What Is An Alternative Exercise

An alternative exercise, for the sake of this article, is an exercise that moves through the same movement category as the principle exercise. In this case the principle exercise is the DB bench press, which is a horizontal press exercise that is extremely effective at developing the muscles of the chest (pectoral). Therefore I will be providing exercises that can replace the DB bench press through the logic that they move through the same movement category, the horizontal pressing movement.

Why Use An Alternative To The DB Bench Press

Injury

Often times when we become injured we look for alternatives for exercises we can no longer perform due to the injury. In this article I will not be providing alternatives for this scenario, I suggest you have a look through our huge movement library where you can find exercises that train the upper body but do not move through the horizontal press movement category.

Effectiveness

In resistance training, some exercises are more effective than others at achieving a specific goal. For example if you have been performing the DB bench press for a while and are stagnating in your strength levels and wanting to get stronger, then the barbell bench press would be the perfect alternative. Or if you are looking to be able to perform ring muscles ups and DB bench press isn’t specific enough then the ring dip would be more effective.

Lack of Equipment

It is often the case that when we travel we have to deal with having limited equipment. In this case it would mean not having access to either DB’s or a bench and finding an effective horizontal press variation you can perform with no equipment.

Novel Stimulus

One important principle of training is called adaptive resistance. Adaptive resistance is when you have been performing an exercise for an extended period of time, with no change of training intent, and you slowly stop adapting to the exercise. This is completely normal and can be avoided by changing your exercise selection from cycle to cycle. Using a different variation can help avoid adaptive resistance through providing a slightly novel training stimulus.

Fun

Lets not lie, variation in our training is important for finding training both fun and novel. If you find yourself bored by your current routine, maybe it is time to change things up, add some novel and fun movements into your next training cycle. This is often a very unconsidered and extremely motivating factor when it comes to training over the long term.

5 Effective Alternatives to The Dumbbell Bench Press

The bench press is the most obvious alternative to the dumbbell bench press. It is far more effective at training strength than the DB bench press and may be slightly less effective for muscle gain but is still an excellent exercise for accumulating volume.

The DB floor press is a perfect example of an exercise you can use if you are short on equipment, if you do not have a bench then this is a perfect replacement to the DB bench press. The DB floor Press doesn’t move through the full range of motion due to the fact it is performed on the floor, meaning the chest cannot be stretched, so if you do have access to a bench, use it. However when you don’t have access to a bench this will be a great option. Remember, if you only have one DB the single arm variation is also extremely effective.

The KB bench press is a great example of using a different exercise for a novel stimulus and for some fun. The DB bench press is better than the KB bench press just because the position is much more comfortable with the DB. However if you are bored with the DB bench press and are just looking to test a new exercise then the KB bench press can be a great option. My go to for pectoral hypertrophy is always the DB but sometimes I like to mix it up and add some kettlebells into my routine. Long term results are about consistency of pursuit and this is helped enormously through finding your training fun and engaging. If this means not doing the most optimal exercise from time to time it isn’t the end of the world.

Press ups, or push ups for the Americans, are a perfect bodyweight alternative to the DB Bench press. We have a huge library of press up variations that you can use to find the one that suits your ability and goals. Press ups can be used to train the strength of the pectorals, increase muscle mass and muscular endurance all depending on your current abilities and the variation you select. If you are an advanced trainee, hand elevated press ups would be the most similar variation to the DB bench press as they create a deep stretch and are effective for hypertrophy training.

Dips are slightly different from the horizontal press movement pattern that the DB bench press moves through. However the principle muscles of the movement are exactly the same (pectorals, triceps) and therefore dips are an effective alternative to the DB bench press. Ring dips require a great deal of shoulder stability, this makes them less effective than traditional dips at hypertrophy training. So if hypertrophy is your primary goal then I suggest using traditional dips. If you want the added stability that the rings provide, they can still add plenty of muscle mass (see Olympians on the rings) and are often more applicable to sports performance.