The dumbbell incline bench press exercise will strengthen the upper chest area, shoulders, and arms. It is a pretty common exercise, but it is a great compound movement for developing upper body strength. This basketball workout video will explain the exercise and then give a few different variations that will help target some specific muscles. Really pay attention to the form, and help yourself build up a strong base. By doing this, you will be able to really improve your strength and muscle growth.
This basketball exercise will help translate into being stronger in the post, finishing at the basket, rebounding, and several other areas. It is important that when you get in the weight room, you spend your time doing exercises that are going to translate over to the court. This is called basketball-specific training. The reason it is called this is because you are working out with the goal of having the exercises help you become better at a specific basketball movement.
Basketball Exercise Overview
Exercise Name: Dumbbell Incline Bench Press Exercise
Equipment Needed: Dumbbells and an incline bench.
Similar Basketball Exercises and Resources
Goals of the Exercise
- Build muscle and develop strength in the upper chest area, shoulders, and arms.
Coaching Points
- Don’t allow your arms to drift out on the exercise, but keep them in close and going straight up and down.
- Really focus on developing good form before trying to go for a heavyweight.
- A spotter can spot at the elbows or the wrists, depending on what is more comfortable.
Basketball Exercise Instructions
Standard Incline Bench
- Take a dumbbell in each hand, sit back on the bench, and then kick the dumbbells up to your chest area.
- With your palms facing upwards and forwards, you will keep the dumbbells at about shoulder width.
- At the same time, you will push the weight straight up till your arms are extended, and then bring it back down.
- This completes one repetition.
Close Grip Incline Bench
- Take a dumbbell in each hand, sit back on the bench, and kick the dumbbells up to your chest.
- Turn your palms facing inwards and hold both dumbbells together.
- Push the weight up towards the ceiling till your arms are extended, and then lower the weight back down to your chest.
- This completes one repetition.
Alternating Incline Bench
- Grab a dumbbell with both hands, lay back on the bench, and kick them up to your chest.
- With your palms facing upwards and out push press the weight up towards the ceiling so that your arms are extended.
- Lower your right dumbbell down to your chest, and then push it back up. Then do the same with your left dumbbell.
- You are going to alternate back and forth for the desired amount of repetitions.
