# Dumbbell Bench Press: how to do it

- Main muscles: chest
- Also works: front delts, triceps
- Equipment: dumbbell, bench
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/dumbbell_bench_press/f128fc9689/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Lie on a flat bench, feet flat, dumbbells pressed over your shoulders.
2. Pull your shoulder blades down and back.
3. Lower the dumbbells slowly to the sides of your mid-chest.
4. Press up and slightly in until your arms are straight.

## Cues

- Forearms vertical at the bottom
- Elbows about 45° from your sides
- Press up and slightly in

## Common mistakes

- Elbows flaring out to 90°; keep them angled towards your hips.
- Bouncing the weights off your chest; lower slowly and pause lightly.
- Arching the low back; keep buttocks and shoulders on the bench.

## Starting position

Flat bench, about 45 cm high and 30 cm wide. Head, shoulders, buttocks on the bench; feet flat on the floor (or a riser) a little wider than shoulder width. Shoulder blades pulled down and back; natural low-back curve, no exaggerated arch. Closed pronated grip (palms towards the feet, thumbs round the handles), the two handles in one line across the body. Wrists neutral.

## The movement

A slight arc: down and slightly out to the sides of the mid-chest, up and slightly in to finish over the shoulders. Both dumbbells move together and level. Torso, hips, head and feet stay still; shoulder blades stay pinned.

## End position

(turnaround point): Dumbbells beside the mid-chest, slightly wider towards the armpits. Each dumbbell directly over its forearm, so the forearm is vertical between the elbow and the chest. Upper arm about 55° from the torso (accept 45–70°; never 90°). Elbows just below the level of the bench top. The dumbbells touch the chest lightly or stop just above it (a shoulder-cautious version stops 4–6 cm above).

## Tempo

ACSM moderate speed: lower about 2 s, soft touch with no bounce, press about 1.5 s, hold 0.3 s at the top.

## Form in numbers

| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Elbow angle at top (included) | 172° | 165–178° |  |
| Upper arm to torso at bottom | 55° | 45–70° |  |
| Forearm at bottom | vertical | ±10° |  |
| Dumbbell height above chest at bottom | 0–1 cm | touch to 6 cm |  |
| Bench height | 45 cm | 42–46 cm |  |
| Tempo down / up | 2 s / 1.5 s | 1–2 s each (ACSM) |  |

## Sources

1. [[ACE: Chest Press (dumbbells, flat bench)](](https://www.acefitness.org/resources/everyone/exercise-library/19/chest-press/)
2. [[NASM: Two-Arm Incline Dumbbell Chest Press](](https://www.nasm.org/resource-center/exercise-library/two-arm-incline-dumbbell-chest-press)
3. [[ExRx: Bench Press Analysis](](https://exrx.net/Kinesiology/BenchPress)
4. [[ACSM Position Stand 2009: Progression Models in Resistance Training (course copy)](](https://sfu.ca/~ryand/kin343/ACSMresistance.pdf)

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/dumbbell-bench-press