How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press: Form, Starting Weight, Sets
The Dumbbell Bench Press is a dumbbell exercise that mainly works your chest. Beginners start with 3 sets of 8–12 reps and add 2 kg once every set hits the target.
Form in 3 steps
- Sit with the dumbbells on your thighs and lie back with them. Pull your shoulder blades back and plant your feet firmly on the floor.
- Press the dumbbells up over your chest. Breathe in and lower them slowly to the sides of your chest.
- Breathe out and press up as if squeezing your chest together. Stop at the top before the dumbbells clank together.
Common mistakes
- Lowering the dumbbells too deep: this puts more stress on the front of your shoulders. Stop at chest level.
- Flaring your elbows wide: this can make your shoulders uncomfortable. Tuck them to about 45 degrees from your torso.
- Banging the dumbbells together at the top: you lose tension and your wrists wobble. Stop about a fist's width apart.
Starting weight for beginners
DailyFit sets your first weight from your body weight, sex and training experience. For beginners it looks like this:
| Example | Starting weight |
|---|---|
| 70 kg man, beginner | 12kg |
| 60 kg woman, beginner | 8kg |
If you can't hit the target reps with good form on the first set, go one step lighter. Machines can be labeled differently.
Sets, reps and rest by goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4 sets | 4–6 reps | 3 min |
| Build muscle | 4 sets | 6–10 reps | 2 min |
| Lose fat | 3 sets | 10–12 reps | 1 min |
| General health | 3 sets | 8–12 reps | 1 min 30 sec |
When should you add weight?
When every set reaches the top of the rep range, add 2 kg next time. If a set falls short, keep the weight. Fall short twice in a row and drop 10% to build back up. DailyFit does this math for you from your log.
When to pick another exercise
If your shoulder bothers you, skip this one for now. Mark it as sore in DailyFit and the app swaps this exercise out of your routine.
Alternatives
Add the Dumbbell Bench Press to today's workout?
Tell DailyFit your goal, time, equipment and any sore spots, and it builds today's workout. Ducky counts your reps out loud and the rest timer runs itself.
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FAQ
How much weight should a beginner use on the Dumbbell Bench Press?
DailyFit starts beginners at about 18% of body weight (65% of that for women). That is about 12 kg for a 70 kg man and 8 kg for a 60 kg woman. If you can't hit the target reps with good form on the first set, go one step lighter.
How is this different from the Barbell Bench Press?
With dumbbells, each arm moves on its own, so you can lower them deeper and even out left-right imbalances. You'll usually go lighter than with a barbell, though. When you pick shoulders as a problem area, DailyFit takes this exercise out of your routine.
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