Welcome to Modify This Move, the ongoing series where you’ll find everything you need to alter a conventional exercise to meet your objectives, your physique, and your state of mind. Each article breaks down how to execute a fundamental fitness move, then offers various adjustments based on your current fitness or energy level, existing or previous injuries, or the muscles you wish to target the most. So leave your pride at the entrance and ensure that every workout aligns with your current state.

In a single day, you might have to navigate a cumbersome shopping cart through the crowded aisles of your grocery store, push your children in a stroller along the street, and push your couch back into its rightful place after your hyperactive dog moved it during their energetic play. The one thing these activities have in common? They all require the strength of your upper body to press heavy objects.

And that’s why incorporating the chest press (also known as the bench press) into your routine can be beneficial, according to Sal Nakhlawi, a certified functional strength coach and weightlifting coach in New York City. The exercise, which involves lying on the floor or a bench and pressing weight (such as a pair of dumbbells or a barbell) directly towards the ceiling, enhances your ability to press heavy objects. Nakhlawi explains that this, in turn, makes everyday movements easier. Despite its name, the chest press not only targets your pectoral muscles but also your deltoids (shoulder muscles), triceps, and biceps.

However, you don’t have to stick to the traditional chest press to reap its strength-building benefits. In fact, both resistance training beginners and advanced lifters who want to revisit the fundamentals can try simplified variations of the chest press. These variations allow for proper form without introducing complex modifications to the technique. On the other hand, individuals looking to increase the challenge or achieve specific fitness goals can attempt chest press variations that test coordination and focus on specific muscle groups. If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, there are chest press variations that can help you build strength without exacerbating your joint. In essence, you have the freedom to choose a chest press variation that suits your body, fitness level, and current objectives.

Are you ready to try this upper-body exercise? Follow the instructions below to master the dumbbell chest press, and then observe Nakhlawi as she demonstrates six different chest press variations that cater to all abilities and fitness goals.

How to Perform a Chest Press

A. Sit on the floor with knees bent at a 45-degree angle, with your feet flat on the ground in front of your buttocks. Hold a dumbbell of medium weight in each hand.

B. Keep your elbows close to your sides, then slowly lower your torso down to the floor until you are lying face up, while holding the dumbbells in front of your shoulders.

Extend arms outwards towards the sides, allowing the muscles at the back of the upper arm to create a 45-degree angle with the body, while keeping the palms facing in the direction of the feet. Apply pressure to the feet, ensuring they are firmly planted on the ground, and activate the core muscles. This marks the initial stance.

C. Apply pressure to the dumbbells towards the sky, straightening arms so the dumbbells are directly above shoulders.

D. Slowly flex elbows to lower the dumbbells to the chest and triceps to the floor, pausing when the dumbbells are a few inches above shoulders.

6 Variations of Chest Press

If you try out the traditional chest press and discover that it doesn’t work with your physique or fitness level, don’t worry. Instead of sticking with an exercise that feels too difficult or doesn’t align with your objectives, try substituting it with a chest press variation that provides you with exactly what you desire and require.

Here, you’ll discover chest press variations that adjust the exercise up or down, including movements that target specific muscles and assist in rectifying muscle imbalances. Additionally, you’ll learn chest press variations that are ideal if you’re experiencing shoulder problems. Regardless of which option you select, continue to assess your body as you complete your repetitions and attempt a different exercise if it doesn’t feel suitable.

Variation of Chest Press to Decrease Intensity: Push-Up

If the thought of using free weights intimidates you (there is a slight possibility of dropping the dumbbells on your face, after all), consider attempting a push-up before performing a chest press. The exercise enables you to train similar muscles as the chest press without heavy equipment, says Nakhlawi. Additionally, you can further modify the movement by performing the push-up on your knees, which makes it somewhat less demanding on your upper body and core.

A. Commence in a table-top position on the floor with hands directly beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips. Walk knees back until the body forms a straight line from head to knees, then rest the tips of your toes on the floor or hover them in the air.

B. Activate your core by tucking your tailbone and drawing your navel in towards your spine. Stabilize your lats by pulling your shoulders down and away from your ears. Push your elbows outward to create a 45-degree angle with your body.

C. Gaze downwards and slightly forwards to maintain a neutral neck and engage your core. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body, stopping approximately 3 inches above the floor.

D. Push away from the floor to return to the initial position.

Variation of Chest Press to Increase Intensity: Reciprocal Chest Press

In this intensified variation of the chest press, you’ll simultaneously push one dumbbell up towards the ceiling while lowering the other dumbbell back to your chest — just like a seesaw.

The dynamic maneuver not just pushes your upper-body muscles to their limits, but it also tests your coordination, states Nakhlawi.

A. Perch on the ground with knees bent at 45-degree angles, feet resting flat on the floor in front of buttocks, and grasp a moderate-weight dumbbell in each hand.

B. Constrict elbows close to ribs, then gradually lower body down to the floor to recline face up, holding the dumbbells in front of shoulders. Extend elbows to the sides so triceps create a 45-degree angle with body, palms facing feet. Press feet firmly into the floor and activate core. This is the initial position.

C. Extend the right dumbbell towards the ceiling, straightening right arm so the dumbbell is directly over right shoulder.

D. Slowly flex right elbow to lower the dumbbell to chest and triceps to the floor, pausing when the dumbbell is a few inches above shoulder. Simultaneously, extend the left dumbbell towards the ceiling, straightening left arm so the dumbbell is directly over left shoulder.

Variation of Chest Press to Target the Upper Chest: Incline Chest Press

Seeking to fortify the muscles in your upper chest? Give an incline chest press variation a try, which focuses more on your upper pectorals compared to a traditional bench press, states Nakhlawi.

A. Sit on a bench placed at a 45-degree angle, with feet resting flat on the ground, and grasp a moderate-weight dumbbell in each hand, resting the weights on thighs.

B. Constrict elbows close to ribs, then gradually lower body to the backrest of the bench, holding the dumbbells in front of shoulders. Extend elbows to the sides so triceps create a 45-degree angle with body, palms facing feet. Press feet firmly into the floor and activate core. This is the initial position.

C. Extend the dumbbells towards the ceiling, straightening arms so the dumbbells are directly over shoulders.

D. Slowly flex elbows to lower the dumbbells to chest and triceps to the floor, pausing when the dumbbells are a few inches above shoulders.

Variation of Chest Press to Target the Lower Chest: Decline Chest Press

To enhance strength and muscle in the lower pectoral muscles, practice the decline chest press variation, says Nakhlawi. You’ll perform the same movement pattern as the traditional bench press, but you’ll do so while holding a glute bridge. You can do this on an adjustable workout bench tilted at a -15-degree angle, or without one, you can replicate the decline by entering a glute bridge hold.

This latter choice has the additional advantage of enlisting your buttocks while you exercise your chest.

A. Sit on the floor with knees bent at a 45-degree angle, feet resting flat on the ground in front of the buttocks, and grasp a pair of medium-weight dumbbells in each hand.

B. Squeeze the elbows tightly against the ribs, then slowly lower the torso down to the floor to lie face up, while holding the dumbbells in front of the shoulders. Open the elbows out to the sides so that the triceps form a 45-degree angle with the torso, and the palms face towards the feet. Press the feet firmly into the floor and engage the core.

C. While keeping the core engaged and the tailbone tucked, exhale and gradually push through both heels to raise the hips off the floor. Lift the hips upward as much as possible without allowing the lower back to arch. This is the starting position.

C. Press the dumbbells towards the ceiling, straightening the arms so that the dumbbells are directly above the shoulders.

D. Slowly flex the elbows to lower the dumbbells to the chest and triceps towards the floor, pausing when the dumbbells are a few inches above the shoulders.

Shoulder Pain Alternative for the Chest Press: Hammer Press

If the conventional chest press worsens any discomfort or soreness you are currently experiencing in the shoulders, choose the hammer press instead. In this variation of the chest press, the palms will face each other rather than towards the feet, as Nakhlawi suggests. Consequently, the weights place less strain on the shoulder joints, as she explains. (Love the hammer press? You may also want to try the dumbbell hammer curl.)

A. Sit on the floor with knees bent at a 45-degree angle, feet resting flat on the ground in front of the buttocks, and hold a pair of medium-weight dumbbells in each hand.

B. Squeeze the elbows tightly against the ribs, then slowly lower the torso down to the floor to lie face up, holding the dumbbells in front of the shoulders with palms facing each other. Press the feet firmly into the floor and engage the core. This is the starting position.

C. Press the dumbbells towards the ceiling, straightening the arms so that the dumbbells are directly above the shoulders.

D. Slowly flex the elbows to lower the dumbbells to the chest and triceps towards the floor, pausing when the dumbbells are a few inches above the shoulders.

Correcting Muscle Imbalances with a Variation of the Chest Press: Single-Arm Chest Press

While it is natural for one side of the body to possess greater strength than the other, significant imbalances can result in compensatory movement patterns and, consequently, an elevated risk of injury, according to the American Council on Exercise.

The positive news: A solitary-arm chest press can assist in maintaining the equilibrium of your muscles, as you are capable of concentrating on training and fortifying one side of your physique at any given time, affirms Nakhlawi.

A. Take a seat on the ground, with your knees flexed at 45-degree angles, and position your feet resting flat on the ground in front of your buttocks. Grasp a dumbbell of medium-weight in your left hand.

B. Constrict your elbows firmly to your ribs, then gradually descend your torso to the floor until you lie faced upward, while clutching the dumbbell in front of your left shoulder. Extend your left elbow sideways to create a 45-degree angle between your triceps and torso, with your left palm facing your feet. Lower your right arm alongside your body and place your palm flat on the ground. Press your feet firmly into the floor and engage your core. This position serves as the starting point.

C. Propell the dumbbell towards the ceiling, straightening your left arm in order for the dumbbell to be directly above your left shoulder.

D. Slowly flex your left elbow, descending the dumbbell down towards your chest and triceps until it hovers a few inches above your left shoulder, while momentarily pausing.

Photography and art: Jenna BrillhartModel and fitness expert: Sal NakhlawiWardrobe: SET Active