10 Best Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press Alternatives for Triceps
If you can’t perform the Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press, choose close‑grip barbell bench press, dumbbell neutral‑grip bench press, weighted dips, close‑grip push‑ups or dumbbell floor press. Cue a tight elbow tuck and controlled eccentric to bias the long head of the triceps; retract your scapula to maintain shoulder stability.
Original Exercise: Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press
How to Perform Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing away from you.
- Extend your arms straight up over your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
- Lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- As you lower the dumbbells, twist your wrists so that your palms face towards you at the bottom of the movement.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then reverse the movement by pressing the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
- As you press the dumbbells up, twist your wrists back to the starting position with palms facing away from you.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press Alternatives
1. Dumbbell Neutral Grip Bench Press
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and your arms extended straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Dumbbell Close-grip Press
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
- Using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
- Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, slowly lower the dumbbells to your side until they are about level with your chest.
- As you exhale, use your triceps to lift the dumbbells back to the starting position.
3. Close-Grip Dumbbell Press
98.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place a dumbbell standing up on a flat bench.
- Ensuring that the dumbbell stays securely placed at the top of the bench, lie perpendicular to the bench with only your shoulders lying on the surface. Hips should be below the bench and your legs bent with your feet firmly on the floor.
- Grasp the dumbbell with both hands and hold it straight over your chest at arm's length. Both palms should be pressing against the underside of the sides of the dumbbell. This will be your starting position.
- Initiate the movement by lowering the dumbbell to your chest.
- Return to the starting position by extending the elbows.
4. Ez Barbell Jm Bench Press
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in close to your body.
- Push the barbell back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Barbell Lying Close-grip Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing towards your feet.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest, then push it back up to the starting position.
6. Close-Grip Barbell Bench Press
95.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie back on a flat bench. Using a close grip (around shoulder width), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
- As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your middle chest. Tip: Make sure that - as opposed to a regular bench press - you keep the elbows close to the torso at all times in order to maximize triceps involvement.
- After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your triceps muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
- Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
- When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
7. Barbell Reverse Close-grip Bench Press
95.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell down towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell is just above your chest.
8. Dumbbell Floor Press
94.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lay on the floor holding dumbbells in your hands. Your knees can be bent. Begin with the weights fully extended above you.
- Lower the weights until your upper arm comes in contact with the floor. You can tuck your elbows to emphasize triceps size and strength, or to focus on your chest angle your arms to the side.
- Pause at the bottom, and then bring the weight together at the top by extending through the elbows.
9. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Press
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie on a flat bench with an EZ bar loaded to an appropriate weight.
- Using a narrow grip lift the bar and hold it straight over your torso with your elbows in. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
- Now lower the bar down to your lower chest as you breathe in. Keep the elbows in as you perform this movement.
- Using the triceps to push the bar back up, press it back to the starting position by extending the elbows as you exhale.
- Repeat.
10. Ez-bar Close-grip Bench Press
94.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Lie flat on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed against the bench.
- Grasp the ez barbell with a close grip, hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing forward.
- Lift the barbell off the rack and hold it directly above your chest with your arms fully extended.
- Slowly lower the barbell towards your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
- Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
Why You Might Need a Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press Alternative
You might substitute the Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press for several practical reasons: shoulder pain with rotation, lack of appropriate dumbbells, or a programming goal to overload the triceps with different levers. Swaps change joint angles and moment arms and therefore shift muscle activation — for example, a close‑grip bench reduces horizontal abduction, increasing triceps torque. Use a controlled eccentric and full elbow extension on replacements to preserve triceps recruitment. If you have shoulder irritation, pick a neutral‑grip or floor press to limit overhead translation and reduce rotator cuff stress while still targeting the triceps.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, pain history, and the triceps region you want to overload. If you want maximal long‑head tension, use dips or close‑grip presses with an elbow tuck; cue a vertical forearm at lockout to increase triceps moment arm. If you lack a bench or barbell, choose close‑grip push‑ups or dumbbell floor presses that limit shoulder extension and reduce impingement. For progressive overload, pick a compound move that allows linear loading (barbell close‑grip or weighted dips). Always test range of motion: reduce ROM if the shoulder aches and emphasize slow eccentrics to maintain hypertrophic stimulus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press work?
The movement primarily targets the triceps, especially under elbow extension torque, while also engaging the pecs and anterior deltoids. Maintain scapular retraction and a neutral wrist to optimize triceps activation and reduce shoulder shear.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press?
Close‑grip push‑ups are the best bodyweight substitute because they keep the elbows tucked and increase triceps loading. Cue a tight core and a straight line from head to heels while driving through the palms to maximize triceps recruitment.
Can I build muscle without doing Dumbbell Twisting Bench Press?
Yes. You can build comparable triceps mass with exercises that provide similar elbow extension torque, such as close‑grip bench press, weighted dips, or dumbbell floor presses. Emphasize progressive overload, full elbow extension, and controlled eccentrics to sustain hypertrophy.
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