Incline Dumbbell Press

How to Perform the Incline Dumbbell Press

Set an adjustable bench to a 30-45 degree incline and sit back with a dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs.
Use your thighs to help kick the dumbbells up to shoulder height as you lie back on the bench.
Position the dumbbells at chest level with your elbows at roughly 45-degree angles from your torso and palms facing forward.
Press the dumbbells upward and slightly inward, extending your arms above your upper chest.
Bring the dumbbells together or nearly together at the top, squeezing the upper chest muscles.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back to chest level over 2-3 seconds, feeling a stretch across the upper pecs.
Keep your feet flat on the floor, maintain a slight natural arch in your lower back, and keep your shoulder blades retracted and depressed throughout.

Setting the bench angle too high (above 45 degrees)

Keep the bench between 30-45 degrees. Steeper angles turn it into more of a shoulder press than a chest exercise.

Flaring the elbows out to 90 degrees

Keep your elbows at about 45 degrees from your torso to protect the shoulder joints and maintain chest emphasis.

Not retracting the shoulder blades

Pull your shoulder blades together and down before you begin pressing. This creates a stable base and protects the shoulders.

✓Develops the upper chest more effectively than flat pressing due to the incline angle.
✓Dumbbells allow a greater range of motion and more natural pressing path than a barbell.
✓Helps correct left-to-right strength imbalances since each arm works independently.

●Start with the dumbbells at chest level, not too low, to maintain tension on the upper chest.
●Focus on pressing upward and slightly inward to maximize upper chest contraction.
●Dumbbells allow each arm to work independently, helping correct strength imbalances.

Strength

4-5 sets of 4-6 reps at 80-85% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 8-12 reps at 65-75% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 15-20 reps at 50-60% 1RM

Join 2,000,000+ lifters tracking their workouts with Stronger. Available on iOS and Android.