Kathryn Alexander

Dumbbell back workouts are great complements to gym sessions for your upper body pulling days. If you’ve done much lifting in gyms, you know that the best back workouts are usually done with equipment you typically find in gyms.

Lat pulldowns, cable rows, and machine rows are easier to do with cable systems and equipment that you find in the gym. 

However, you can get a great dumbbell back workout done at home if you do the following exercise. 

Why is a Strong Back Important?

Having a strong back is important for health, safety prevention, and for looking strong and athletic. This applies to men and women. A strong back means you’ll have good posture, lowered risk of injury, and and likely a pain free upper body. A muscular back will make your overall physique look strong and balanced. 

In this article, I am going to explain how to do the 5 best dumbbell back exercises. Back in this case refers mostly to the muscle groups that work on the humerus and shoulder blades, as opposed to exercises that work your lower back musculature. In other words, I am referring to your latissimus dorsi, trapezius muscles, and rhomboids.

The teres minor, teres major, infraspinatus, (rotator cuff) and rear deltoids will be involved too. (Note that I am not focusing on rear delts either, so the rear delt fly is categorized with shoulder work in my book).

The lower back muscles, or erector spinae muscles and exercises that them, like deadlifts and hinges, will be covered in another article. 

The Dumbbell Back Workout

Here it is: my favorite dumbbell back workout, and how to do these 5 best back exercises that you can do with a set of dumbbells. I’ll give a quick overview, then dive into each one.

Bent-Over Row

The single-arm dumbbell row, or bent over row, is probably what first comes to mind when lifters think of dumbbell back exercises, and for good reason. It’s a classic!

2 Arm Dumbbell Row

The same movement, but with both arms at a time, is one of the most popular row variations. This does work the lower back a good bit too, in addition to the upper back muscles.

Dumbbell Pullover

The dumbbell pullover *might* be my favorite upper body exercises, certainly one of the best dumbbell exercises. It works so many things, and feels so good! 

Renegade Row

Full disclosure, not my favorite, but lots of people do them, so let me explain. The renegade row requires so much stability from the body that it really limits how much you can row, and the range of motion is not great. 

Good Mornings

I’m giving good mornings an honorable mention because I love them so much. They actually do involved a lot of low back, and they aren’t a row. They are a hinge. But, I make the rules around here so I’m adding them to the list. 

Bent Over Rows

Like I said, these are a fundamental movement to target the lats, traps, and rhomboids. I want my clients to learn proper form here, and then learn when to use a little more body English. Let’s start with ideal form. 

To do the one arm bent over dumbbell row:

• stand with your legs staggered, with the leg holding the dumbbell behind the other
• with a hinge in your hips and neutral, straight back, brace one arm on something sturdy in front of you
• extend the dumbbell toward the floor, keeping your back straight, but letting your shoulder stretch slightly toward the floor
• squeeze your shoulders back and immediately follow by pulling your elbow to your sides
• extend your elbow first to return to your start position
• allow your shoulders to again stretch toward the floor

2 Arm Dumbbell Rows

This is essentially the same exercise as the 1 arm dumbbell row, except you are using a pair of dumbbells here. You are providing all the stability since you are not propping a hand or knee on any other surface. This is a great exercise for full back involvement.

To do the 2 arm dumbbell row:

• hinge at the hips with your back straight and neutral
• extend your elbows, keeping your back straight, but letting your shoulders stretch slightly toward the floor
• squeeze your shoulders back and immediately follow by pulling your elbows to your sides
• extend your elbows first to return to your start position
• allow your shoulders to again stretch toward the floor
• your pattern here is shoulders back, elbows back, elbows straight, shoulders stretch toward floor, repeat

Pullover

YASSS the pullover! Arnold (and a lot of other people) use these for chest development. It does work chest, and triceps, and abs. I just really like it for back. Grab a lighter weight until you get the feel for this. Also, if hurts your shoulder, skip it.

Note that I also do these a bit differently, as I like to lay on a bench like I would for bench press. Some people lay perpendicular and cross the bench. You can do either. Experiment to see which setup works best for you. 

To do dumbbell pullovers:

• lay flat on ground or bench, and then build up an arch in your lower back. I don’t want a flat back here.
• press your shoulders down toward your hip pockets and keep them there for the duration of this exercise
• make a big arc over your head with the weight
• keep elbows soft and ribcage up
• press your arms back until your hands are over your face, not farther toward bellybutton
• repeat

Renegade Row

As I mentioned, the renegade row works so much of the body that it doesn’t focus on a rowing pattern. It requires so much stability that you have to use lighter weights on your row. But, try it and see if you like it.

To do the renegade row:

• start in a high plank position, gripping a dumbbell in each hand
• keep feet hip-width apart (wider for stability, narrower for difficulty)
• brace your core. engage your abs and keep your body straight (no sagging hips)
• pull one dumbbell towards your ribs, keeping your elbow close to your body
• avoid twisting your torso—keep your hips squared to the ground
• slowly return the dumbbell to the ground without dropping it
• maintain a stable plank position, neutral spine, throughout the movement
• of course, do the other arm

Good Mornings

And here we have the good morning! These DO work the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings. They are a lower body exercise and work the entire posterior chain. I heart them.

To do good mornings: 

• hold the dumbbell at your chest
• keep your torso tight and neutral, not bending or flexing the spine
• keeping your whole feet flat on the ground, hinge at the hips and send your hips behind you
• keep your torso tight and aim to feel a stretch in your hamstrings
• squeeze your glutes to push your hips back under you
• return to your starting position
• repeat for as many reps as is your goal

Benefits of Using Dumbbells for Back Work

There are some really great benefits of dumbbell workouts that I don’t want to overlook. Among them, dumbbell work typically works both sides of your body independently, improving muscle imbalances. This unilateral work can also build balanced strength. 

Dumbbells allow a greater range of motion than barbells or machines, leading to greater involvement (muscle activation). A dumbbell back workout is also pretty joint friendly. Since you aren’t committed to a grip like you are with a barbell, dumbbells let your wrists, elbows, and shoulders move freely, reducing stress on the joints. You don’t have to commit to an overhand grip if a neutral grip feels better, for example.

Free weights are also so so versatile! You can work your entire body, and get not just good back workouts. For example, managing dumbbells works your grip, forearms, stabilizers mores than machines. 

Back is such an important muscle group to work! Be sure to prioritize your good pulling movements, or your back day if you split it up like a bodybuilder. Add in the single-arm row, the bent-over dumbbell row, pullovers and some hinges. Building muscle mass and back strength will always serve you well! 

How To Work All Back Large Muscle Groups

To ensure muscle growth and development in all areas of your back, you’ll want to work a variety of angles to work upper traps, mid traps, lower traps, lats, rhomboids, and the teres minor and major.

Some other exercises that you can include in your dumbbell back workout routine are the reverse fly, dumbbell upright row, and dumbbell shrugs, high pulls, and upright rows. These are pulling type movements, but I mentally categorize them with shoulder work. 

Here are some other dumbbell arm exercises you can add in too.

Likewise, I suggest always categorizing deadlifts, dumbbell deadlifts, barbell deadlifts, etc, on leg day. Yes they do work your lower back, but they aren’t primarily lower back exercises. They are full body, but leg work. If you find you’re using your back most, then I really suggest you adjust your form. 

Want to lift heavier weights with barbell rows? Learn how in this comprehensive post.

Do you have questions about your dumbbell back workout, or your workout program in general?

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.

Let’s get you strong and healthy!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

• 
  Love Notes, Volume 2
• 
  The Best 5 Chest Exercises: Top 5 You Should Be Doing
• 
  Let’s Lift! Personal Training Spots Open at Big Tex Gym
• 
  Tubing Near Austin: Best Rivers in Texas (2025)
• 
  Tricep Pushdown Alternative: 11 Other Triceps Exercises
• 
  SummerStrong 18 at Sorinex Headquarters

Home leg workouts with dumbbells are simple, accessible, and so beneficial! Leg day is the big one! The toughest, hardest, most gut checking day of the week! In the gym, you can load up a heavy bar for barbell squats or deadlifts, or load up machines for a crushing leg workout.

But, you can also get a great leg workout by strength training from home. A dumbbell leg workout done with focus on movements can build and strengthen your legs (quads, hamstrings, calves), glutes, and lower back. And truly, your whole body. Grab some dumbbells and get to building strong legs.

Equipment

Of course, for home workouts with dumbbells, you’ll want dumbbells. You can do so much great work with body weight, and a little bit of equipment. Free weights are expensive, so you can be strategic about getting a medium pair of dumbbells, and maybe 1 or 2 heavy dumbbells or kettlebells. If you have read much about my recommendations for home equipment, you know I suggest a pair of light dumbbells, medium dumbbells, one heavier dumbbell (or kettlebell), and some resistance bands. 

If you have the space and budget for a bench, that’s great too. This is plenty of equipment to build leg strength at home. Get you a good mat to protect yourself and the floor, and you are good to go!

Speaking of equipment, are you shopping for a powerlifter? If so, here are the best gifts for powerlifters and one that I would absolutely not recommend.

The Exercises

There are SO many dumbbell leg exercises; you are really only limited by your imagination. I will run through the basics, my favorites, and a few weird ones. Here is a list first so you can see the bird’s eye view, and I will explain how to do each one below. 

• Goblet squats (front squat)
• Dumbbell squats
• Lunges (dumbbell lunges)
• Romanian deadlifts
• Single leg deadlift (or B stance deadlift) single-leg deadlift
• Bulgarian split squat
• Dumbbell deadlift
• Curtsy lunges
• Glute bridge /hip thrust
• Dumbbell step-ups
• Farmer’s walk/Farmer’s carry

How to Organize Your Home Leg Workout With Dumbbells

*glute bridge/hip thrust

*Farmer’s walk/farmer’s carry

Pick one exercise from each of the above columns. Add in one or both of the glute bridge/hip thrust, or a farmer’s carry. With each exercise, you’ll warm up well, do some increasingly heavy sets, until you reach 3 work sets.

These 3 work sets can be between 5 and 12 reps that are challenging, where you have 1-2 reps left in reserve. I’d suggest you do two of these workouts each week, sticking to the same exercises. From there, utilize the concept of progressive overload, which means you try to overload from the last week, assuming you get all green lights (feeling good, getting good quality reps, etc.).

For example, your leg session A might be dumbbell squats, lunges, RDL’s and a farmer’s walk. Your B session that week could be goblet squats, dumbbell step ups, B stance RDL’s, and a glute bridge.

Record your sets, reps and weight, and the next week, try to do a little heavier. If you continue this way, you will see progress.

Goblet Squats/Front Squats

To do a goblet squat, start by holding a dumbbell vertically with both hands at chest level, gripping it by one end (like a goblet). Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Keeping your chest upright and your core engaged, lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if sitting into a chair. Go as low as your flexibility allows, ideally until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Grip the ground with your whole foot (and toes) and squeeze your glutes to drive yourself back up to the starting position. Maintain good form by keeping your back straight (no twerking) and avoiding letting your knees cave inward.

Dumbbell Squats

To do a dumbbell squat, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your arms fully extended. Keep your chest upright, your core engaged, and your shoulders relaxed. Slowly lower your body into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if sitting into a chair. Keep the dumbbells steady by your sides throughout the movement.

Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as low as your mobility allows. Grip the ground with your whole foot (and toes) and squeeze your glutes to drive yourself back up, ensuring your knees track over your toes and your back remains straight. Repeat for the desired number of reps. 

Lunges

To do walking dumbbell lunges, start by standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended at your sides. Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees. On your front leg, ensure your front knee stays directly above your ankle, and your back knee hovers just above the floor. Keep your chest upright and your core engaged throughout the movement. Push through your whole foot to return to the starting position, then alternate legs. 

You can do a reverse lunge, where you are stepping back with one leg. You can do a forward lunge, where you step forward, then back. With these, as you step back with your back leg, most of your weight stays on, and most of the work is done, by your front leg. Whichever way you do these, keep your feet hip-width apart, like you are walking on railroad tracks, not a tight tope. Lunges are fantastic for your whole posterior chain.  

One other option is a lateral lunge, or side lunges. With these, you’ll step out to your side with one leg, bending into that leg. For example, you’ll step out with your right leg, plant your right foot, and bend your right knee. Your leg leg with be mostly straight, and your torso will hinge forward. From here, press into the ground with your right foot, and stand back up into position. Repeat the exercise on the other side, stepping out with your left leg. Lateral lunges help with strength and hip mobility. 

Romanian Deadlifts

To do Romanian deadlifts with dumbbells, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs with your palms facing you. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders back, tight upper back, and a slight bend in your knees. Hinge at the hips by pushing them backward, lowering the dumbbells along the front of your legs while maintaining a straight back and tight core.

Lower until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings or the dumbbells reach about mid-shin level, grab the ground with your whole foot, and squeeze your glutes back under you to return to the starting position. Keep the movement controlled and avoid rounding your back. Everyone’s range of motion is different, depending your your hamstrings flexibility, among other things. Big glute squeeze with all variations! 

B Stance RDLs

To do B-stance Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), start by standing with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended by your side or in front of your body. Position one foot slightly behind the other with just the ball of the back foot touching the ground for balance, while your front foot bears most of the weight.

Keeping your chest upright and back straight, hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbells along the front leg until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Maintain a slight bend in the front knee and keep your back leg straight. Return to your upright position and repeat on one side for the desired number of reps, then switch legs.

Bulgarian Split Squats

To do Bulgarian split squats, start by standing a few feet in front of a sturdy bench or elevated surface. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides and place the top of one foot on the bench behind you. With your chest upright and core engaged, lower your body by bending your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor or as low as your mobility allows.

There are different ways to do these, but I prefer to slightly shift my weight so that most of my weight is on my front leg. Complete the desired reps on one leg, then switch sides. You can do a good bit of weight on split squats, so as you feel comfortable, don’t be afraid to move into heavier weights. BSS’s are one of the best single-leg exercises. They’ve even been the subject of many memes, lamenting how challenging they are. 

Dumbbell Deadlift

To do dumbbell deadlifts, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Keep your chest upright, shoulders back, and torso tight. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly, lowering the dumbbells down the front of your legs. Keep your back straight and lower until the dumbbells are near your shins or you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.

Grab the ground with your toes, push through your whole foot, squeeze your glutes, and return to the starting position, ensuring you maintain proper posture throughout. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Keep straight arms here; no elbow bending.

These are a staple for home leg workouts with dumbbells.

Curtsy Lunges

To do curtsy lunges, start by standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms extended at your sides. Step one leg diagonally behind the other, crossing it as if performing a “curtsy,” and lower your hips until your front knee forms a 90-degree angle. Keep your torso upright and your back straight throughout the movement.

Push through your front foot to return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite leg. Alternate legs for the desired number of reps, focusing on controlled movements to engage your glutes and inner thighs.

Glute Bridge /Hip Thrust

To do a hip thrust with a dumbbell, sit on the ground with your upper back resting against a sturdy bench or elevated surface. Roll a dumbbell onto your lap, holding it securely with both hands. You can put a towel or cushion here to protect your hip bones. Bend your knees and plant your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.

Drive through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees, squeezing your glutes at the top. Lower your hips back down in a controlled motion and repeat for the desired number of reps. These are a great addition to your lower-body workout, especially if they are new to you. Give them a try!

Dumbbell Step-ups

To do dumbbell step-ups, start by standing in front of a sturdy bench or platform that’s about knee height. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your arms extended. OR hold just one dumbbell, and hold on to something for balance. The #1 rule is no falling! Step up onto the platform with one foot, pressing through your heel to lift your body until your standing leg is fully extended.

Bring your other foot up to meet the first, then step back down one foot at a time. If you started on your left foot, repeat all reps on your left foot before switching to your right, keeping your chest upright and core engaged throughout the movement. Adjust the platform height and dumbbell weight as needed for your fitness level. Step ups are one of my favorite compound exercises to do with dumbbells (or even without!).

Farmer’s Walk/Farmer’s carry

To do a farmer’s walk with dumbbells, start by standing tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms fully extended at your sides, and palms facing in. Keep your chest upright, shoulders back, and core engaged. Walk forward in a straight line, taking controlled steps, and focus on maintaining good posture throughout.

Avoid letting the dumbbells sway or pulling you off balance. Continue walking for a set distance or time, then set the dumbbells down carefully. This exercise builds grip strength, core stability, and overall endurance. Since it allows you to carry a good bit of heavy weight, it also works core strength and upper body. 

Benefits of Home Gym Workouts

Home workouts are convenient, time saving, and can be* cost effective. A single pair of dumbbells can provide a wide range of exercises, making them an affordable and versatile investment. Adjustable dumbbells aren’t inexpensive, but they are much cheaper than a whole set of dumbbells. They save space too. In theory, home workouts save you money on gym memberships and expensive equipment.

*Unless you get bit by the garage gym or home gym bug, then you’ll probably blow your budget on more fun things for your gym. But there are way worse ways to spend your money! 

Remind yourself you aren’t commuting to the gym, dealing with Austin traffic, or wherever you life. You can workout any time that you are home and don’t have to worry about compatible schedules with training partners or your personal trainer.

You can practice new or weird things in the privacy of your own home. You don’t have to worry about sharing space or what you’re wearing. Blare your own music and fly your own flags! Working out at home is the best! 

Home workouts are family-friendly. Everyone in the household, including kids, can join in, making it a fun and healthy activity. Exercises can be scaled for children or beginners using lighter weights or bodyweight options. I don’t have kids but I write programs for my niece and nephew, and I think it’s amazing that they see their whole family exercise together. 

Benefits of Leg Workouts With Dumbbells

Leg workouts improve lower-body strength, which is essential for everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and lifting objects. They enhance functional fitness, helping you move better in daily life and reducing the risk of injury. 

Additionally, the large muscle groups in the legs burn more calories during and after exercise compared to smaller muscle groups. Strengthening your legs can support weight management and increase overall energy expenditure. This improves your balance, stability and strength. Home leg workouts with dumbbells can improve all of these.

Here’s a great exercise to do on a cable stack: cable squats.

Do you need an arm dumbbell workout at home? I got you! Or, are you looking for some great tricep pushdown alternatives and triceps exercises.

Home Leg Workouts With Dumbbells: Try It Now!

Home leg workouts are a great way to develop leg strength, balance, and athletic performance. You’ll see muscle growth, increases in overall health, and maybe even improvements in body composition with challenging lower body workouts. Additionally, the benefits are unique to lifting. You can’t replicate these benefits with walking, jogging, or other forms of cardio.

If these are new to you, start very lightly and just go through the motions, learning and perfecting the form. After a few weeks, you can employ progressive overload, which means that you increase the challenge over time. You can do this by going heavier, doing more reps, more sets, or shortening the rest times. 

It can be confusing to pick the best exercises and the most effective way to add these in to your lower body workout. If you have questions, please reach out! You can leave a comment on this post, or message me. Let me know how your home leg workouts with dumbbells are going! Don’t be scared to try anything! Be curious and have fun with your training! 

Work With Me!

If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.

Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.

Let’s get you strong and healthy!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

• 
  Love Notes, Volume 2
• 
  The Best 5 Chest Exercises: Top 5 You Should Be Doing
• 
  Let’s Lift! Personal Training Spots Open at Big Tex Gym
• 
  Tubing Near Austin: Best Rivers in Texas (2025)
• 
  Tricep Pushdown Alternative: 11 Other Triceps Exercises
• 
  SummerStrong 18 at Sorinex Headquarters

Horizontal pressing exercises for upper body strength are some of the most common and fun exercises there are. Think bench presses and dumbbell presses and pushups. 

You might not categorize exercises in your head as horizontal pressing or horizontal pushing exercises, or even vertical push, etc., but knowing the fundamental movement patterns is a great way make sure you are working all planes of motion. 

And besides, no one ever says, “hey, how much do you horizontal press?” Lol but people definitely ask, “how much ya bench?”

Horizontal Pressing Exercises as Fundamental Moves

When I say horizontal press, I mean a horizontal exercise in relation to your body. This is one of the most basic movement patterns the body does, so it is worth practicing. You can be on your back doing a horizontal press, as you press a barbell upward toward the ceiling. You can be doing a horizontal press while seated upright, pushing into a machine or bands. You can really be facing any direction, as long as the resistance allows you to push outward from your chest into the resistance. 

You might hear some people split their training into a push-pull workout. The target muscle group during a push day is usually chest and/or shoulders. Horizontal pressing exercises will be a large part of that push day.

Horizontal presses are fundamental for building upper body strength, particularly in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. If you want any width on your shoulders or depth to your upper body, you’ve got to include these exercises. Your entire body will look strong and balanced when you do. This post covers how to incorporate this basic movement pattern into your workout, no matter what level you are at.

Eight of My Favorite Horizontal Pressing Exercises

1. Barbell Bench Press

• Muscles Targeted: Chest (pectoralis major), shoulders (anterior deltoids), triceps.
• Benefits: Allows for heavy loading, great for overall upper body strength, and foundational for powerlifting.
• Variation: Incline bench press and decline bench press to target different parts of the chest. 
• muscle mass, shoulder blades

The bench press is a foundational upper-body strength exercise that primarily targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps. This compound movement is what you think of when you think of a regular bench press. It is performed by lying on a bench and pressing a barbell or dumbbells upward from chest level.

The movement involves lowering the weight to the chest and then pushing it back to the starting position. The prime movers during the bench press are the pectoralis major (chest muscles), anterior deltoids (front shoulders), and triceps brachii (back of the upper arms). Supporting muscles like the serratus anterior, rotator cuff, and lats also play a role in stabilizing the movement.

The bench press is a staple in strength training because of its versatility and effectiveness. It helps build muscle mass, increase upper-body strength, and improve overall pressing power, which is beneficial for sports performance and daily activities.

Additionally, incorporating the bench press into your workout routine can enhance posture and boost bone density in the upper body due to the load-bearing nature of the exercise. Whether you’re aiming to gain muscle, improve athletic performance, or maintain functional strength, the bench press is a valuable addition to nearly every training program.

For the bench press haters: remember, you don’t have to max all the time! In fact, please don’t max all the time! The bench press is one of the best exercises for upper body strength, which is hugely beneficial, not just for powerlifters, but especially people who need to build upper body strength, muscle mass and bone mass. Like all of these exercises, you can reap great benefits from it in sub max work. 

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
• Benefits: Increased range of motion compared to the barbell bench press, improves muscle imbalances, and enhances shoulder stability. 
• If you want to work more of your upper chest muscles, you can set up your bench at an incline, so this becomes an incline dumbbell bench press. 

The dumbbell bench press is a versatile upper-body exercise that primarily targets the pectoralis major (chest muscles), anterior deltoid (front shoulders), and triceps brachii (back of the arms). Performed by lying on a bench and pressing dumbbells upward from chest level, it involves lowering the weights to the sides of the chest and pushing them back up.

Unlike the barbell bench press, the dumbbell variation allows for a greater range of motion, engaging stabilizing muscles more effectively and promoting balanced muscle development between both sides of the body. This exercise helps build chest strength, improves shoulder stability, and enhances overall pressing power, making it an excellent addition to strength training for improved functional strength and aesthetics.

Incline Horizontal Pressing

A note about incline work here. So far, we’ve covered the best horizontal push exercises and quickly mentioned incline work. If you picture an overhead press, that is strictly a vertical exercise where you press weight overhead. Of course, the flat bench press is a horizontal press. The incline dumbbell bench press or bench press will be some degree between those two.

We can really split work into the basic movements, but the truth is life doesn’t always work strictly on planes of movement. Therefore, you will benefit from working at inclines between totally horizontal and vertical presses. The best way to get full pectoral development and strength is to work these different angles.

3. Push-Up

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
• Benefits: Bodyweight exercise that can be done anywhere, scalable with variations like incline push-ups, decline push-ups, and weighted push-ups.

Push ups are a classic bodyweight exercise that, like other pushing movements, work the pecs, shoulders and triceps. I LOVE pushups! They also work abs, back, all of your core and stabilizing muscles. As a horizontal pressing movement, push-ups are one of the best exercises due to their accessibility—requiring no equipment—and scalability for all fitness levels. 

They’re fantastic for your abs and core, too. The top of push up position is just a high plank position. Then, a pushup is a moving plank!

You can do them anywhere, anytime! They build functional strength by working natural movement patterns and train the body to work as a unit, improving stability and coordination. Push-ups also offer versatility, with variations to increase difficulty or target specific muscles, making them ideal for building strength, enhancing endurance, and supporting overall upper-body development.

If you get really good at pushups and want to get crazy, you can move from a stable surface to something that moves and challenges you more. You can add pauses, tempo work, or even plyometric pushups if you’re very powerful.

Here’s a whole tutorial on how to do pushups.

4. Close-Grip Bench Press

• Muscles Targeted: Triceps, chest, shoulders.
• Benefits: Emphasizes the triceps more than the traditional bench press, good for building arm strength.

Like the other horizontal pressing movements, the main muscles close grip bench presses work are chest, shoulders and triceps. However, since the close grip bench press allows for much more elbow flexion, it uses more triceps. Some people find this grip is kinder to their shoulder joint, and some people use as an elbow extension exercise to focus on triceps.

We’re halfway through! Is this more than you want to think about? If so, talk to a quality personal trainer about your workout program. Sometimes, even with lots of training experience, it’s just helpful to have someone plan your training. Message me if you’d like to talk about your exercise selection or training program.

5. Chest Press Machine

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
• Benefits: Provides stability and can be safer for beginners or those with shoulder issues, allows for controlled movement and isolation.
• This is one of the most intuitive horizontal pushes, because the lifter is usually seated, and pushing horizontally.

6. Floor Press

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
• Benefits: Reduced range of motion helps protect the shoulders, great for focusing on the lockout phase of the press.

7. Dumbbell Floor Press

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
• Benefits: Similar benefits to the floor press but allows for individual arm work, improving unilateral strength.

8. Resistance Band Press

• Muscles Targeted: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
• Benefits: Provides variable resistance throughout the range of motion, good for shoulder health and can be done anywhere.

More Tips for Horizontal Push Work

As you can see, the main types of horizontal push exercises are barbell, dumbbell, and machine presses. Include both a machine chest press and free weight press (dumbbell and barbell presses) in your training. Varying your chest presses will benefit you. 

Including a mix of these exercises in your routine can help you build a strong, balanced upper body.

I suggest you start with pushups and dumbbell presses. If you can handle the barbell, that is a good starting point too. I’m generally not a smith machine fan, but they are super helpful for doing pushups from if you’d like that modification. 

Final Notes About Horizontal Presses

There are very few true isolation exercises. Your horizontal pushing exercises will be compound exercises. Whether your grip is shoulder width, wide, close grip, whether your hands are neutral grip or overhand, will not work different muscle groups. With all these horizontal press exercises, you’re working pectoral muscles, shoulder muscles, and triceps. These are compound movements. 

You’ll also want to do horizontal pulling exercises too, to have a balanced body.

Of course, you’ll want to work lower body too. You can expand the push-pull routines into your lower body as well with a push-pull-squat workout. There are many different exercises and workout splits. If you’d just like to follow a plan that works your whole body in balanced proportions, check out The Works, a full-body strength training program that includes resistance training, cardio, abs and stretching. This program can be done at a gym or at home and will take into account what available equipment you have. 

Of course, message me or leave a comment with any questions. Happy horizontal pressing!

About the author

Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.

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