Exercise Library / Chest

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press with proper form, and the muscles it works.

Muscle group
Chest
Primary muscles
Chest
Secondary muscles
Shoulders and triceps
Equipment
Dumbbell
Type
Compound
Level
Beginner

Video: “How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | Perfect Form in 30 Seconds” by All Strength Training on YouTube.

How to do the Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

  1. Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
  2. By using your thighs to help you get the dumbbells up, clean the dumbbells one arm at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder width.
  3. Once at shoulder width, keep the palms of your hands with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Keep your elbows flared out with the upper arms in line with the shoulders (perpendicular to the torso) and the elbows bent creating a 90-degree angle between the upper arm and the forearm. This will be your starting position.
  4. Now bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe in. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times.
  5. As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  6. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  7. When you are done, place the dumbbells back in your thighs and then on the floor. This is the safest manner to dispose of the dumbbells.

Muscles worked

The Incline Dumbbell Bench Press mainly works your chest, with help from your shoulders and triceps.

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press start and finish positions

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: Starting position
Starting position
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: Ending position
Ending position

Track your Incline Dumbbell Bench Press progress

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