Incline Dumbbell Press
Movement demo
Watch a video demonstration of this exercise on MuscleWiki. The demo opens on an external site.
Muscles worked
Effectiveness
★★★☆☆ 3/5
Acute EMG studies show incline bench angles change regional pectoral and deltoid activation during pressing. EMG amplitude does not establish greater hypertrophy, and no longitudinal growth trials of the incline dumbbell press were identified.
Note on this rating: it leans on EMG studies, which measure muscle activation during the movement. EMG amplitude does not establish muscle growth.
How to perform
The lifter reclines on a bench set to an incline and presses two dumbbells from the upper chest to arm extension. The inclined torso angle shifts the pressing path upward relative to the flat bench press, with the pectoralis major as the primary mover and the anterior deltoids and triceps brachii assisting. Each arm moves independently through the range of motion.