Dumbbell Bench Press: Muscles Worked and How to Do It
TL;DR
The dumbbell bench press is a chest-focused pressing exercise: your chest drives the dumbbells up while your shoulders and triceps assist by extending the arms. Dumbbells let each arm move independently, so this variation also demands more shoulder stability than a barbell press.
- Primary muscle:
- Chest
- Secondary muscles:
- Shoulders, Triceps
Muscles worked
Your chest is the prime mover, pressing the dumbbells up and slightly inward as your arms extend. Because each dumbbell moves independently, the chest has to control the weight through a freer path than a fixed barbell allows.
Your shoulders, mainly the front delts, assist through the pressing motion, and they also work harder here to stabilize each dumbbell independently. Your triceps finish the lift by straightening the elbows as you lock out at the top.
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How to do it
- 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.
Form tips
- Bring the dumbbells to shoulder level using your thighs to help lift them into position before you lie back.
- Lower the dumbbells until your upper arms are roughly level with the bench, not lower than feels controlled.
- Press the dumbbells up and slightly together at the top to keep tension on the chest.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your shoulder blades pulled back against the bench.
Exercise details
| Equipment | Dumbbell |
|---|---|
| Level | Beginner |
| Mechanic | Compound |
Used by lifters following PPL, 5x5, upper/lower, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumbbell bench press better than barbell bench press?
Neither is strictly better. Dumbbells let each arm move through a more natural path and demand more shoulder stability, while a barbell usually lets you handle more total weight. Many lifters use both across a training week.
How many reps should I do on dumbbell bench press?
For muscle size, 6-12 reps per set with a challenging weight is a common target. If pure strength is the goal, work in the 6-rep-or-fewer range at a higher percentage of your max, ideally with a spotter.
What's a good variation to add lower-chest emphasis?
A decline bench press shifts more of the work onto the lower chest, making it a useful addition alongside a flat dumbbell press.
More chest exercises
Exercise instructions and photos come from the free-exercise-db library, public domain, the same library used inside the PR Streak app.
