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Dumbbell bench press
More range than with the barbell, each side on its own and your shoulder much freer to settle where it feels right. In exchange, you have to learn how to get them up and how to put them down.
What it works
- Pecs, with more range than with the barbell
- Triceps and front delts, which press along with them
- The shoulder stabilizers, which work much harder here
How to do it
- 1Get the dumbbells up while seated
With the dumbbells resting on your thighs, lie back using a push from your knees. Don't lift them off the floor once you're lying down.
- 2Set your body
Shoulder blades together and pulled down, chest up, feet firmly on the floor. That's the base you press from.
- 3Lower with your elbows at about forty-five degrees
Neither tucked against your body nor flared all the way out. Lower until the dumbbells are at chest height, feeling the stretch.
- 4Press and bring them in slightly
Push up in a gentle arc, bringing the dumbbells closer at the top without banging them together. Stop before your elbow locks out.
- 5Put them down carefully
When you finish, bring them to your thighs and sit up using the momentum. Dropping them out to the sides with your arms straight is the classic way to hurt your shoulder.
The mistakes you see most
- Flaring your elbows all the way. In line with your shoulders, the shoulder ends up in its worst position. Forty-five degrees is the comfortable reference for almost everyone.
- Bouncing off your chest. With dumbbells there's no bar to stop them: you have to control the lowering. Dropping fast is asking your shoulder to act as the brake.
- Lifting your hips. If your butt comes off the bench to get the last rep, the set was already over.
- Picking the wrong weight. With dumbbells, the jump from one pair to the next is big. It's better to go lighter and add reps than to be unable to get them into position.
Variations
- On an incline bench. At thirty degrees it loads the upper chest more. It's the most common incline.
- Palms facing each other. Keeps your elbows closer to your body, brings in more triceps and usually suits sensitive shoulders.
- Single-arm. Forces your abs to stop your body from rotating. Little weight and a lot of stability work.
- On the floor. The floor stops the lowering, so your shoulder never fully stretches. A good option when your shoulder is sore.
Frequently asked questions
Dumbbells or barbell?
The barbell moves more weight and is easier to track. Dumbbells give more range, even out both sides and let your shoulder find its position. You don't have to choose: the barbell for strength, the dumbbells for range.
How much weight is equivalent to the barbell?
You usually move quite a bit less in total, and that's normal: each arm has to stabilize on its own. Comparing the two numbers doesn't tell you anything useful.
How do you get them into position without hurting yourself?
Seated, with the dumbbells resting on your thighs, then lie back pushing with your knees. To finish, the way back: to your thighs and sit up. Never get them out or drop them with your arms straight out to the sides.
Should I bring them together at the top?
Bring them close, yes; bang them together, no. At the end of the range your chest is barely working, and knocking them together only wears on your wrist.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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