Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
Trains the Pecs.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells and either a flat bench or an adjustable bench
- Mechanic
- Compound
- Force
- Push
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each thigh, palms facing each other.
- Lie back, using your legs to bring the dumbbells to your chest.
- Set your shoulder blades back and down, feet flat on the floor.
- Start with the dumbbells beside your chest, palms still facing each other and elbows closer to your sides than on a normal press.
- Press straight up until the arms are almost straight, keeping the palms facing each other the whole way.
- Lower under control to the same position beside the chest.
Common mistakes
- Letting the palms rotate to face forward on the way up. The neutral grip is the entire difference; once the hands turn, this is an ordinary dumbbell press.
- Flaring the elbows out as on a barbell press. The neutral grip naturally tucks the elbows in, and fighting that gives up the shoulder position the grip was chosen for.
- Expecting a bigger chest contraction. The tucked elbow reduces how far the upper arm travels across the body, so the triceps take a larger share and the chest a smaller one than a palms-forward press.
- Choosing it only because it feels easier on the shoulder. It often does, and that is a good enough reason to use it — but it is a different loading rather than a safer version of the same one.