Chest · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Bench Press
How to do the dumbbell bench press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Horizontal Press
- Mechanic
- Compound
See it in motion
How to do it
Lie on bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand at chest level. Press dumbbells up until arms are extended, then lower back to chest.
- 1Pull your shoulder blades back and down on the bench and press by squeezing your chest until you feel your pecs contract
- 2Keep your wrists neutral and elbows at about a 45-degree angle so you feel a balanced effort through your shoulders and triceps
- 3At the top of each rep, consciously squeeze your chest and triceps before lowering with control
Common mistakes
- Don't flare your elbows straight out to the sides, this stresses your shoulders
- Avoid bouncing the dumbbells off your chest or arching your lower back excessively
- Don't let your wrists bend backward or lose control of the weights on the descent
Muscles worked
The dumbbell bench press mainly works the mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, lower chest, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell bench press for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the leverage machine bench press
- How to do the cable chest flyes
- How to do the chest dip
- How to do the machine chest press
- How to do the close-grip bench press
Last reviewed April 2026.