Unilateral Dumbbell Press

Active muscles:

• Pectoralis major (large chest muscle)
• Pectoralis minor (depending on execution)
• Anterior deltoid (front fibers of the shoulder muscle)
• Triceps brachii
• Serratus anterior
• Coracobrachialis (coracobrachialis muscle)

Stabilizing muscles:

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

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

Performing the exercise with one arm at a time requires the core muscles to work harder to stabilize your body. Performing it alternately partly limits this effect because your other hand is also holding a dumbbell.

The greater need for stabilization can make this exercise more functional for certain athletes. However, it also means that the chest muscles are less isolated. If strength and muscle mass are your primary goals, performing the exercise with both hands simultaneously therefore seems advisable.

Bench position:

Many studies have investigated the effect of different bench positions.

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

Flat vs. incline and decline

An incline bench increases activation of the chest-muscle fibers that run from the clavicle to the upper arm. The involvement of the chest-muscle fibers that run from the sternum to the arm is then lower. This primarily trains the upper portion of the chest. In terms of surface area, this is approximately one-third of the chest muscle.

A decline bench instead increases the involvement of the lower chest-muscle fibers, while the upper portion has to work less hard. These lower fibers 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:

Performing the bench press with dumbbells offers advantages and disadvantages compared with a barbell, depending on the goal. For example, the shoulder muscles may have to work harder to stabilize the weight. Unlike with a barbell, you must not only prevent the weight from tipping forward or backward. With dumbbells, you must also prevent inward and outward tilting.

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

Working with dumbbells can also make it easier to push yourself to the limit 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 favors. Not even yourself. You may have performed the exercise perfectly and then sustain a shoulder injury while putting the weights down.

Tip: After the final repetition, rotate your hands back to a neutral position (thumbs 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, sitting with the dumbbells on your knees. The dumbbells assist the movement by pressing your legs downward and tilting your upper body upward. In the same movement, you can stand up immediately to put the dumbbells away. This relieves your arms, shoulders, and chest when you are already fatigued and prevents shoulder injuries (and broken toes of other gym visitors).

• Incline barbell bench press
• Unilateral incline dumbbell press
• Smith machine bench press