Flat Dumbbell Press

The flat dumbbell press, or bench press, is one of the most popular exercises in strength training. It is a compound exercise that engages several large muscle groups. The chest muscles and the front of the shoulder muscles are engaged to pull the upper arm forward and inward. The triceps are engaged to extend the arms. Muscles in the shoulders, back, and lower back contribute to stabilising your body.

The bench press can be performed in different ways to emphasise the various muscles involved. For example, the bench can be flat or inclined. In an inclined position with the head higher, it is called incline, while decline refers to a position where the head is oriented toward the legs.

The term bench press generally refers to the most classic version using a barbell. In this variation, the resistance is provided by dumbbells.

Flat dumbbell press execution

Press explosively by driving your shoulders and upper arms upward and extending your arms (almost) fully. Ensure that your forearms and hands remain aligned throughout the movement. The back of your hand should form a straight line with your forearm (to prevent wrist injuries).

Lower the dumbbells in a controlled manner. Depending on your shoulder mobility, lower your elbows until they are beside your torso, or lower them slightly further.

Flat dumbbell press

Active muscles:

Pectoralis major (large chest muscle)
Pectoralis minor (depending on execution)
Anterior deltoid (front fibres of the shoulder muscle)
Triceps brachii
Serratus anterior
Coracobrachialis (coracoid-arm muscle)

Stabilising muscles:

Rotator cuff (stabilising shoulder muscles, supraspinatus, subscapularis, teres major, teres minor)
Serratus
Trapezius
Biceps brachii
Latissimus dorsi
Core muscles

Flat dumbbell press preparation

Choose the appropriate dumbbell weight for the desired number of repetitions.
Sit at the end of the bench with the dumbbells upright on your knees.
Lie back and, in the same movement, bring the dumbbells one at a time toward your chest using your knees. Place your feet back on the floor.
Turn your hands into a pronated position (thumbs pointing inward) and point your elbows outward. This is your starting position.

Flat dumbbell press technique

Many studies have examined the effect of different bench positions.

Because of the different conditions under which they are conducted, they sometimes show different results. Nevertheless, we can identify a general trend in these studies and point out possible exceptions.

Flat vs incline & decline

An incline bench increases the activation of the fibres of the chest muscles that run from the clavicle to the upper arm. The engagement of the fibres of the chest muscles that run from the sternum to the arm is lower. This means you mainly train the upper part of the chest. In terms of surface area, this is approximately one third of the chest muscle.

A decline bench instead increases the engagement of the lower fibres of the chest muscles, while the upper part has to work less. These lower fibres make up approximately two thirds of the surface area of the chest.

Although this is supported by multiple studies, some studies show different effects.

Dumbbells vs barbells:

Bench pressing with dumbbells offers advantages and disadvantages, depending on your goal, compared with a barbell. For example, the shoulder muscles may have to work harder to stabilise the weight. Unlike with a barbell, you now have to prevent the weight from tilting not only forwards or backwards. With dumbbells, you also have to prevent inward and outward tilting.

According to some studies, dumbbells require greater engagement from the pectoralis major and biceps and less from the triceps compared with the barbell bench press.

Working with dumbbells can also make it easier to go to failure without a training partner. After all, there is no bar to worry about. However, dropping the dumbbells on the floor beside you at the end of the exercise does nobody any favours—not even you. You may have performed the exercise perfectly, only to suffer a shoulder injury while putting the weights down.

Tip: After the last repetition, turn your hands back into a neutral position (thumbs pointing toward your face). At the same time, bring your knees toward your dumbbells. Now rock yourself upright, as it were, so that you return to the starting position, seated with the dumbbells on your knees. In the same movement, you can immediately stand up to put your dumbbells away. This way, you reduce the load on your arms, shoulders, and chest when you are already fatigued and prevent shoulder injuries (and broken toes belonging to other gym-goers).

At a glance