Hammer Grip Incline DB Bench Press
This press has you push a pair of dumbbells up on an incline bench with your palms facing each other the entire rep, rather than the usual palms-forward grip. That neutral hand position takes pressure off the front of the shoulder while still hitting the upper chest, front delts, and triceps, which makes it a solid choice for beginners or anyone whose shoulders don't love a wide, palms-forward incline press.
Why it works
A neutral, palms-facing grip keeps your elbows tracking closer to your torso than a standard grip does, which reduces how far your shoulder has to rotate at the top of the press. Less rotation under load means less strain on the front of the shoulder joint, while the upper-chest fibers, front delts, and triceps still do the same pushing work they would in a standard incline press. The incline angle itself shifts more of that work toward the upper chest and shoulders compared to a flat bench, rounding out chest development from a different angle than flat pressing alone.
Set up
- Set an adjustable bench to a 30 to 45 degree incline.
- Sit with a dumbbell resting on each thigh, then lie back as you bring them to shoulder height.
- Position your palms facing each other at chest level, elbows bent under the dumbbells.
- Plant your feet flat on the floor and keep your shoulder blades pulled back against the bench.
How to do it
- Press both dumbbells straight up, keeping your palms facing each other the whole way.
- Extend your arms without locking your elbows out hard at the top.
- Pause briefly at the top before starting the descent.
- Lower the dumbbells under control back to the starting position at chest level.
- Keep your shoulder blades pinned to the bench throughout the movement.
- Repeat for the set without letting the dumbbells drift forward or backward.
Form cues
- Palms face each other the entire rep.
- Shoulder blades stay pulled back against the bench.
- Elbows track under the wrists, not flared wide.
- Lower with control, don't bounce off the bottom.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower the dumbbells to chest level, then exhale as you press them back up.
Common mistakes
Letting the shoulder blades round forward off the bench during the press.
Fix: Pull your shoulder blades back and down into the bench before the first rep and keep them there for the whole set.
Lowering the dumbbells too far past chest level, straining the front of the shoulder.
Fix: Stop the descent once your upper arms are roughly level with your torso, not lower, especially early on while you're learning the range.
Pressing the dumbbells together over the chest instead of straight up.
Fix: Keep the dumbbells over your shoulders throughout the press rather than converging them, which shifts the work unevenly and adds shoulder strain.
Setting the bench too flat, turning the exercise into a standard flat press with an odd grip.
Fix: Keep the incline at 30 to 45 degrees; much flatter than that and you lose the upper-chest emphasis the angle is meant to provide.
How to program it
- As an upper-chest pressing movement, 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps once a week fits well as a secondary or primary press in an upper-body session.
- Pair it with a flat pressing movement earlier or later in the week to cover the whole chest rather than relying on incline pressing alone.
- Because the neutral grip is shoulder-friendly, it's a reasonable choice to program ahead of a barbell incline press if you're building shoulder tolerance for heavier pressing.
- If your gym stocks hex or rounded dumbbells, check that they sit stable against each other at the top of the press before loading up, since a wobbly lockout undercuts the point of the exercise.
Safety notes
- Use a spotter or a weight you can safely rack yourself when working near your top set, since dumbbells offer no built-in bar catch like a barbell rack.
- Stop short of a full stretch at the bottom if you feel pinching in the front of the shoulder rather than pushing through it.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Push
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many sets and reps should I do for the hammer grip incline press?
Three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps once a week works well, either as your main incline pressing movement or paired with a flat press for full chest development.
Can I do this without an incline bench?
You need some kind of angled surface for the incline angle, but a flat dumbbell press with the same neutral grip trains the same shoulder-friendly pattern if an incline bench isn't available.
Hammer grip incline press vs regular incline dumbbell press, what's the difference?
Both hit the upper chest and front delts from the same angle. The hammer grip keeps your palms facing each other, which reduces shoulder rotation and strain, while the regular grip has your palms facing forward and allows a slightly deeper chest stretch.
Why do I feel this more in my shoulders than my chest?
That usually means the dumbbells are drifting too far forward or the incline angle is set too steep. Lower the bench a few degrees and keep the dumbbells stacked over your shoulders rather than your face to shift the emphasis back to the chest.