Incline Dumbbell Press

What it is

This compound movement strengthens your upper body using dumbbells on an incline bench. It primarily works your chest muscles, while also engaging your shoulders and triceps. You will perform a pressing motion, lifting the weights away from your body.

Technique tips

• Breathe out as you push the dumbbells upward using your chest.
• Control the descent, lowering the weights about twice as slow as the press.
• Keep your wrists straight and aligned with your forearms throughout the movement.
• Position the dumbbells safely at shoulder width before starting the set.
• Avoid excessively locking your elbows at the top of the press.

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.