Demonstration
Watch the Form Demo
Technique
How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell resting upright on each thigh.
- Kick the dumbbells up one at a time as you lie back, so they start at chest height.
- Plant your feet and pin your shoulder blades back and down into the bench.
- Press the dumbbells up and slightly inward until your arms are straight.
- Lower under control until you feel a full stretch across the chest.
- Press back up without clashing the dumbbells at the top.
Anatomy
Muscles Worked
Do This
Form Cues
- Set the shoulder blades back and down into the bench and hold them there.
- Press up and slightly inward without clashing the dumbbells together.
- Lower until you feel a stretch across the chest, then press.
- Lower to where your chest stretches, not to a fixed depth. The extra range is the reason to choose dumbbells.
Avoid This
Common Mistakes
- Banging the dumbbells together at the top, which unloads the chest.
- Flaring the elbows straight out to 90 degrees.
- Cutting the range short and stopping well above chest level.
- Dropping the dumbbells from the top when the set ends instead of bringing them back to your thighs.
More to Explore
Variations & Related Exercises
Variations of this lift
Barbell Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Floor Press
Trains the same muscles
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
Assisted Machine Dip
Bench Dip
Cable Chest Press
Cable Fly
Chest Dip
Put It Into Practice
Workouts Featuring This Lift
2-Day Dumbbell Workout Plan
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2-Day Full Body Workout Plan
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3-Day Beginner Glute Workout Plan
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3-Day Dumbbell Home Workout Plan
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30-Minute Home Workout Plan
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4-Day Dumbbell Home Split
Train like you have a gym, from your spare room. Upper/lower split, four sessions per week, adjustable dumbbells and a…
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4-Day Gym Fat Loss Program
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4-Day Upper Lower Dumbbell Plan
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4-Week Dumbbell Workout Plan
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4-Week Fat Loss Workout Plan
A focused four-week plan to kickstart fat loss. Four sessions a week combining full-body strength training with metabolic finishers to…
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5-Day Dumbbell Split
A five-day body-part split you can run with nothing but a pair of dumbbells, training chest, back, shoulders, arms, and…
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6-Week Beginner Workout Plan
The perfect six-week introduction to the gym. Three full-body sessions a week teach you the fundamental lifts with clear form…
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8-Week Bench Press Specialization Program
Eight weeks devoted to a bigger bench press. Heavy pressing, targeted triceps and upper-back work, and the volume day that…
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8-Week Complete Beginner’s Workout Plan
Your 8-week roadmap to building a strong fitness foundation. No experience necessary, just consistency and a willingness to show up.
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8-Week Dumbbell Workout Plan
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Beginner Gym Workout Plan
Your first structured gym plan: two simple full-body workouts, alternated across three days a week, that teach the core lifts…
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Dumbbell Chest Workout
A dumbbell-only chest session that builds size and strength across your whole chest, using presses and flyes you can do…
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Dumbbell-Only Workout Program for Beginners
A complete 8-week strength program using nothing but dumbbells. Train at home, in a hotel gym, or at any basic…
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Fat Loss Workout Plan for Beginners
Your first structured fat loss plan. Three gym sessions per week using dumbbells and machines, active rest days to keep…
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Full Body Dumbbell Workout Plan
A full body dumbbell workout hitting every muscle three times a week. Simple, effective, and perfect for building muscle and…
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