Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press

What it is

This incline dumbbell bench press variant emphasizes your upper chest with a unique hand position. It primarily targets your pectoralis major, especially the clavicular head. You will also engage your shoulders and triceps as secondary muscles during this compound push movement.

Technique tips

• Start with dumbbells on your thighs, then use your legs to assist getting them into position.
• Maintain a neutral grip with palms facing each other throughout the movement.
• Keep elbows slightly flared, forming a 90-degree angle at the bottom.
• Control the descent slowly, aiming for twice as long as the upward push.
• Exhale as you press the dumbbells up, engaging your chest muscles.
• Safely return dumbbells to your thighs before lowering them to the floor.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.