Muscles worked
The incline dumbbell press trains your chest, the front of your shoulders and your triceps. Compared with a flat press, the upper chest, the part attached to your collarbone, usually gets more of the work, and your shoulders take a bigger share. The steeper the bench, the more the work shifts to your shoulders. As each arm works alone, the muscles around your shoulder blades also steady the dumbbells, and a weaker side cannot hide.
Common mistakes
- The bench is too steep. With the backrest almost upright, it becomes more of a shoulder press. A common choice is roughly 30 to 45 degrees. Use the same setting every session.
- Your elbows flare straight out. Your shoulders then take much of the load at the bottom. Tuck your elbows in a little, so your upper arms angle out from your body rather than pointing straight to the sides.
- You struggle to get the dumbbells into position. Hauling heavy dumbbells up while lying down wastes strength. Sit with the dumbbells on your thighs, lean back and help them up with one knee at a time. After the last rep, lower them to your chest and thighs before sitting up, rather than dropping them to the sides.
Variations and alternatives
- The incline bench press with a barbell lets you lift heavier and add weight in smaller steps.
- The incline machine chest press has a fixed path, good for beginners or for taking sets close to the limit without a spotter.
- The incline dumbbell fly trains the upper chest without help from your triceps.
- Decline push-ups, with your feet on a chair, give a similar angle at home.
Sets and reps
To build muscle, 6 to 12 reps over 3 to 4 sets works well. Heavier sets of 4 to 6 work, but getting heavy dumbbells into position becomes the hard part, so a barbell often suits pure strength better. For endurance, 12 to 20 reps with lighter dumbbells is fine. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose.
Dumbbells often go up in steps of 2 to 2.5 kg, a big jump when the weight is light. Add reps first, and move up once you reach the top of your range on every set. That is progressive overload with dumbbells. Note the bench setting too.