Chest · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Incline Squeeze Press
How to do the dumbbell incline squeeze 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
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set an incline bench to about 30 to 45 degrees and lie back holding two dumbbells pressed together over your chest. Keeping the dumbbells touching the whole time, lower them to your upper chest, then press back up while squeezing them together hard. Repeat with steady tension.
- 1Feel your inner chest squeeze as you press the dumbbells together
- 2Keep constant inward pressure so the dumbbells stay glued
- 3Drive the press up and slightly toward your chin on the incline
Common mistakes
- Don't let the dumbbells separate at any point
- Avoid flaring your elbows wide; keep them tracking under the weights
- Don't arch hard off the bench; keep your ribs down
Muscles worked
The dumbbell incline squeeze press mainly works the upper chest and mid chest, with the triceps and front delts assisting.
- Upper ChestPrimary
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower ChestMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell incline squeeze press for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More chest exercises
- How to do the archer push-up
- How to do the assisted dip
- How to do the resistance band chest flyes
- How to do the resistance band push-up
- How to do the barbell bench press
- How to do the paused bench press
Last reviewed June 2026.