Chest · Dumbbell
Neutral Grip Press
How to do the neutral grip 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
How to do it
Lie on a flat bench holding dumbbells with palms facing each other (neutral grip). Press the weights up while keeping your shoulder blades pulled back and down, then lower under control until your elbows are just below the bench line.
- 1Chest and triceps doing most of the work with a smooth, shoulder-friendly pressing path.
Common mistakes
- Letting the shoulders roll forward, flaring elbows excessively, or bouncing the dumbbells at the bottom.
Muscles worked
The neutral grip press mainly works the mid chest and triceps, with the upper chest and lower chest assisting.
- Mid ChestPrimary
- TricepsPrimary
- Upper ChestSupport
- Lower ChestSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
Neutral Grip Press strength standards
See how your neutral grip press ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM40 lb
Silvere1RM65 lb
Golde1RM97.5 lb
Platinume1RM132.5 lb
Diamonde1RM155 lb
Champione1RM170 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the neutral grip 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 April 2026.