You can do myriad workouts at home if you have dumbbells and a flexible weight bench. I’ll share some of the best weight bench dumbbell exercises for each muscle group so you can train your entire body effectively. These workouts will help you increase strength, build muscles and improve balance. So, whether you’re a beginner or pro, male or female, you can incorporate them into your dumbbell home workout routine.
Moreover, you can combine them with dumbbell floor and standing exercises so that you can have plenty of workouts to do for each muscle.
And as this article is about weight bench dumbbell exercises, I’ll only share those workouts that you can do with the help of dumbbells and a workout bench.
So, let’s start.
Dumbbell Weight Bench Exercises For Chest
- Dumbbell Bench Press
- Dumbbell Fly
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Dumbbell Squeeze Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
The Dumbbell bench press is a chest workout that helps you develop a solid upper body.
It has different variations that target the upper, middle, and lower chest and build a defined chest at home.
Variations:
- Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
- Decline Dumbbell Bench Press.
How to perform:
- Holding one dumbbell in each hand, lie on the bench.
- Brace your core, and press the dumbbells directly above your chest until your arms are straight.
Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell fly is an isolation workout that allows you to target your chest specifically.
It is a good movement for stimulating chest muscles. However, doing it with incorrect form may increase the risk of shoulder injuries.
So when you do it, make sure you use light dumbbells and perform in a controlled manner.
And like bench press, you can also do three variations of dumbbell fly: incline, flat, and decline.
How to perform:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells, lie on the bench and keep your arms out with a slight bend in your elbows.
- Brace the abdominal muscles and bring the dumbbells toward each other until your arms are straight over your chest.
Dumbbell Pullover
The pullover is a dumbbell compound workout that strengthens the chest and lats simultaneously.
However, the pectoralis major is the main muscle that engages during the movement. 1Effects of the pullover exercise on the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles as evaluated by EMG. Appl Biomech. 011 Nov;27(4):380-4. oi: 10.1123/jab.27.4.380. Epub 2011 Oct 4. MID: 21975179.
Moreover, it engages core muscles, improves your grip strength, and helps you develop a sturdy upper body.
You can primarily do two types of dumbbell pullovers; flat and incline. Both are effective and useful, so you can do them on different days.
How to perform:
- Grab the head of a dumbbell with a neutral grip and place your upper back on the bench.
- Keep your arms straight behind your head towards the floor.
- Brace your core and pull the dumbbell until your arms are straight above your chest.
Dumbbell Squeeze Press
Dumbbell squeeze press is an excellent movement to isolate the chest and triceps together.
You can do it as a finisher workout when you do weight bench dumbbell exercises for the chest.
How to do it:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and lie on the flat bench.
- Keep your arms bent over your chest with your palms are facing each other.
- Squeezing your pecs, press the weight up until your arms are straight.
Dumbbell Weight Bench Workouts for Back
- One-arm Dumbbell Rowing
- Dumbbell Chest Supported Row
- Incline Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises
- Incline Plank Rowing
One-arm Dumbbell Rowing
The one-arm dumbbell row is a back workout that helps you build bigger lats.
It is an excellent workout to do when you only have dumbbells and a weight bench for the training.
How to do it:
- Grab a dumbbell with a neutral grip with your right hand and place your left knee and hand on the bench.
- Keep your arms straight below your shoulders. Maintain a flat back and brace your core.
- Pull the dumbbell at your side until you feel the contraction in your back.
- Do the equal number of sets and reps on both sides.
You can also perform a single-arm row by setting the bench at a 30-degree incline. Both are effective and build strength and mass.
Dumbbell Chest Supported Row
The chest-supported row works on the back and shoulders simultaneously.
When you grip the dumbbells with a neutral grip, your traps activate the most.
And your rear deltoid engages the most when you grab the dumbbells with an overhand grip.
So depending on what muscles you want to build, you can do one of them.
Let’s see how to do a neutral grip chest supported row:
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand and lie on an incline bench on your chest.
- Keep your arms straight toward the floor and look downward.
- Pull the dumbbells toward your torso until you feel the contraction in your back muscle.
Incline Dumbbell I-Y-T Raises
The IYT raise is an excellent workout for developing upper body muscles at home with dumbbells.
It is an underrated workout. Unfortunately, very few people know about it, and fewer than them do it.
However, an ACE-certified study has shown that I-Y-T raise is one of the highly effective workouts that activates different muscles of the back at the same time after a bent-over row. 2E-SPONSORED RESEARCH: What Is the Best Back Exercise? by Holly Edelburg, B.S., John P. Porcari, Ph.D., Clayton Camic, Ph.D., Attila Kovacs, Ph.D., and Carl Foster, Ph.D., with Daniel J. Green
So it can be an excellent addition to your dumbbell weight bench workout list.
I’ve already created an article on how to perform IYT raise and its variations with step-by-step instruction. So, you can have a look.
Dumbbell Incline Plank Rowing
The incline dumbbell plank rowing is another excellent exercise that simultaneously forges your core and back muscles.
You may haven’t done it before because it’s not popular. However, it is effective and helps you build a muscular upper body.
How to do it:
- Place your right hand on the bench and extend your legs behind so you’re in the high plank position.
- Grab a dumbbell with a neutral grip with your left hand with your arm is straight below your shoulder.
- Pull the dumbbells at your side as high as possible, and then return to the start.
- Do it as many times as possible.
Weight Bench Dumbbell Exercises For Shoulder At Home
- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises
- Bent-over Reverse Fly
- 45-Degree Incline Dumbbell Row
- Seated Dumbbell IYT Raises
Building well-shaped shoulders require you to perform various workouts for each deltoid muscle: anterior, medial, and posterior.
And to target all these muscles, you’ll do different workouts, such as dumbbell overhead press, lateral raises, rear delt fly, and incline row.
Let’s see how to perform these workouts with step-by-step instructions.
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
The dumbbell overhead press is one of the best workouts for strengthening shoulder muscles.
You can do it to strengthen your front deltoid specifically.
Doing dumbbell shoulder press on a weight bench reduces core muscle activity and puts less stress on the back.
Moreover, it will help you scale for a standing overhead press.
How to do it:
- Set the bench to 90-degree, grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on it with your back resting on the pad.
- Hold your arms at your shoulder height with your elbows bent and your palms are facing forward.
- Press the dumbbell overhead until your arms are straight.
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises
The seated lateral raises work on the side muscles of your shoulders and increase shoulder strength and stability.
How to perform:
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand.
- Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet flat on the ground.
- Slightly lean forward and keep your arms straight at your sides.
- Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are in line with your shoulders.
Seated Bent-over Reverse Fly
The seated dumbbell reverse fly strengthens rear deltoid and upper traps simultaneously.
To perform this movement, pick lightweight dumbbells so you can do the required sets and reps efficiently.
How to do it:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip.
- Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet flat on the ground.
- Lean forward at your torso, so your eyes look down.
- Keep your arms straight with your hands are below your thighs.
- Raise the dumbbells out to the sides until feeling the contraction in your shoulder and upper back.
45-Degree Incline Dumbbell Row
You can also do overhand grip incline rowing to build up the back muscles of the shoulder.
A study also suggests that the rear delt raise and the 45-degree incline row highly activate the muscles of your posterior deltoid. 3Dynamite Delts: ACE Research Identifies Top Shoulder Exercises by Samantha Sweeney, M.S.
How to perform:
- Set the bench to a 45-degree incline position.
- Holding one dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, lie on the bench with your chest resting on the head of it.
- Keep your arms straights and look downward.
- Pull the dumbbells toward your shoulder until you feel the work.
Seated Dumbbell IYT Raises
You can try seated IYT raises with dumbbells if you want to challenge your strength.
It works on the entire shoulder and helps you build strength, mass, and stability.
You can also perform this workout when you train your chest and shoulder together.
How to perform:
Weight Bench Dumbbell Workouts for Arms
- Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
- Seated Overhead Triceps Extension
- Triceps Kickback
- Incline Dumbbell Alternate Curl
- Prone Incline Biceps Curl
- Incline Bench Preacher Curl
- Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
The lying triceps extension fortifies the long head of triceps muscles and builds muscular arms.
How to do it:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and lie on the bench.
- Keep your arms bent over your forehead with your elbows facing forward.
- Keeping your elbows locked, extend your upper arms until you feel the contraction in your triceps.
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension
Doing dumbbell overhead tricep extension by sitting on the weight bench help you lift heavier weights and perform each rep effectively.
If you want to beef up mass, you can do it once or twice a week.
How to do it:
- Grab the top of a dumbbell with your hands with a neutral grip.
- Keep your arms bent, so the dumbbell is behind your head, elbows facing forward.
- Lock your elbows and extend your upper arms until your triceps muscles are fully engaged.
Incline Dumbbell Triceps Kickback on Bench
Dumbbell kickback is a highly effective workout that stimulates triceps muscles and builds shredded arms.
It is found as the second-best exercise that quickly and effectively tones and strengthens the triceps – in a study published by the American Council of Exercise (ACE). 4AC Study Identifies Best Triceps Exercises By Brittany Boehler, B.S., John P. Porcari, Ph.D., Dennis Kline, M.S., C. Russell Hendrix, Ph.D., and Carl Foster, Ph.D., with Mark Anders
How to do it:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and lie on a 45 to 60-degree incline bench with your face down.
- Slightly raise your elbows and keep them fixed.
- Kick your upper arms back until your elbows are fully extended.
Incline Dumbbell Alternate Curl
The incline dumbbell curl strengthens bicep muscles and helps you build muscular arms.
How to do it:
- Holding one dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip, lie on a 45 to 60-degree incline bench.
- Keep your arms straight at your sides and brace your core.
- Curl your arms alternatively until you feel the contraction in your biceps.
Prone Incline Biceps Curl
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip and lie on a 30 to 45-degree incline bench with your face down and chest rested on the head of the weight bench.
- Curl your arms until your bicep muscles are fully engaged.
Incline Bench Preacher Curl
The preacher curl is an effective workout to develop bigger biceps.
It works specifically on biceps muscles and helps you build sturdy arms.
- Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and place the back of your arms on a 60-degree incline bench.
- Bring the dumbbell toward your shoulder until you feel the complete muscle contraction.
- Do the equal number of sets and reps on both sides.
Dumbbell Concentration Curl
You can do concentration curl to engage your biceps more effectively.
The ACE Study revealed that concentration curl allows you to focus more on the biceps and create the highest muscle activation among various biceps workouts. 5AC Study Reveals Best Biceps Exercises by Scott Young, M.S., John P. Porcari, Ph.D., Clayton Camic, Ph.D., Attila Kovacs, Ph.D., and Carl Foster, Ph.D.
How to perform:
- Grab a dumbbell with your right hand and sit on the edge of a flat bench.
- Place the back of your arms on your thigh and lean forward.
- Curl your arms for the desired number of times.
- Do the equal number of sets and reps on both sides.
Weight Bench Dumbbell Exercises For Legs
- Dumbbell Leg Extension
- Dumbbell Leg Curl
- Dumbbell Hip Thrust
- Dumbbell Step-up
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
Dumbbell Leg Extension
You can do a leg extension workout with a dumbbell if you have a weight bench at home.
The leg extension is a conditioning workout that strengthens quads and reinforces leg muscles.
To perform this movement, sit on the edge of a bench, clamp a dumbbell between your feet, and extend your knees until your legs are entirely straight.
Dumbbell Leg Curl
Leg curl increases hamstring strength and mobility.
It is also known as hamstring curl.
If you work out at home, you can do it with the help weight bench.
To perform hamstring curl, lie prone on a flat bench on your stomach, clamp a dumbbell between your feet and curl your legs until your hamstrings are engaged.
Dumbbell Hip Thrust
The dumbbell hip thrust strengthens, and tone glutes (buttock).
Having a solid glute increases your running, lifting, and jumping and reduces the risk of low back pain and injury.
To perform the dumbbell hip thrust, place your upper back on the bench and keep your feet on the floor. Then grab a dumbbell and put it on your hip. And thrust your hips upward as high as possible.
Dumbbell Step-up
Step-up is a great workout to build up entire legs. It also burns many calories in a quick time; that’s why I’ve also included it in the dumbbell HIIT workout plan.
How to do it:
- Holding a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip, stand upright in front of a flat bench.
- Step up on the bench with your right foot, and bring your left one.
- Return to the floor and repeat for the maximum times.
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
You can do one more workout, The Bulgarian split squat, at home if you have a weight bench and a pair of dumbbells.
The Bulgarian split squat increases lower body strength and improves balance. And I think it can be an excellent addition to dumbbell weight bench exercises.
How to do it:
- Holding a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip, stand upright against a bench.
- Place the top part of your right foot on a bench behind you and keep your arms straight at your sides.
- Bend your knees and squat down as low as possible.
- Press your front foot into the floor until your knee is straight.
Weight Bench Dumbbell Exercises Summary
Here’s a list of workouts you can do with a weight bench and dumbbells. These exercises will also help you create a workout routine.
| Chest | Back | Shoulder | Triceps | Biceps | Leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bench Press | One-arm Dumbbell Row | DB Overhead Press | Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension | Incline Dumbbell Alternate Curl | Dumbbell Leg Extension |
| Dumbbell Fly | Chest Supported Row | Seated Lateral Raises | Seated Overhead Triceps Extension | Prone Incline Biceps Curl | Dumbbell Leg Curl |
| Dumbbell Pullover | Incline DB I-Y-T Raises | Bent-over Reverse Fly | Triceps Kickback | Incline Bench Preacher Curl | Dumbbell Hip Thrust |
| Dumbbell Squeeze Press | Incline Plank Rowing | Incline Dumbbell Row | – | Dumbbell Concentration Curl | Dumbbell Step-up |
| – | – | Seated Dumbbell IYT Raises | – | – | Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat |
You may also like: No Bench Dumbbell Workout Plan With PDF
References
- 1Effects of the pullover exercise on the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi muscles as evaluated by EMG. Appl Biomech. 011 Nov;27(4):380-4. oi: 10.1123/jab.27.4.380. Epub 2011 Oct 4. MID: 21975179.
- 2E-SPONSORED RESEARCH: What Is the Best Back Exercise? by Holly Edelburg, B.S., John P. Porcari, Ph.D., Clayton Camic, Ph.D., Attila Kovacs, Ph.D., and Carl Foster, Ph.D., with Daniel J. Green
- 3Dynamite Delts: ACE Research Identifies Top Shoulder Exercises by Samantha Sweeney, M.S.
- 4AC Study Identifies Best Triceps Exercises By Brittany Boehler, B.S., John P. Porcari, Ph.D., Dennis Kline, M.S., C. Russell Hendrix, Ph.D., and Carl Foster, Ph.D., with Mark Anders
- 5AC Study Reveals Best Biceps Exercises by Scott Young, M.S., John P. Porcari, Ph.D., Clayton Camic, Ph.D., Attila Kovacs, Ph.D., and Carl Foster, Ph.D.
