Chest · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Svend Press
How to do the dumbbell svend 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
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall and press the flat sides of a single dumbbell (or two plates) hard together at chest height. Keeping the squeeze, extend your arms straight out in front of you, then draw the dumbbell back to your chest under control.
- 1Chest squeezing hard to keep the dumbbell pressed together
- 2Constant inward pressure as you extend the arms out
- 3The inner chest contracting at full extension
Common mistakes
- Letting the pressure off so the dumbbell starts to slip
- Overextending your lower back as you press out
- Shrugging the shoulders up toward your ears
Muscles worked
The dumbbell svend 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 svend 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.