The Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press is a beginner-friendly dumbbell strength exercise that targets the chest, with the triceps and shoulders working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesChest
Secondary musclesTriceps, Shoulders
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelBeginner
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press
Sit on the end of a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inward.
Rest the dumbbells on your thighs, then lie back and bring them to chest level.
Set your shoulder blades back into the bench and plant both feet on the floor.
Press the dumbbells up until your arms are nearly straight, keeping palms facing each other.
Lower them under control until the handles reach chest level, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
Repeat for the prescribed reps, then bring your knees up to help you sit back up safely.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Neutral wrist and elbow position is usually easier to tolerate than a pronated grip for sore shoulders.
Tucked elbow path recruits the triceps more than a standard dumbbell press.
Each arm works independently, which exposes and evens out side-to-side differences.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the elbows drift wide loses the neutral-grip advantage and returns stress to the front of the shoulder.
Clashing the dumbbells together at the top unloads the chest and risks losing control of one hand.
Locking the elbows hard at the top drops tension off the pectorals between reps.
Dropping the dumbbells to the floor from the finished position strains the shoulders on the way out of the set.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
