Incline DB Press
Upper strength for shielding the ball
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Set a bench to about 30°. Sit back with a dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back and bring them up to the shoulders. Feet planted, shoulder blades pulled back and down into the bench.
The rep
Press both dumbbells up over the upper chest to straight arms. Lower for two seconds to a full stretch at the sides of the upper chest, elbows at about 45° from the body, then press back up. Keep the shoulder blades pinned and the lower back against the bench.
On the exercise card
- Elbows at 45°
- Full stretch at the bottom
- Tempo
- 2s down
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| A bench set too steep | Much past 45°, it turns into a shoulder press. About 30° keeps the upper chest working. |
| Flared elbows | Keep them at about 45°. Flaring them strains the front of the shoulder. |
| Cutting the bottom short | Lower to a full stretch every rep, under control. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Lighter dumbbells, or incline push-ups with the hands on a bench.
- Harder
- Heavier dumbbells, or a one-second pause in the stretch.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
Nine programs use it, from soccer, netball and hockey to boxing, gymnastics and bodybuilding. Dumbbells let each shoulder find its own path, which suits athletes who need pressing strength without a heavy barbell lift. It is programmed at moderate loads for eight to ten reps.
What it trains, and who trains it
- Region
- Upper body
- Prescribed in
- soccer · netball · hockey · boxing · MMA · gymnastics · general fitness · bodybuilding · bodyweight training
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Bench Press | Max horizontal pressing strength |
| DB Bench Press | Bigger range, even sides |
| Decline Bench Press | Lower-chest emphasis, shoulder-friendly |
| Floor Press | Shoulder-friendly, lockout strength |
| Spoto Press | Pause 1 inch above chest — tightness + control |
| Larsen Press | Feet up — pure upper-body pressing, no leg drive |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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