Dumbbell Push-Up

The push-up is a well-known compound exercise for the upper body and core muscles. Because of the plank position, the muscles in the lower back, glutes, and legs (especially the hamstrings) must work to keep the back and legs aligned. These muscles therefore primarily have a stabilizing function, as they do in everyday life.

The muscles in the chest (especially the pectoralis major), shoulders (especially the front deltoids), and arms (especially the triceps) play a more active role. The chest and shoulder muscles work hard to pull the upper arms forward, while the triceps engage to extend the arms.

Regular push-ups can cause wrist discomfort. Special push-up bars can prevent this because the wrists do not have to bend. Dumbbells offer a convenient alternative.

Dumbbell Push-Up execution

1
Assume a plank position with your arms extended and supporting your body on dumbbells. In terms of how it feels, this may mean that you need to raise your hips somewhat higher than you might expect. If necessary, check this position using a mirror.
2
Place the dumbbells shoulder-width apart on the floor in a neutral position (thumbs pointing forward).
3
Keep your head in a neutral position by looking down and slightly ahead of you. This is your starting position.
4
Lower yourself in a controlled manner by bending your arms, moving your elbows backward close alongside your body. Remain just above the floor.
5
Push yourself explosively upward until your arms are almost fully extended.

Dumbbell Push-Up

Active muscles:

Pectoralis major (large chest muscle)
Anterior deltoid (front fibers of the shoulder muscle)
Triceps brachii
Serratus anterior
Coracobrachialis (coracoid-arm muscle)

Stabilizing muscles:

Rotator cuff (stabilizing shoulder muscles: supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major, teres minor)
Serratus
Trapezius
Biceps brachii
Latissimus dorsi
Erector spinae
Hamstrings
Abdominal muscles
Gluteal muscles

Dumbbell Push-Up technique

Using dumbbells makes it more difficult to adopt a wide hand position with your hands in the normal (neutral) position. As a result, you will feel much more emphasis on the triceps. Instead of using a wider grip, you can increase the emphasis on the chest muscles by rotating the thumbs inward, and therefore the elbows outward.

If the regular push-up is too difficult, you can perform it from your knees. In this version, your knees maintain contact with the floor instead of your feet.