Your upper body plays a major role when you push or throw things. That\u2019s why you need to keep it strong by performing the right exercise. While there are many chest exercises, pick the incline dumbbell press. It involves using dumbbells and an incline bench. All you have to do is pick up the free weight off the ground, and use it while lying down on an incline bench. To target your upper body while doing this strength training exercise, you need to know the correct angle of the bench. Read on to know the right technique and the reasons why it should be part of your fitness routine.<\/p>\n
What is the incline dumbbell press?<\/h2>\n
The incline dumbbell press is one of the popular strength training exercises<\/a>. \u201cAll you have to do is lie on a bench set at an incline, usually between 15 to 30 degrees, and press dumbbells upward from your chest,\u201d says fitness expert Yash Agarwal<\/a>. It mostly targets the upper pectoralis major (upper chest). Pectoralis major is one of the chest muscles that allows people to rotate their shoulders, according to Harvard Health Publishing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are some of the benefits of doing this exercise:<\/p>\n Follow these steps to make your upper chest strong:<\/p>\n The angle of the bench matters while doing dumbbell press<\/a>. Here\u2019s how doing this exercise with a flat or an incline bench can be different:<\/p>\n It is generally recommended to use an incline or flat or horizontal bench while doing strength training exercises. Both help with muscle growth and strength gain, as per research published in the International Journal Of Exercise Science<\/a>. \u201cChoose the flat dumbbell press if your mid-chest is underdeveloped. On the other hand, the incline dumbbell press is good if your upper chest is flat or you want to minimise lower chest dominance,\u201d says Agarwal.<\/p>\n Some people should stay away from this exercise even though it has benefits:<\/p>\n Incline dumbbell press is a great chest exercise, especially if you are targeting the upper portion. But if you are a newbie then take help from professionals to avoid injuries. Also, before grabbing dumbbells to do this bench exercise, make sure to get a green signal from your doctor, especially if you recently injured your shoulders.<\/p>\n You may also like<\/p>\n![\"Incline](\"https:\/\/images.healthshots.com\/healthshots\/en\/uploads\/2025\/04\/11193757\/Incline-dumbbell1.jpg\")
What are the benefits of doing the incline dumbbell press?<\/h2>\n
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How to do the incline dumbbell press?<\/h2>\n
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Flat dumbbell press vs incline dumbbell press<\/h2>\n
1. Muscle activation<\/h3>\n
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2. Strength<\/h3>\n
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3. Aesthetics<\/h3>\n
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4. Shoulder stress and safety<\/h3>\n
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![\"Incline](\"https:\/\/images.healthshots.com\/healthshots\/en\/uploads\/2023\/10\/16144942\/dumbbells.jpg\")
Who should avoid the incline dumbbell press?<\/h2>\n
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![\"Muscle](\"https:\/\/images.healthshots.com\/healthshots\/en\/uploads\/2021\/07\/03104739\/Thumb-Swati_Muscle-300x169.jpg\" "\\"Muscle")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Try](\"https:\/\/images.healthshots.com\/healthshots\/en\/uploads\/2025\/03\/21162841\/Glute-300x169.jpg\" "\\"Try")
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