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Incline Dumbbell Press

A beginner strength exercise for the chest, done with a dumbbell.

Incline Dumbbell Press: starting positionIncline Dumbbell Press: finishing position
Main muscles
Chest
Also works
Shoulders and Triceps
Equipment
Dumbbell
Level
Beginner
Type
Compound
Movement
Push

How to do the Incline Dumbbell Press

  1. Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand atop your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
  2. Then, using your thighs to help push the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder width.
  3. Once you have the dumbbells raised to shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
  4. Be sure to keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Then breathe out and push the dumbbells up with your chest.
  5. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second, and then start slowly lowering the weight. Tip Ideally, lowering the weights should take about twice as long as raising them.
  6. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  7. When you are done, place the dumbbells back on your thighs and then on the floor. This is the safest manner to release the dumbbells.

Sets and reps

Strength3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2–3 minutes
Muscle3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest about 2 minutes
Endurance or fat loss2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds

Log every set in MyoStats and it works out your estimated one-rep max and suggests the next weight or rep target, so you keep progressing without guessing.

Alternatives to the Incline Dumbbell Press

Questions

What muscles does the Incline Dumbbell Press work?

Mainly the chest, with the shoulders and triceps helping.

Is the Incline Dumbbell Press good for beginners?

Yes. It's rated a beginner exercise: start light and learn the movement before adding weight.

What can I do instead of the Incline Dumbbell Press?

Good alternatives that train the chest: Decline Dumbbell Bench Press, Decline Dumbbell Flyes, Dumbbell Bench Press or Dumbbell Bench Press with Neutral Grip.

How many sets and reps of the Incline Dumbbell Press should I do?

Strength: 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, rest 2–3 minutes. Muscle: 3–4 sets of 6–10 reps, rest about 2 minutes. Endurance or fat loss: 2–3 sets of 12–15 reps, rest 60–90 seconds.

Exercise steps and photos: free-exercise-db (public domain).