Dumbbell Bench Press

Also known as: Flat Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Chest Press, DB Bench Press

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Body Part: Chest

Description

Lying on a flat bench, you press a dumbbell in each hand from the sides of your chest to straight arms to build chest and triceps strength and size. Your chest is the main mover, mainly the middle and lower fibers, while the triceps straighten your elbows and the front delts help off the bottom. Compared with a barbell, the dumbbells travel deeper and meet at the top, and each arm carries its own load, so a weaker side can't hide. It's also easy to bail out of when you train alone: if a rep stalls, set the dumbbells down on the floor beside you.

How to Perform

Sit on the end of a flat bench with the dumbbells standing on end on your thighs, close to your knees.
Lie back and push each knee up into its dumbbell as you go, so the weights arrive at your chest instead of being swung up.
Plant your feet flat, hip-width or a little wider, knees bent about 90°. Head, upper back and glutes stay on the pad.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench and leave them there. A small arch in your lower back is fine.
With the handles in one line and knuckles to the ceiling, press up and slightly in to straight arms, dumbbells almost touching.
Take 2–3 seconds to lower them out and down beside your mid to lower chest, forearms vertical and elbows about 45–60° from your sides.
Stop when your elbows dip just below the bench, or sooner if your shoulders complain, then press the next rep without a bounce.
To get up, bring the dumbbells to your chest, curl your knees up and rock to sitting with the weights back on your thighs.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Press 2–4 sets of 6–12 reps. Heavy sets of 5–8 work too, but getting big dumbbells into position soon becomes the limit, not your chest.
Stay with one pair until you get 12 on every set, then move to the next pair, usually 1–2.5 kg more per hand. On light dumbbells that is a big jump, so start again near the bottom of the range.
Expect a stretch across your chest at the bottom. A sharp pinch at the front of the shoulder means go less deep or switch to a neutral grip.
Too wobbly? Start with the Floor Dumbbell Press: the floor stops your elbows at a safe depth. For a harder version, lift your feet into a Dumbbell Larsen Press or pause 1–2 seconds at the chest.
Substitutes: Barbell Bench Press when you have a rack or spotter and want heavier loads, Hammer Grip Dumbbell Bench Press for cranky shoulders, Floor Dumbbell Press, or Push-Up with no equipment at all.

Common Mistakes

Dumbbells drifting toward your face or neck with the forearms tilted. Keep each one stacked over its elbow and lower it to the line of your lower chest, not your collarbones.
Elbows flared straight out in a T at the bottom. Tuck them to about 45–60° so the dumbbells finish beside your lower chest.
Clanking the dumbbells together at the top. The rep is done when your elbows are straight, so stop a few centimeters apart.
Shoulders rolling up off the bench at lockout. Reach only as far as straight elbows and keep the shoulder blades pinned.
Swinging the weights up from the floor or dropping them from straight arms. Get in with the knee kick-up and get out the same way.
One arm lagging, or the reps getting shallower as the set gets hard. Let the weaker arm set the pace and end the set when either arm misses a clean rep.