Chest · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Squeeze Bench Press
How to do the dumbbell squeeze 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
- HorizontalPush
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Lie on a flat bench holding two dumbbells pressed firmly together over your chest, palms facing each other. Keeping the dumbbells squeezed hard against each other the entire time, lower them to your chest and press them back up. The constant inward squeeze keeps tension on your inner chest.
- 1Feel your inner chest stay under tension as you crush the dumbbells
- 2together
- 3Press the dumbbells up while squeezing them inward the whole rep
- 4Keep your shoulder blades pinned and back flat on the bench
Common mistakes
- Do not let the dumbbells drift apart during the press
- Avoid flaring your elbows wide; keep them tracking with the weights
- Do not bounce the dumbbells off your chest
Muscles worked
The dumbbell squeeze bench press mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the upper chest, lower chest, forearms, and front delts assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Internal RotatorsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell squeeze 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.