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Exercise library / Dumbbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Bench Press

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

Pressing dumbbells from your chest while lying on a bench. Each arm works on its own.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Starting
Equipment
Dumbbells, A bench
Load
Free weight
Stability
Supported by a seat, bench or wall
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A pair of dumbbells, or one, in a weight you can lift with control.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the end of the bench with a dumbbell on each thigh. Lie back, bringing the dumbbells to your chest. Plant your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Press the dumbbells up until your arms are almost straight over your chest.
  3. Lower them slowly until your upper arms are about level with the bench, elbows at about 45 degrees from your body.
  4. Press them back up. Set them down on your thighs, then sit up, when you finish.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

  • Use lighter dumbbells.
  • Use a machine chest press.

Make it harder

  • Use heavier dumbbells.
  • Slow the lowering to three seconds.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Pick up and put down dumbbells by bending your knees, with a straight back.
More safety notes
  • Choose a weight you can lift for the planned repetitions with good form.
  • Keep your wrists straight and your grip firm.
  • Ask someone to help you get the dumbbells into position if they are heavy for you.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A weight slips or you cannot control it.
  • You feel pain in a wrist, elbow or shoulder.

Other ways to do this movement

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Where this comes from

General guidance on build-up, warm-up, breathing and listening to your body is from the NIA and the CDC. The steps were written by Fitafter50; the equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general practice and are approved as a set by the reviewer.

This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.