How to do Incline Dumbbell Bench Press:

Methods, Advantages, Adjustments

An workout using free weights that targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps separately on each side of the body is the incline dumbbell press. You can really define and concentrate on your upper-chest muscles with this workout.

The incline press places greater emphasis on the front of the shoulder and the top part of the pectoral muscle groups than the more conventional flat bench press does. This makes it possible for the upper chest to have more notable hypertrophy (muscle growth) with frequent exercise.1.

The goal of the incline dumbbell press is to build bigger, stronger chest muscles, therefore an all-around, intermediate strength training program would usually include it.

Include this chest exercise on your upper body or chest day, following exercises like pushups or the flat bench press, if you divide up your weekly routines by body area.

The Incline Dumbbell Press Technique

An inclined or adjustable bench and a set of dumbbells are all you need to do the incline dumbbell press. After the area needed for the bench itself, you won’t need much more room.

If the inclination on your bench is adjustable, choose an angle between 30 and 45 degrees. The exercise will activate the shoulders more when the angle is larger.

The Optimal Incline Dumbbell Press Angle

About 30 degrees is the ideal angle for an incline dumbbell push. However, depending on your anatomy, this can be different. As with any exercise, varying the inclination is a good method to challenge your muscles in novel and interesting ways every few weeks.

Dumbbells you choose should be lighter than what you would use for a barbell incline press or a flat dumbbell bench press.If you’re not sure what weight is appropriate for you, start light and gradually increase until you feel challenged but can still complete a set with good technique.
Take a seat and recline on the bench.With your hands at your shoulders and your elbows bent and inclined downward below your ribcage, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Lean back and relax against the bench. Remain with your feet flat on the ground.
As you release the breath, brace your core and press both dumbbells straight above your chest. Don’t allow your wrists “cock” backward; instead, keep them straight.Upon completing the exercise, your arms should be parallel to the floor and the dumbbells should nearly touch one another.
Inhale as you reverse the exercise and gradually drop the dumbbells to your chest.Your elbows should descend to your body at a roughly 45-degree angle as you lower the weights.They shouldn’t point to the sides of the room or spread out to the edges.Rather, maintain your elbows pointed downward.
Try to finish 8–12 repetition sets.As your strength increases, work your way up to two or three sets. Begin with one set.After completing a set, sit up, place the dumbbells on your knees, and then stand up to safely end the workout.Do not let the dumbbells fall from your hands while you are lying on the incline bench.

The Incline Dumbbell Press’s Advantages

The clavicular head of the pectoralis major—an part of the chest that is nearly entirely disengaged during other popular chest workouts like the classic bench press, incline pushups, and chest fly—is the goal of the dumbbell incline press. Also targeted by the incline press is the front portion of your shoulder, or the anterior head of the deltoid muscle.

When the dumbbell incline press is performed regularly, you’ll develop a more well-balanced chest and shoulder musculature, helping to keep the shoulder joint stable and strong.

In terms of functionality, the dumbbell incline press translates well to a variety of pressing and pushing tasks, such putting goods away on high shelves or pushing open a heavy door.

The incline press with dumbbells is particularly useful for balancing out your body’s strength disparities on each side. One arm often being stronger than the other is not unusual. This exercise improves strength and stability on both sides of the body by having one arm work independently of the other with dumbbells, preventing the dominant arm from “taking over” to complete the lift.In terms of functionality, the dumbbell incline press translates well to a variety of pressing and pushing tasks, such putting goods away on high shelves or pushing open a heavy door.

Additional Incline Dumbbell Press Variations

Barbell Incline Press

Kettlebell Incline Press

Single Arm Incline Press

Typical Errors When Doing An Incline Dumbbell Press

This is a rather straightforward task, so it’s easy to ignore potential errors. Continue reading to find out about possible problems and how to prevent them.

Excessive Use of Weight

You probably have a decent notion of how much weight you can lift for the dumbbell bench press and incline barbell press workouts if you’ve been performing them for some time. That does not, however, imply that you will be able to perform the dumbbell incline press with the same amount of lift.

You will need to lower your weight a little bit for the incline press because it works lesser muscle groups overall than the flat bench press. For the dumbbell form of the workout, you might need to lower your weight even if you’re experienced with the incline barbell press.

This is due to the fact that the dumbbell press demands greater power because each arm must raise the dumbbell on its own. This action requires more stabilizing shoulder muscles and is more difficult to manage. Choosing a lower weight increases the likelihood that you can perform the activity safely.

Choosing a weight that is overly heavy usually results in other common blunders that might impede your progress or cause harm. Starting at the appropriate weight for you will reduce your chances of running into the additional problems listed below.

Holding Your Wrists Up

Although it might not seem like a big deal, holding the dumbbells with your wrists cocked backward—creating a 90-degree angle between your forearm and the back of your hand—puts a lot of strain on your wrists. To avoid wrist damage, concentrate on keeping your wrists straight and perpendicular to the ground during the exercise.

Selecting the Incorrect Bench Angle

The midpoint of your pecs is the objective when performing a chest press on a flat bench at a zero-degree angle. Similarly, pressing yourself up on an upright bench at a 90-degree angle works your shoulders.You should choose an angle in the middle of the two in order to effectively target the top part of your chest.

Choosing the appropriate angle to target the muscles you wish to strengthen is the secret though.Generally speaking, the ideal bench angle is between 30 and 45 degrees.While the 30-degree angle will primarily target the pecs,the 45-degree angle will hit more of your shoulders.

Bouncing off your chest with the dumbbells

It doesn’t work to swiftly lower the weights and “bounce”them up off the top of your chest.You may be lifting more weight than you should be if you find yourself doing this, or if you are tempted to do so.

This kind of speeding through a movement causes you to lose attention on the exercise’s aim, which gives other muscle groups and momentum the opportunity to assist you in finishing the task. While this might not seem like a big deal, it actually lessens the effectiveness of your workout and makes it more difficult to get the desired results.

Excessive Back Arching When Applying Pressure

You might find yourself straining and overarching your back to try to force the dumbbells upward as a result of being tired toward the conclusion of a set or trying to lift more weight than you should. This may put you at risk for developing a back strain. Furthermore, your efforts will be in vain.

You’ll find yourself recruiting muscles other than the targeted muscles for the activity. Your back should naturally curve in the direction that this press exercise points. This natural curve is not something you want to remove. Your shoulders will slide forward on their own when you make a strong effort to press your back into the bench.Aim to preserve the natural arch without making it more pronounced.

Ask a companion to spot you while you lift if you notice yourself straining at the conclusion of a set. This will let you complete your set without having to change how you move. Choose a lighter pair of dumbbells if you are prone to overarching your back when performing exercises.

The Safe Way to Perform an Inclined Dumbbell Press

The most crucial aspect of the incline dumbbell press is choosing a weight that is appropriate for your strength level, which is probably not as high as you may believe. For an average training regimen, the weight you choose should allow you to perform 8–12 repetitions.

Though it doesn’t demand a lot of muscle, the dumbbell incline press is generally a safe exercise to try if you’re new to strength training. If so, begin with machine weights or a barbell incline press to get comfortable with the exercise, and when you’re ready, progress to the incline dumbbell press.

Shoulder discomfort sufferers may find the incline press challenging. Before doing the exercise with dumbbells, try it on a machine or with a barbell if you have persistent shoulder problems. If at any time during the workout you feel a sharp or shooting pain, stop and do an exercise that doesn’t hurt.

Arun Bhagat

As a seasoned content writer specialized in the fitness and health niche, Arun Bhagat has always wanted to promote wellness. After gaining proper certification as a gym trainer with in-depth knowledge of virtually all the information related to it, he exercised his flair for writing interesting, informative content to advise readers on their healthier lifestyle. His topics range from workout routines, nutrition, and mental health to strategies on how to be more fit in general. His writing is informative but inspiring for people to achieve their wellness goals as well. Arun is committed to equipping those he reaches with the insights and knowledge gained through fitness.