Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press
Incline pressing with palms facing each other — a shoulder-friendly grip that still builds upper chest and front shoulder strength.
Also called: neutral grip incline press, neutral-grip incline dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press, incline db press
Illustrations: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co)
Setup
Set the bench to a low-to-moderate incline. Lie back holding dumbbells at chest level with palms facing each other.
How to do the Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press
- Press the dumbbells straight up, keeping palms facing in throughout.
- Pause briefly at the top without locking out hard.
- Lower slowly until upper arms are just below shoulder height.
- Keep wrists stacked directly over elbows.
Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press muscles worked
The Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press works the chest, shoulders and triceps.
Common Incline Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press mistakes
- Letting the dumbbells drift out wide at the bottom.
- Arching the lower back off the bench.
- Rushing the lowering phase.
Scale it
Easier: Lighter dumbbells, smaller range of motion.
Harder: Slow 3-second lowering on every rep.
Pairs well with
Bench Press
Pressing a barbell or dumbbells from the chest lying on a bench — the standard heavy upper-body push.
Cable Chest Press
Pressing against constant cable tension — keeps the chest loaded through the full range, easy on the shoulder since the angle is adjustable.
Floor Press
A bench press from the floor — the same pressing pattern with a built-in range limit that spares the shoulders.
Low-Incline Dumbbell Press
Pressing on a shallow incline — trains the upper chest with less shoulder strain than a steep incline or flat bench.