Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Also known as: Incline Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Incline Press

StrengthPush

Track this exercise in SmartWorkout

Log sets, weights and progress for free, with no workout limits.

Body Part: Chest

Description

Press two dumbbells from beside your upper chest to straight arms while lying on a bench set to 30–45°, to build the upper part of your chest. You feel a deep stretch just below the collarbones at the bottom; your front delts and triceps help, the triceps mostly near lockout. Compared with the flat dumbbell press, the incline shifts work toward the upper chest and shoulders, so most people use lighter dumbbells. Go for it instead of the incline barbell press when you train without a spotter or want each arm working on its own.

How to Perform

Set the backrest to 30–45° and leave the seat flat. If you slide down the bench, raise the seat one notch.
Sit with the dumbbells standing on your thighs near the knees, then lie back and kick them up to your shoulders with your knees.
Plant your feet flat, wider than your hips, knees bent about 90°. Glutes, upper back and head stay on the pads.
Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the backrest. A small natural arch in your lower back is fine.
Start with the dumbbells beside your upper chest, palms facing your feet, handles in one line and forearms vertical.
Press up and slightly in until your arms are straight over your shoulders. Stop with the dumbbells a few centimeters apart instead of clanging them.
Lower over about 2 seconds along the same arc until the handles reach your upper chest, elbows about 45–60° from your torso.
To finish, bring the dumbbells to your chest, then onto your thighs as you sit up. Never drop them from straight arms.

What Muscles Work

Primary Muscle:

Secondary Muscles:

Tips

Press 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps for muscle, or 5–8 for strength.
Keep the same pair until all your sets hit the top of the range, then move to the next pair (usually 1–2.5 kg more per dumbbell) and build the reps back up. With light dumbbells that jump is big, so expect to lose 2–4 reps at first.
A pinch at the front of the shoulder means the bottom is too deep for you today: stop a little higher, lower the backrest or switch to a neutral grip.
Dumbbells wobbling all over the place? Start on the Smith machine, or use lighter dumbbells at about 15–30°. Once the path feels solid, add a 2-second pause at the bottom or try the one-arm version.
Substitutes: Incline Barbell Bench Press, Incline Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press, Smith Incline Chest Press.

Common Mistakes

Backrest at 60° or steeper. At that angle your shoulders do most of the pressing; drop it to 30–45° and you'll feel the upper chest again.
Elbows flared out to 90° with the dumbbells drifting toward your neck at the bottom. Keep the dumbbells beside your upper chest and the elbows about 45–60° from your torso.
Hips leaving the seat, or an arch so big that the incline turns into a flat press. Glutes down, feet pushing into the floor, ribs down.
Wrists bent back and dumbbells drifting toward your face. Stack the handle over the wrist and the wrist over the elbow.