- Wrists over elbows the whole way — a bent wrist bleeds force.
- Lower until you feel a stretch across the chest, then stop.
- Press up and slightly inward, not straight out to the sides.
Common mistakes
Going too deep
Dumbbells let you drop below the point where the shoulder is safely supported. Stop when your upper arm is level with your torso.
Logging total weight instead of per-hand
Two 30 kg dumbbells is either "30" or "60" depending on how you record it. Pick one convention and never change it.
Dropping the dumbbells at the end
Sit up with them under control. It is both safer and how you get to use the heavy dumbbells at a busy gym without being asked to leave.
How to progress it
Dumbbell jumps are large — often 2.5 kg (5 lb) per hand, which is a 5 kg jump on the lift. Add reps within a range of 8 to 12 until you can hit the top of the range on every set, then take the next pair up.
How to track it
Log the weight of one dumbbell, not the pair. Every gym labels dumbbells individually, so per-hand weight is the number you can actually look up next session.
Log your dumbbell bench press
Opens the lift form with Dumbbell Bench Press already filled in. Free account, no card.
Dumbbell Bench Press questions
Dumbbell or barbell bench press?
Barbell lets you load more and progress in smaller steps. Dumbbells give a longer range and stop your strong side carrying your weak side. Most people benefit from doing both across a week.
How heavy should dumbbells be compared to my barbell bench?
Very roughly, the pair together comes out well under your barbell max because of the stability cost. Do not try to match them; just track each on its own.
My shoulders hurt on flat dumbbell press.
Try a slight incline, tuck the elbows more, and shorten the bottom of the range. If it still hurts, it is worth getting looked at rather than working around.