Dumbbell Bench Press

Setup

Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, feet planted firmly on the floor. Hold the dumbbells at chest level with elbows bent at roughly 45 degrees from your torso, palms facing forward.

How to do it

1. Press both dumbbells upward in a slight arc until arms are fully extended above your chest
2. Lower the weights under control until dumbbells reach chest level with elbows slightly below the bench
3. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together and pressed into the bench throughout the movement
4. Maintain a neutral wrist position with knuckles pointing toward the ceiling
5. Drive through your feet to maintain full-body tension during each repetition

Watch out for

• ✗Flaring elbows out too wide past 45 degrees, placing excessive stress on the shoulder joints
• ✗Bouncing dumbbells off the chest or using momentum instead of controlled muscle contraction
• ✗Allowing dumbbells to drift apart or toward the head rather than pressing straight up from the chest