What equipment do you need for the dumbbell bench press?

You need dumbbell and flat bench to do the dumbbell bench press.

What is a good dumbbell bench press?

For men, a good dumbbell bench press is about a 97.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 40 lb and elite lifters pass 170 lb. For women, the standards run from about 15 lb to 100 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

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

Find more:Chest exercises Dumbbell exercises

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