10 Best Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press Alternatives for Home Gyms

What can I do instead of Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press? Use exercises that reproduce incline pressing with a neutral (hammer) grip to target the clavicular head of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid. Try neutral-grip incline machine presses, kettlebell incline presses, or landmine presses—cue: tuck elbows ~30–45° and press in the chest plane.

Original Exercise: Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press

Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
Primary Muscle
Pectorals
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Compound
Secondary Muscles: Shoulders, Triceps
How to Perform Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
  1. Lie back on an incline bench with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
  2. By using your thighs to help you get the dumbbells up, clean the dumbbells one arm at a time so that you can hold them at shoulder width.
  3. Once at shoulder width, keep the palms of your hands with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Keep your elbows flared out with the upper arms in line with the shoulders (perpendicular to the torso) and the elbows bent creating a 90-degree angle between the upper arm and the forearm. This will be your starting position.
  4. Now bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe in. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times.
  5. As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up.
  6. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  7. When you are done, place the dumbbells back in your thighs and then on the floor. This is the safest manner to dispose of the dumbbells.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Push
  • Movement type: Compound

Best Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Palms In Incline Bench Press

1. Dumbbell Palms In Incline Bench Press

99.9% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your back against the backrest and feet flat on the ground.
  3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing inwards.
  4. Extend your arms straight up above your chest, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
  5. Lower the dumbbells slowly towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

2. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

96% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back pressed firmly against the bench.
  3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, and lift them to shoulder height.
  4. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
  5. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

3. Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip

96% Match
Pectorals Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie back on an incline 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. As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on you upper chest.
  3. After a second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, 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.
  4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
  5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Barbell Incline Bench Press

4. Barbell Incline Bench Press

96% Match
Pectorals Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
  5. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push the barbell back up to the starting position.
Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press

5. Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Press

95.4% Match
Pectorals Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
  3. Grasp the barbell with a reverse grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
  4. Unrack the barbell and lower it slowly towards your chest, keeping your elbows tucked in.
  5. Pause for a moment when the barbell touches your chest.
Dumbbell Incline Breeding

6. Dumbbell Incline Breeding

95.2% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with your back against the pad and feet flat on the ground.
  3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, palms facing forward.
  4. Start with your arms fully extended, perpendicular to the ground.
  5. Lower the dumbbells slowly to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows at a 90-degree angle.
Dumbbell Incline Palm-in Press

7. Dumbbell Incline Palm-in Press

94.2% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set up an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
  2. Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  3. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and keep your back straight against the bench.
  4. Start with the dumbbells at shoulder level, elbows bent and palms facing each other.
  5. Press the dumbbells up and away from your body, extending your arms fully.
Dumbbell Incline Hammer Press

8. Dumbbell Incline Hammer Press

94.2% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle and sit on it with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs.
  2. Lie back on the bench and position the dumbbells at shoulder level with your palms facing each other.
  3. Press the dumbbells up and away from your body until your arms are fully extended.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Decline Hammer Press

9. Dumbbell Decline Hammer Press

90% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie on a decline bench with your feet secured and your head lower than your hips.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other and your arms extended above your chest.
  3. Lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
  4. Press the dumbbells back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

10. Decline Dumbbell Bench Press

90% Match
Pectorals Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
  2. Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width.
  3. 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.
  4. Bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe out. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times. Tip: Throughout the motion, the forearms should always be perpendicular to the floor.
  5. As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly. Tip: It should take at least twice as long to go down than to come up..

Why You Might Need a Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press Alternative

You may need substitutes because of shoulder pain, lack of equipment, or training preferences such as unilateral work. Hammer-grip incline presses reduce external rotation, which can lower rotator-cuff strain; alternatives should preserve that neutral wrist and incline vector while still loading the upper pecs and anterior deltoids. For example, a neutral-grip incline machine press keeps scapular control and consistent resistance; a landmine press limits horizontal abduction yet emphasizes shoulder flexion and clavicular pec activation. Choose movements that match the incline angle (30–45°) and allow you to cue scapular retraction and a 30–45° elbow position to maintain similar muscle recruitment.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Select a substitute based on equipment, movement pattern, and injury history. Match the incline vector (30–45°) and a neutral hand position when possible to replicate upper-pec activation and reduce rotator-cuff torque. If you lack dumbbells, use a landmine or single-arm kettlebell incline press and cue: keep the wrist neutral, drive through the palm, and maintain scapular retraction. Prioritize exercises that allow progressive loading and preserve a controlled eccentric to maximize pectoral tension and safe shoulder biomechanics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press work?

It primarily targets the upper portion of the pectoralis major (clavicular head) and the anterior deltoid, with secondary loading of the triceps. The neutral hammer grip shifts some emphasis away from external rotation, reducing supraspinatus and infraspinatus loading while keeping the pecs in a mechanical advantage during incline pressing.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press?

A decline-to-incline push-up using an elevated surface (feet on floor, hands on a raised box) reproduces the incline pressing angle and upper-pectoral bias. Cue a neutral wrist, tuck elbows about 30–45°, and pause briefly at the bottom to increase time under tension and upper-pec activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press?

Yes — you can build upper-pectoral mass with several alternatives that replicate the incline vector and neutral grip, such as neutral-grip incline machine presses, kettlebell incline presses, or landmine presses. Focus on progressive overload, full range of motion, and cues like scapular retraction and controlled eccentrics to maximize pectoral hypertrophy.

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