In this article I’m going to show you exactly how to perform a dumbbell bench press.
As a personal trainer and online fitness coach, I genuinely believe that the dumbbell bench press is one of the best upper body exercises for developing strength and muscle in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
In this guide we’ll cover how to perform the exercise as well as some common mistakes that people tend to make.
As great of an exercise as this is, there are quite a few form and setup tips and cues that can help you get more out of the movement while staying safe.
It is very common for people to feel some pain in their shoulders when performing a dumbbell bench press, so we’ll cover how to avoid that.
I’ll provide tips, form advice, as well as technique videos to make sure you’re able to dial in your form on this exercise.
I’ll also include a few different variations of the exercise for you to try out based on the equipment that you have access to!
You ready to dive in? Let’s do it.
How To Do A Dumbbell Bench Press: Step By Step Guide
Before we get into some of the common mistakes that people make with this exercise, let’s first cover how to actually perform the movement.
I’ll include a video here walking you through exactly how to do the flat dumbbell bench press which is one of the most common variations that people do with this exercise.
Later in the article I’ll include some other form videos for other variations of the movement.
Alright, without further ado, here is exactly how you should be doing the dumbbell bench press.
Step 1: Keep A Wide Base With Your Feet and Keep your Butt On The Bench
This step is more of a set up tip that should remain locked in place for the entire exercise.
You want to make sure that your feet are pressed flat into the ground so that you can push through them.
You also want your butt to stay flat on the bench rather than lifting it off.
Creating this strong base of support will allow you to get more out of your chest, shoulders, and triceps on this movement.
Step 2: Keep An Arch In Your Upper Back
This is a very important step that can help you feel your shoulders less on this exercise.
You want to think about maintaining an arch in your upper back throughout the entire movement.
Here’s the best way to think about doing that.
Visualize sending your shoulders down to your back pockets.
I know that sounds weird, but if you really think about it, that cue helps a lot.
Sending your shoulders down towards your back pockets will create a nice arch in your upper back.
This will result in your chest poking out more and your shoulders staying down and away from your ears.
In a nutshell, this allows you to use your chest more and your shoulders less on this exercise.
Because, even though you will get some involvement from the front of your shoulder, you really want to target your chest the most on this movement.
By following this crucial form tip, you’ll get more out of your chest which will allow you to limit some of the shoulder pain you might be experiencing when doing a dumbbell bench press.
Do not skip this step. Seriously.
It’s crucial for staying safe on this exercise and getting more out of your chest.
Step 3: Keep Elbows Tucked At A 45 Degree Angle
Speaking of staying safe on this exercise, this is another crucial form tip that people often neglect.
Once you have that arch in your upper back, it’s time to pay attention to your elbow position.
Instead of flaring your elbows out too wide, tuck them in at about a 45 degree angle.
In a minute we’ll cover why this is important.
But for the sake of setting up this exercise, just make sure your elbows are slightly tucked in.
They don’t have to be completely tucked in at your sides.
You just want to make sure they’re not flared out at a 90 degree angle.
Step 4: Push The Dumbbells Up
I think this step is pretty self explanatory.
Just make sure that you’re explosive as you push the dumbbells up.
Meaning you should try to move the weight as quickly and with as much force as possible as you push those dumbbells up.
Also, as a side note, you don’t need to bring the dumbbells together at the top.
There’s not really any tension on the chest in that position, so it’s pretty unnecessary.
Instead of thinking about bringing your hands together at the top, just think about driving the top portion of your bicep into the side of your chest as you press the dumbbells up.
Step 5: Lower The Dumbbells Down With Control
On any given exercise, I know you’ve heard about a million coaches and trainers tell you to “control the weight.”
Well, guess what?
There’s a good reason for that.
Especially on an exercise like the dumbbell chest press.
Here’s why.
That lowering portion of the exercise where you’re bringing the dumbbells down is called the eccentric phase.
And, as we’ll discuss in step 6, this is the part of the movement where the most tension is placed on the chest.
So you really don’t want to rush through this part of the exercise.
Here’s a cue that I give my clients to help them really understand this.
Imagine yourself performing the dumbbell chest press.
Now visualize that there’s a sheet of glass laying on your chest, and you’re not allowed to break that glass as you bring the dumbbells down.
Notice how this immediately gets you to be more focused and aware while bringing the dumbbells down towards your chest?
Thinking about this cue while lowering the dumbbells will help you execute the exercise with more control.
And more control means more results.
Step 6: Focus On The Stretch At The Bottom Of The Movement
Here’s the last step to pay attention to.
This step relates to the previous one, but it’s commonly overlooked.
As you bring the dumbbells down towards your chest, make sure to go deep enough to where you feel a good stretch in your chest.
Once you feel that stretch, hold that position for a solid second on each rep.
Why? So glad you asked.
That bottom portion of the movement (where you feel the stretch) is where you’re getting the most out of the exercise.
Simply put, based on the resistance profile of the dumbbell bench press, that stretched position is where most of the tension is.
And, by sitting in that stretch for a brief second, you’re creating more of a stimulus for your chest.
How To Do A Dumbbell Bench Press: A Few Common Mistakes
Now that you know how to actually execute the dumbbell bench press, let’s cover a few very common mistakes that many people make!
Flaring Elbows Out
This has to be the most common mistake I see with this exercise.
We all know that person who complains of shoulder pain when doing this movement.
It’s not always the case, but often times that shoulder pain is caused by their elbows flaring out too wide throughout the entire movement.
Without getting too deep into the nerdy and sciency (is that even a word) reasons why this happens, here’s an overly simplified explanation why.
When your elbows are flared out, there’s more likely to be some irritation going on in the shoulder joint with the bone in your upper arm rubbing against some connective tissue.
This internal rotation of the shoulder can cause some pain.
There’s the problem.
Here’s the solution.
By keeping your elbows tucked at about a 45 degree angle like I showed you earlier, you’re able to externally rotate the shoulder a bit more which can alleviate some of that pain for many people.
So, to keep things simple and somewhat concise, just make sure your elbows are at least slightly tucked in rather than completely flaring them out.
Shoulders Rounding Forward & Shrugged Up
This is another common reason why many people feel some shoulder pain while doing the dumbbell bench press.
When you all your shoulders to round forward and shrug up, you’re not allowing your shoulder blades to move as they should on this exercise.
Here’s an easy fix to help alleviate this problem.
You want to think about keeping your shoulders down and away from your ears.
Like I talked about earlier, the easiest way to do this is to think about sending your shoulders down to your back pockets.
Seriously. Try this right now as you’re sitting there.
Notice how it’s not about squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Instead, it’s about keeping your shoulders down which in turn causes your chest to poke out a bit and creates an arch in your upper back.
Not only will this keep your shoulders a lot healthier on this exercise, but it’ll also allow you to get a better stretch on your chest at the bottom of the movement.
Dumbbell Bench Press Variations
Now that you know exactly how to perform the dumbbell bench press as well as some common mistakes to avoid, let’s dive into a few additional variations that you can implement into your own workouts.
These variations can be done at the gym or at home!
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
Aside from the flat dumbbell bench press shown in the video at the beginning of this guide, the incline dumbbell press is one of the most common variations that people do.
Personally, I’ve always been a huge fan of this variation.
It’s great for really targeting the muscle fibers in the upper chest.
A 30-45 degree incline is great for this exercise.
Also, you will get some activation in the front of your shoulder and triceps as well!
Even though it’s a different exercise, you still want to implement the same form tips from the flat dumbbell press variation.
Dumbbell Floor Press
If you workout at home and don’t have access to an adjustable bench, this will be a great variation for you.
Candidly, because you’re doing this on the floor, the range of motion is smaller than if you were doing it on a traditional bench.
As a result, this exercise will target your triceps a bit more than your chest.
That said, it still is a great exercise, especially for those with limited equipment.
All you need is a good set of dumbbells or a pair of adjustable dumbbells to make this exercise work.
Similar to to the dumbbell bench press, make sure your elbows stay tucked and make sure to maintain an arch in your upper back.
Dumbbell 1.5 Floor Press
This is a nice progression to the traditional dumbbell floor press.
Make sure to watch the form video to see exactly how to do each rep so that you get the most out of the movement.
Also, make sure you have control over the weight, especially as you bring the dumbbells down.
Here’s the best way to visualize doing that.
As you bring the dumbbells down, make sure to gently and politely touch your elbows on the floor.
This will ensure you have control rather than just slamming your elbows into the ground on each rep.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you now have all the crucial information you need to properly execute a dumbbell bench press.
All of the form tips, common mistakes, and variations that you need to get the most out of this exercise, even if you have more limited equipment.
If you have any specific questions on this exercise, make sure to drop a comment below and I’d be happy to help.
Also, if you feel like you need more 1 on 1 individualized help when it comes to reaching your fitness goals, make sure to head HERE to see more about my online coaching program and to apply!
