Chest · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Single Arm Alternate Decline Bench Press
How to do the dumbbell single arm alternate decline bench press, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and a dumbbell in each hand at your lower chest, palms facing forward. Press one dumbbell up until your arm is extended, lower it, then press the other, alternating arms each rep. Keep your shoulder blades retracted and your core braced against the offset load.
- 1Your lower chest and triceps driving each dumbbell up
- 2Your shoulder blades pinned to the bench for a stable base
- 3Your core resisting the twist as one arm presses at a time
Common mistakes
- Don't let your torso rotate toward the pressing arm
- Avoid flaring your elbows out or bouncing at the bottom
- Don't lift your hips off the bench to help the press
Muscles worked
The dumbbell single arm alternate decline bench press mainly works the lower chest and mid chest, with the triceps, upper chest, upper abs, obliques, and front delts assisting.
- Lower ChestPrimary
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsSupport
- Upper ChestSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell single arm alternate decline bench 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.