Incline Dumbbell Press
You lie back on the incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand at chest height. From there you press both dumbbells up until your arms are straight, then lower them slowly back to chest height.
In the incline dumbbell press you lie back on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand at chest height. From there you press both dumbbells up until your arms are straight, then lower them slowly again.
The chest leads the movement, with the front delt and triceps helping out. The steeper the bench, the more work the front delt takes on, and the lighter the weight you can handle cleanly.
Because each hand holds its own dumbbell, each side has to work for itself, while your back, head and hips hold your position on the bench.
Starting position
Set the bench to a medium incline and sit back so your back and head rest on the pad. Take a dumbbell in each hand and bring them to chest height with your palms facing forward.
Your elbows sit a little below shoulder height and point out to the sides. Your feet stay flat on the floor.
Now press both dumbbells up together until your arms are straight. Your back, head and hips stay on the bench.
From the top, lower the dumbbells slowly until they are back at chest height.
The three cues
- Back and head resting on the pad
- Dumbbells at chest height, elbows a little below shoulder height
- Press both dumbbells up together
- Lower slowly back to chest height
Common faults
| Fault | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| Your back arches up off the pad | Go lighter and keep your back, head and hips on the bench. |
| Your elbows flare out at shoulder height | Keep your elbows a little below shoulder height, angled out to the sides. |
| You let the dumbbells drop back down from the top | Lower slowly until the dumbbells are back at chest height. |
| The dumbbells bang together at the top | Leave a hand's width between them and press straight up. |
| You take your flat-bench weight straight to the incline | Start a good bit lighter on the incline and build up in small steps. |
Variations
| Variation | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Shallow incline, a weight you control easily | Back on the pad, full range from chest height to straight arms. Move on when every rep looks the same. |
| Medium incline, full range | From chest height to straight arms, shoulder blades on the pad, slow on the way down. |
| Heavier dumbbells | Once your position and tempo stay steady on every rep, move up to the next dumbbell. |
Reps and load
Press up, then lower slowly back to chest height. Pick a weight that lets you keep your back and head on the pad on every rep.
The exercise sits in the push block of an upper-body session and complements the Dumbbell Bench Press on the flat bench. On the incline you will use less weight than on the flat bench, which is normal.
Which muscles do the work
| Muscle | Role | What it does here |
|---|---|---|
| Chest, clavicular part M. pectoralis major, pars clavicularis | Prime mover | Brings the upper arm forward, up and towards the midline |
| Chest, sternocostal part M. pectoralis major, pars sternocostalis | Prime mover | Brings the upper arm towards the midline |
| Front delt M. deltoideus, pars clavicularis | Prime mover | Lifts the upper arm forward; its share grows with the incline of the bench |
| Triceps M. triceps brachii | Synergist | Straightens the elbow through the top of the movement |
| Serratus anterior M. serratus anterior | Stabiliser | Holds the shoulder blade against the ribs |
| Rotator cuff Mm. rotatorum | Stabiliser | Keeps the head of the upper arm in its socket |
| Forearms Mm. antebrachii | Stabiliser | Keep a secure grip on the dumbbells |
| Core M. rectus abdominis, M. erector spinae | Stabiliser | Holds pelvis and ribcage on the bench |
The upper and lower chest, together with the front delt, drive the press, while the triceps finishes it by straightening the elbow. As the bench gets steeper, the front delt takes a larger share. The serratus, rotator cuff, forearms and core work in the background, holding your shoulder blade and shoulder joint in place, keeping your grip firm and your position steady on the bench.
Seeing it done right is not the same as doing it right
Video, cues and variations take you a long way. What they cannot give you is an outside eye at the moment the movement isn't quite there yet. That is what training with me is for — in the studio or in a workshop.
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Sources
Rodríguez-Ridao D, Antequera-Vique JA, Martín-Fuentes I, Muyor JM. (2020). Effect of five bench inclinations on the electromyographic activity of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps brachii during the bench press exercise. Int J Environ Res Public Health 17(19):7339. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197339 — Measures muscle activity during barbell bench press at five inclines from 0 to 60 degrees at 60 percent of one-rep maximum in 30 trained adults (aged 22.9 ± 3.0, at least a year of training). The clavicular part of the chest came out numerically highest at 30 degrees, though the gap to a flat bench remained statistically open, and only 60 degrees fell away clearly. The front delt rose steadily with the incline. Also measured: one-rep maximum fell from 81.4 ± 15.5 kg flat to 63.3 ± 12.3 kg at 30 degrees and 57.9 ± 9.7 kg at 45 degrees. The basis for the page saying the front delt's share grows with the incline and the weight comes out lower. Young trained men, barbell rather than dumbbells, an acute measurement with no training follow-up; there is no measurement of its own for the Academy's target group of 40 to 60 year olds training two to four hours a week. (Evidence type: EMG)
Lauver JD, Cayot TE, Scheuermann BW. (2016). Influence of bench angle on upper extremity muscular activation during bench press exercise. Eur J Sport Sci 16(3):309–316. DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2015.1022605 — Compares four bench angles from minus 15 to 45 degrees at 65 percent of one-rep maximum in 14 trained men (aged 21.4 ± 0.4). Across the whole lifting phase the upper chest showed no difference between angles; only in a middle portion of the way up did 30 and 45 degrees come out ahead. The lower chest dropped off at 45 degrees. The basis for the page describing the incline as a shift of work rather than a ranking. A very small, young sample, barbell, acute measurement. (Evidence type: EMG)
Chaves SFN, Rocha-Júnior VA, Encarnação IGA, Martins-Costa HC, Freitas EDS, Coelho DB, Franco FSC, Loenneke JP, Bottaro M, Ferreira-Júnior JB. (2020). Effects of horizontal and incline bench press on neuromuscular adaptations in untrained young men. Int J Exerc Sci 13(6):859–872. DOI: 10.70252/FDNB1158 — An 8-week randomised study in 47 untrained men across three groups (flat, incline, combined), training once a week with matched volume, measuring muscle thickness at three sites and isometric strength. Strength gains were the same in all three groups. For muscle thickness an advantage for the incline appeared at exactly one of the three sites. It is the only training study on the question that could be found, and the basis for the page describing incline and flat pressing as complements rather than a ranking. Untrained young men, 15 to 17 per group, one session a week; the reported thickness difference is unusually large for that period, so the paper stands here with reservations. (Evidence type: Intervention study)
Saeterbakken AH, van den Tillaar R, Fimland MS. (2011). A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. J Sports Sci 29(5):533–538. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2010.543916 — Compares bench pressing with dumbbells, a free barbell and a Smith machine in 12 trained men (aged 22.7 ± 1.7). Chest and front delt showed no difference between the three; the triceps was lower with dumbbells, the biceps higher as a stabiliser, and maximum load with dumbbells came out around 17 percent below the barbell. The basis for the page justifying the dumbbell version through each side working independently rather than through more chest activation. Only the flat bench was measured, so carrying this over to the incline is an assumption. A very small, young sample. (Evidence type: EMG)
Pallarés JG, Hernández-Belmonte A, Martínez-Cava A, Vetrovsky T, Steffl M, Courel-Ibáñez J. (2021). Effects of range of motion on resistance training adaptations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scand J Med Sci Sports 31(10):1866–1881. DOI: 10.1111/sms.14006 — Pools 16 studies on range of motion in resistance training. The full range came out ahead for strength gains and leg muscle growth, while overall muscle thickness showed no difference. The basis for the page describing the full path from chest height to straight arms as the standard. There is no study of its own on incline pressing, so this is a carry-over and should be read as one. (Evidence type: Meta-analysis)
A note on context: EMG studies show which muscles an exercise recruits — that is a good reason to pick it, but it does not replace adjusting things to the person in front of you. See a doctor for persistent or severe pain.