Exercise guide
Dumbbell Bench Press
Chest · Dumbbell
Form cues
- Dumbbells at chest, palms forward
- Press up until arms lock out
- Lower slowly to chest level
How to do Dumbbell Bench Press, step by step
- 1Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs.
- 2The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
- 3Then, 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.
- 4Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you.
- 5The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle.
- 6Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times.
- 7This will be your starting position.
- 8Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up.
- 9Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly.
- 10Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
- 11Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
Muscles worked
- Main muscle
- Chest
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
Sets and reps
How the free programs use it:
- Bro SplitBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 6–8
- Arnold SplitBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 6–8
- Upper / LowerBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 6–8
- PPL + Upper / LowerBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 6–8
- PPL / Arnold HybridBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 6–8
- PPL / Arnold HybridChest & Back · 3 × 8–10
- Lower Body / Glute FocusUpper A · 3 × 8–10
- 2-Day Full BodyBeginner swap for Bench Press · 3 × 6–10
- Push / Pull / LegsBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 6–8
- Dumbbell Full BodyFull Body A · 3 × 8–12
- Power + Size Upper / LowerBeginner swap for Bench Press · 4 × 3–5
- Full BodyFull Body A · 3 × 8–10
Track it in Forged Axis
Log every set, see what you lifted last time, and get a new PR when you beat it. Want Devin to check your form? Higher coaching levels include form-check videos.