Intermediate

Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

Loading only one side turns a chest press into a serious anti-rotation drill, since the offset weight wants to twist you off the bench. You get honest per-side pressing strength plus a big oblique demand to stay square. Program it to correct pressing imbalances and build a more stable trunk.

Equipment
Bench, Dumbbell
Body part
Chest
Type
Functional, Strength
Browse by movement
Core Brace, Horizontal Press
Muscles worked
Target
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Secondary
Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Tertiary
Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

  1. 1

    Lie flat on a bench holding one dumbbell over your chest with a neutral or slightly pronated grip.

  2. 2

    Press your feet down and brace your abs hard to lock the torso to the bench.

  3. 3

    Lower the dumbbell to the side of your chest under control.

  4. 4

    Keep your shoulders and hips square against the pull of the weight.

  5. 5

    Press the dumbbell back up over the chest, then finish the reps before switching sides.

Tips

  • Grip the bench edge with your free hand at first to help resist rotation.
  • Do not let the loaded side of your torso lift off the pad.
  • Keep the working wrist stacked over the elbow throughout the press.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Feet set close together leave you nothing to brace against. Widen your stance on the floor so you have a wide base to resist the twist.
  • Taking half of your two-arm dumbbell weight. The limit here is the trunk rather than the pec, so pick the load your abs can hold square for every rep.
  • Holding the bench edge with the free hand set after set. That help is for your first few sessions, and once you can stay flat, put the free hand on your chest and let the obliques work.
  • Lowering the dumbbell straight toward your shoulder to reduce the twist takes the pec out of it. It belongs at the side of your chest, where resisting the twist is the point.
  • The set is not over when the arm is done. Swinging a heavy dumbbell across your body to switch hands is the riskiest moment here, so sit up, set it down, and reset.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps per side of the single-arm dumbbell bench press should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three sets of 8 to 10 per side, using about a third less than the dumbbell you would take for a two-arm press. The trunk gives out before the chest at first, so judge the weight by whether your hips and shoulders stay flat on the bench, not by how the pec feels. Add weight once both sides finish every set square.
What can I do instead of the single-arm dumbbell bench press with no bench?
The floor version is the closest stand-in and removes any chance of rolling off the edge, though the floor cuts the bottom of the range. Two aerobic steps pushed together, or a firm ottoman, give you enough of a platform if your shoulders fit across it. Away from weights entirely, hold a side plank while your top arm presses a band forward, which is the same demand of pushing while refusing to twist.
What is the single-arm dumbbell bench press for, and when is it not the right lift?
It gives you honest per-side pressing strength plus a real oblique demand, which makes it useful for correcting imbalances and for building a trunk that resists twisting. It suits intermediate lifters who have noticed one arm finishing first. It is not the right lift when you want to load the chest heavily, because the twist limits you well before the pec does, and not when you are short on time, since each side needs its own set. Getting a heavy bell into position alone is harder than it looks, too.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Chest exercises