Dumbbell Bench Press
How to do the Dumbbell Bench Press
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.
How to program the Dumbbell Bench Press
Sets and reps
As a compound movement, the Dumbbell Bench Press responds well to heavier loading. For strength, work in the 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps range with 2–3 minutes of rest between sets. For muscle growth, 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with 90 seconds of rest is the classic hypertrophy zone. Place it early in your session, when you're freshest, and leave 1–3 reps in reserve on most sets.
Progression
The Dumbbell Bench Press is beginner-friendly. Start with a load (or rep count) you can complete with clean form on every set, then add a small amount of weight or 1–2 reps each week. When you hit the top of your rep range on all sets, increase the load and drop back to the bottom of the range — simple double progression.
Secondary muscles worked
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Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Dumbbell Bench Press work?
The Dumbbell Bench Press primarily targets the Chest. It also recruits the Shoulders, Triceps as supporting muscles.
What equipment do I need for the Dumbbell Bench Press?
You need Dumbbell. Difficulty level: Beginner.
How many sets and reps of the Dumbbell Bench Press should I do?
For strength, do 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps with 2–3 minutes rest. For muscle growth, do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with about 90 seconds rest.
