Incline Dumbbell Press: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked and Variations

The incline dumbbell press is a strength and muscle building exercise classic in bodybuilding programs that primarily targets the chest muscles.

It is, as the name suggests, performed with dumbbells on an inclined bench.

According to Marcus Filly, founder of the Functional Bodybuilding training method, the incline dumbbell press is incredibly beneficial because “pressing through a variety of incline planes on the shoulder is a great way to build resilience for the demands of functional movements that may take load overhead.

“Since there is so much pressing overhead in functional fitness, it is important to build resilience through dumbbell pressing in various vertical planes.”

Because each arm works independently in this exercise, the incline dumbbell press is more challenging than its