Upper chestDumbbellsIntermediate

How to Do the Incline Dumbbell Press

By Bryan Alger, Co-Founder of Gravitus

· Updated Sep 30, 2026

An incline dumbbell press is a chest press on a bench set between 15 and 45 degrees. Lower a dumbbell in each hand to your upper chest, then press both up. It trains the upper chest and front delts, with the triceps helping. Most lifters do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps on a 30 degree bench.

Sets x reps 3-4 x 8-12

Median 10-rep weight, per dumbbell 6027.5 lbkg men 27.513 lbkg women

Muscles Upper chest, front delts, triceps

Bench angle 15 to 30 degrees

Incline Dumbbell Press bottom and top positions

1Bottom. Dumbbells beside your upper chest, forearms vertical, shoulder blades pinned to the bench.
2Top. Press until your arms are straight over your upper chest, then lower over 2 to 3 seconds.

Watch 3 video demonstrations

Video 1 of 3

Find more video demonstrations in the Gravitus app

Technique

How to do an incline dumbbell press

Set the bench to 30 degrees. Sit with your back against the pad and a dumbbell standing on each thigh.
Lie back and use your knees to kick the dumbbells up to your shoulders as your back reaches the pad.
Plant your feet, pull your shoulder blades back and down, and press the dumbbells up over your upper chest, palms forward or turned slightly in.
Lower over 2 to 3 seconds until the dumbbells sit beside your upper chest. Your elbows stay 45 to 60 degrees out from your sides, with your forearms vertical.
Press back up until your arms are straight, without knocking the dumbbells together. After the last rep, bring them to your chest, lift your knees and sit up with the dumbbells on your thighs.

Setup

Bench angle: what 15, 30, 45 and 60 degrees change

15 degreesLow inclineUpper chest as active as at 30 degrees, with more middle chest than any steeper setting. You lift about 12% less than flat.

30 degreesThe defaultUpper chest activity peaked here. The front delts already work harder than on a flat bench. About 22% less weight than flat.

45 degreesHigh inclineThe front delts work harder than at 15 degrees, and the middle and lower chest keep dropping. About 29% less weight than flat.

60 degreesAlmost a shoulder pressUpper chest activity fell below every other angle and the front delts peaked. About 36% less weight than flat.

The cards come from one barbell study that tested all five angles in 30 trained lifters at 60% of their max (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020). The weight figures are their one-rep maxes at each angle against flat. Upper chest activity at 15 and 30 degrees was the same, and at 45 degrees it was back to flat levels. Other studies disagree on where the upper chest peaks: 44 degrees on a Smith machine (Trebs 2010), and 30 and 45 degrees alike in the middle of the press (Lauver 2016). Every study agrees that the front delts do more and the middle and lower chest less as the bench rises. The only training study used 44 degrees: over 8 weeks, incline pressing grew the upper chest more than flat pressing (Chaves 2020). Set the bench anywhere from 15 to 45 degrees and keep it there, so your log compares like with like.

Gravitus data

How much weight should you incline dumbbell press?

On Gravitus, the median man lifts 60 lb (27.5 kg) per dumbbell for 10 reps on the incline dumbbell press, and the median woman 27.5 lb (13 kg).

Men, typical 60 lb per dumbbell for 10 reps

Most lift: 50 to 75 lb
Top 10% lift: 95 lb or more
Starting out: under 50 lb

Women, typical 27.5 lb per dumbbell for 10 reps

Most lift: 22.5 to 37.5 lb
Top 10% lift: 50 lb or more
Starting out: under 22.5 lb

Men, typical 27.5 kg per dumbbell for 10 reps

Most lift: 22.5 to 35 kg
Top 10% lift: 42.5 kg or more
Starting out: under 22.5 kg

Women, typical 13 kg per dumbbell for 10 reps

Most lift: 10 to 17 kg
Top 10% lift: 22.5 kg or more
Starting out: under 10 kg

One-rep max / 10-rep weight, per dumbbell, rounded to 5 lb (2.5 under 40). From 27,055 men and 4,420 women who log the incline dumbbell press on Gravitus, computed Oct 11, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
Percentile	Men	Women
25th	65 / 50 lb	30 / 22.5 lb
Median	80 / 60 lb	37.5 / 27.5 lb
75th	105 / 75 lb	50 / 37.5 lb
90th	130 / 95 lb	65 / 50 lb

One-rep max / 10-rep weight, per dumbbell, rounded to 2.5 kg (1 under 20). From 27,055 men and 4,420 women who log the incline dumbbell press on Gravitus, computed Oct 11, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
Percentile	Men	Women
25th	30 / 22.5 kg	13 / 10 kg
Median	37.5 / 27.5 kg	17 / 13 kg
75th	47.5 / 35 kg	22.5 / 17 kg
90th	57.5 / 42.5 kg	30 / 22.5 kg

Weights are per dumbbell. Expect less than on a flat dumbbell bench press: in the five-angle study, lifters' max at 30 degrees was 22% below their flat max (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020). Compare yourself to your own log at the same bench angle.

Anatomy

Incline dumbbell press muscles worked

Chest, upper (clavicular) head mostPushes the arms up and together. Up to 45 degrees the upper chest stays at least as active as on a flat bench, while the middle and lower chest do less as the bench rises (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020).

Primary

Front deltsRaise the arms forward. They work harder with every step up in bench angle.

Primary

TricepsStraighten the elbows. They work less with dumbbells than with a barbell (Saeterbakken 2011).

Secondary

Rotator cuff, biceps, serratus anteriorKeep each dumbbell steady. Biceps activity was higher with dumbbells than with a barbell (Saeterbakken 2011).

Stabilizer

Research

Incline press claims the research does not back

"30 degrees is proven best." It is a good default, not a proven optimum. In the five-angle study, 15 and 30 degrees gave the same upper chest activity, and 30 degrees was not significantly above flat (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020). Another study found the peak at 44 degrees (Trebs 2010).
"Dumbbells work the chest harder because you have to stabilize them." Chest activity with dumbbells matched the barbell even though lifters used 17% less weight; the biceps worked harder and the triceps less (Saeterbakken 2011). One study found slightly more chest activity with dumbbells (Farias 2017). Neither measured growth.
"Bring the dumbbells together at the top to squeeze the chest." Dumbbells are pulled straight down. With your arms vertical, touching them adds no load to the chest.
"Incline pressing only works the upper chest." It trains the whole chest. The middle and lower chest just do less as the bench rises (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020).

Compare

Incline dumbbell press vs flat dumbbell press vs incline barbell press

Attribute	Incline dumbbell press	Flat dumbbell press	Incline barbell press
Upper chest growth	More	Less	More
Weight you can lift	Least	More, flat is stronger	More, a bar is stronger
Triceps	Less	Less	More
Best for	Upper chest, one arm at a time	Whole chest	Heaviest loads, small jumps

Verdict

Use an incline press and a flat press in the same week. Over 8 weeks, incline pressing grew the upper chest more than flat pressing, with the same strength gains (Chaves 2020). Between dumbbells and a barbell, pick the one you can keep adding weight to.

Programming

Sets, reps and progression

3-4Sets

8-12Reps

1-2Reps left

Do incline dumbbell presses once or twice a week, first or second in a chest, push or upper-body workout. Stop each set 1 to 2 reps short of failure. Sets taken close to failure build muscle across a wide range of reps (Schoenfeld 2021), so pick a range you can keep strict.

Dumbbells usually go up 5 lb (2.5 kg) per hand, which is 10 lb (5 kg) more in total. Add reps first: when every set reaches 12, move up one dumbbell size and drop back to 8.

Form

Common mistakes

Bench set too steepPast 45 degrees the upper chest does less and the front delts take over. Drop the bench a notch or two.
Elbows flared straight outThe front of the shoulder takes the strain. Keep your elbows 45 to 60 degrees from your sides.
Stopping short at the bottomThe chest is stretched and working hardest there. Lower until the dumbbells sit beside your upper chest.
Knocking the dumbbells togetherIt adds nothing for the chest and makes the dumbbells harder to control. Stop with them a few inches apart.
Hips lifting off the seatIt flattens the angle you set. Keep your glutes on the seat and your feet flat.

Variations

Incline dumbbell press variations

Low incline dumbbell pressA 15 degree bench. Upper chest work with more middle chest and more weight.

High incline dumbbell pressA 45 to 60 degree bench. More front delt, less chest.

Neutral-grip incline dumbbell pressPalms facing each other, elbows tucked closer to your sides. Many lifters find it easier on the shoulders.

One-arm incline dumbbell pressOne dumbbell at a time. Your core works to stop you rolling toward the weight.

Incline barbell bench pressThe same angle with a bar. Heavier loads and smaller jumps.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What does incline dumbbell press work?

The chest, most of all its upper (clavicular) head, and the front delts, with the triceps helping. The rotator cuff and biceps keep the dumbbells steady.

What angle for incline dumbbell press?

15 to 30 degrees for most lifters. Upper chest activity was the same at both and fell off at 60 degrees, while the front delts did more at every step up (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020). A 45 degree bench still works if that is the notch your bench has.

Does incline press work front delts?

Yes. The front delts help at every angle and do more as the bench rises. At 45 and 60 degrees they were the most active muscle measured (Rodríguez-Ridao 2020).

Is incline dumbbell press better than incline barbell press?

Not for chest activity; it was the same with dumbbells and a barbell, with 17% less weight on the dumbbells (Saeterbakken 2011). The barbell loads heavier with smaller jumps. Dumbbells let each arm work alone and let your wrists turn to a comfortable angle.

How to spot incline dumbbell press?

Stand behind the bench and spot at the lifter's wrists, not the elbows. Pushing the elbows can tip the dumbbells toward the lifter's face. A spotter can also hand the dumbbells up at the start of a heavy set.

How much weight should I incline dumbbell press?

For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 60 lb (27.5 kg) per dumbbell for men and 27.5 lb (13 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 75 lb (35 kg) and 37.5 lb (17 kg) or more.

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References