10 Best Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press Alternatives for Home & Gym

The Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press is done lying on your back with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Incline Dumbbell Press, the Dumbbell Incline Hammer Press On Exercise Ball and the Dumbbell Incline Press On Exercise Ball. Four harder versions, among them the Dumbbell Incline One Arm Hammer Press and the Dumbbell Incline One Arm Press, are listed below as progressions rather than swaps.

Dumbbell Incline Alternate PressWatch the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press

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

How to Do the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press

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

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

  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
  2. Lean back on the bench and use your thighs to help raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, palms facing forward.
  3. Once at shoulder height, rotate your wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward.
  4. Push the dumbbells up with your chest and shoulders, extending your arms fully.
  5. Lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, alternating arms.

The 10 Best Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Dumbbell Incline Alternate 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. Harder versions are tagged as progressions and kept out of the top spot even when they score higher.

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

  1. Incline Dumbbell Press

    1. Incline Dumbbell Press

    91% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    Pick this when you want to work the pectorals with more balance to manage.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand atop your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
    2. Then, using your thighs to help push the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder width.
    3. Once you have the dumbbells raised to shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
    4. Be sure to keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Then breathe out and push the dumbbells up with your chest.
    5. Lock your arms at the top, hold for a second, and then start slowly lowering the weight. Tip Ideally, lowering the weights should take about twice as long as raising them.
    6. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
    7. When you are done, place the dumbbells back on your thighs and then on the floor. This is the safest manner to release the dumbbells.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
  2. Dumbbell Incline One Arm Hammer PressPlay demonstration

    Progression

    2. Dumbbell Incline One Arm Hammer Press

    87% match

    Pectorals · Advanced · Compound

    Pick this when you want a harder version that still works the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in one hand, resting on your thigh.
    2. Lean back on the bench and use your thigh to help raise the dumbbell to shoulder height.
    3. Rotate your wrist so that your palm is facing inward, towards your body.
    4. Press the dumbbell up and away from your body, extending your arm fully.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch arms.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on each side.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
  7. Dumbbell Incline Press On Exercise BallPlay demonstration

    7. Dumbbell Incline Press On Exercise Ball

    85% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

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

    • Stability-ball
    How to perform it
    1. Sit on an exercise ball with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
    2. Slowly walk your feet forward, rolling your body down the ball until your head, neck, and upper back are supported on the ball.
    3. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level, elbows bent and pointing out to the sides.
    4. Press the dumbbells upward, extending your arms fully.
    5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press
    • Balance: harder to stay steady on than the Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press

Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press FAQ

What muscles does Dumbbell Incline Alternate Press work?

The exercise primarily targets the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, with significant assistance from the anterior deltoid and triceps brachii. Scapular stabilizers like the serratus anterior and rotator cuff engage to control the shoulder; pause at the top and feel the pec contraction to reinforce proper activation.

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