Reverse the movement and slowly lower the dumbbells back to the top of your chest as you inhale. Generally speaking, 30-degrees is the ideal angle for hitting the upper portion of the chest. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Unlike the more traditional flat bench press, the incline press shifts the focus of the movement to the upper portion of the pectoral muscle groups and the front of the shoulder. This exercise will help you develop the baseline strength required for the movement while also starting to engage the stabilizing muscles of the shoulders without isolating each shoulder independently. The bigger the angle, the more the exercise will engage the shoulders. The dumbbell incline press is generally a safe exercise, but it does require a baseline level of strength, and it shouldn't be attempted if you're brand-new to strength training. The incline dumbbell press can be modified in various ways or made more challenging to suit individual needs and fitness goals. The dumbbell bench press boosts overall strength, enhances muscle hypertrophy, and isolates areas of weakness in the bench press movement for most strength, power, and fitness athletes. This variation changes the angle of the motion, targeting more of the … Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension. When using a dumbbell, your hands, and consequently, your arms, can move more freely. Instead of overlifting, reduce the weight you are lifting until you can complete the exercise without any bouncing. Likewise, doing a press on an upright bench positioned at 90-degrees targets your shoulders. Additionally, the decline is equal, or perhaps a tad superior (when you take into consideration the greater stimulation on the eccentric part of the movement) to building the upper part of the pec. Please note this variation can be a source of tension for the shoulders. Armed with an incline bench and a pair of dumbbells, this exercise can bolster your entire upper body fitness routine. If you experience sharp or shooting pain at any point during the exercise, stop and opt for exercises that don't cause pain. 1 set, 100 reps (at 10 lbs) 5. 2010;24(7):1925-1930. doi:10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181ddfae7, Ⓒ 2021 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Press With Perfect Form Lie on a bench set to a 45-degree incline, holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length above your chest, palms forward. The purpose of the incline press is to focus more of the work on the upper pecs. 1 set, 100 reps (at 45 lbs using bar) 2. If you start with the right weight for you, you'll be less likely to encounter the other issues mentioned below. Incline dumbbell bench press. Relax your neck against the bench. To effectively target the upper portion of your chest, you need to select an angle somewhere between those two angles. Bench/dumbbell press forms the primary movement for chest development. Rotation grip: start with an overhand grip, then rotate your wrists during the ascent to bring the dumbbells together thanks to a neutral grip. Brace your core and press both dumbbells straight up over your chest as you exhale. At the top of the movement, the dumbbells should almost touch each other and your arms should be perpendicular to the floor. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. This exercise is otherwise performed in the same way as the incline dumbbell press, but you're pressing kettlebells with each hand, rather than dumbbells. There is a natural arch in your back that should be there while performing this press exercise. Think of it as a midway point between a traditional bench press and an overhead press. As you lower the dumbbells, your elbows should come down at roughly a 45-degree angle to your torso. Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. If you find yourself over-arching your back from the get-go, choose a lighter set of dumbbells. 1 set, 100 reps (at 8 lbs) 3. IS THE INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS HARDER THAN FLAT? If you've been doing dumbbell bench press or incline barbell press for a while, you probably have a good idea of how much weight you can handle for these exercises. Incline Dumbbell Press / Banded Flies; Skull Crushers / 21's Bi Curls (7 bottom to mid (waist), 7 mid to top, and 7 full range bottom to top) Heavy Bag 10 mins; Susie Sebastian. Keeping your core braced and your elbows close to your body (i.e., not flared), lower the dumbbells to … Using dumbbells allows for a greater range of motion and can help prevent any strength imbalances on either arm. Its variations, which include the incline and decline bench presses are also used widely in the strength & conditioning world. 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