Dumbbell Bench Press
What Dumbbell Bench Press really gives you is a chest that grows from tension, driven by independent dumbbell loading.
How to do Dumbbell Bench Press
- Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
- Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.
- Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
Dumbbell Bench Press Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
3 sets of 5-6 reps with 2-3 minutes of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Hypertrophy
3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
Endurance
2-3 sets of 15-18 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Common Dumbbell Bench Press Mistakes
Letting the stronger arm set the pace for both sides
Match the weaker side rep for rep and stop when it stops.
Cutting the range short so the chest never lengthens
Lower under control to a real stretch before pressing back.
Easier and Harder Than Dumbbell Bench Press
Swap Dumbbell Bench Press For
Dumbbell Bench Press — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Bench Press?
Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other. Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width. Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position. Use dumbbells and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Dumbbell Bench Press work?
The Dumbbell Bench Press primarily targets the pectorals. It is classified as a chest exercise and is performed with dumbbells.
How many sets and reps of the Dumbbell Bench Press should I do?
For muscle growth: 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 90 seconds of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Dumbbell Bench Press good for beginners?
Yes. The Dumbbell Bench Press is a beginner-level movement, so it is a reasonable place to start. Keep the load light enough that you can control every rep and stop 2-3 reps short of failure while you learn the pattern.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Bench Press?
Try the Push-Up, Pec Deck Fly or the Cable Incline Fly (on Stability Ball). Each trains the pectorals with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
