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

The Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press is done lying on your back with dumbbells. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Dumbbell Palms In Incline Bench Press, the Incline Dumbbell Bench With Palms Facing In and the Dumbbell Incline Bench Press.

Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press

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

How to Do the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press

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

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

  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.

The 10 Best Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Hammer Grip Incline DB 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. Dumbbell Palms In Incline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    1. Dumbbell Palms In Incline Bench Press

    99% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    It uses the same equipment and still works the pectorals.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Pause for a moment at the bottom, then press the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
    7. 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 Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
  3. Dumbbell Incline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    3. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

    96% match

    Pectorals · Intermediate · Compound

    The same equipment, taken with an overhand grip.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: incline press, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
  4. Barbell Incline Bench PressPlay demonstration

    4. Barbell Incline Bench Press

    96% 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. 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.
    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 Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Primary muscle: pectorals, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
    • Body position: lying on your back, the same as the Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press

How to Choose the Right Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press 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.

Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press FAQ

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.

Find Alternatives for Any Exercise

Search the exercise database and filter the ranked substitutes by the equipment you own.