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Dumbbell bench press

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Muscles worked

High load
Chest
Low load
Delts · Front and Triceps

Primary muscles

Secondary muscles

How to do it

Sit on a flat bench, kick the dumbbells up to the shoulders, and set the shoulder blades back and down before the first rep. Press up until the arms are nearly straight, stopping just short of clashing the bells, then lower under control until you feel a stretch across the chest. Stop the descent when the shoulders begin to roll forward — the free path lets you go deeper than a barbell, and that is where the shoulder gets stressed.

Form cues

  • Shoulder blades retracted and down
  • Do not clash the bells at the top

Safety

Talk to a professional before this exercise if you have any of the following:

ShoulderElbowWrist

This is general exercise reference, not medical advice. Stop and consult a qualified professional if an exercise causes pain, and never work through joint pain.

Harder variants