10 Best Dumbbell Bench Press Alternatives for Any Setup

The Dumbbell Bench Press is done lying on your back with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip, the Bench Press With Chains and the Reverse Band Bench Press.

Dumbbell Bench PressWatch the Dumbbell Bench Press

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press

The steps for the Dumbbell Bench Press itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Pectorals, with triceps, shoulders · Dumbbell · Intermediate · Compound

  1. Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing forward and your arms extended above your chest.
  3. Lower the dumbbells slowly to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
  4. Pause for a moment, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The 10 Best Dumbbell Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Dumbbell Bench Press on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

    1. Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip

    99% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    A good swap when you have a barbell to work with, and it still works the pectorals.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
    2. From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
    3. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
    4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

    Sets and reps: 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: flat horizontal press, the same as the Dumbbell Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Dumbbell Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Dumbbell Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Dumbbell Bench Press

Dumbbell Bench Press FAQ

What muscles does Dumbbell Bench Press work?

The dumbbell bench press primarily targets the pectoralis major, both sternal and clavicular fibers depending on bench angle. It also engages the anterior deltoid and triceps, while the rotator cuff and serratus anterior stabilize the shoulder and scapula during horizontal adduction.

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