The hex press is a dumbbell chest press performed lying on a flat bench with two dumbbells squeezed together for the whole rep, so the pecs work to hold them in contact while pressing. The flat sides of hex dumbbells sit flush against each other. Unlike a standard dumbbell bench press, the inward squeeze never lets up, so thecheststays contracted through the top of the rep where a normal press unloads it, at the cost of a shorter range at the bottom. Lifters program it as a second or third chest movement after their heavy press.
What Muscles Does the Hex Press Work?
- Primary: Pectoralis major, sternal and clavicular heads (chest)
- Secondary: Triceps brachii, anterior deltoid
- Tertiary: Serratus anterior, biceps brachii, forearm flexors
How Do You Set Up for the Hex Press?
Sit on a flat bench with a hex dumbbell on each thigh, then lie back with your feet flat on the floor and your shoulder blades pulled down into the pad. Bring the dumbbells to your chest with a neutral grip, palms facing each other, and press their flat sides together over your sternum. Set the elbows tucked beside your ribs, wrists straight, and squeeze the dumbbells inward before the first rep.
How Do You Perform the Hex Press?
- Squeeze the dumbbells together over your sternum with the elbows tucked and the handles parallel.
- Press straight up, driving the dumbbells toward the ceiling while pushing them into each other the whole way.
- Lock out over the lower chest, arms straight, with the flat sides still flush and no gap showing between the dumbbells.
- Hold the top for one count, squeezing inward as hard as you can without letting the shoulders rise off the bench.
- Lower under control for a two-count until the dumbbells touch your chest, still pressed together.
- Pause on the chest, reset the inward squeeze, and press again.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Crush the dumbbells: Push them into each other as if trying to make one dumbbell, and keep that pressure from the chest to lockout.
- Elbows under the wrists: Keep the forearms vertical so the press goes up, not forward toward your face.
- Drive your upper back into the bench so the shoulder blades stay pinned while the dumbbells rise.
- Feel the inner chest tighten at the top rather than the triceps finishing the rep.
- Keep the handles parallel to the bench through the whole rep so the flat sides stay in contact.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Going heavy: the dumbbells drift apart at the top and the lift becomes a narrow bench press, so use a pair you can crush together for every rep.
- Letting a gap open at lockout: the pecs unload exactly where the squeeze should peak, so stop the press an inch short if you cannot hold contact.
- Flaring the elbows on the way down: the dumbbells slide off each other and the front delt takes the load, so keep the elbows tucked beside the ribs.
- Bouncing the dumbbells off the chest: the rebound does the first inch of the press and the squeeze relaxes, so pause on the chest each rep.
- Pressing toward the face: the dumbbells finish over the chin and the shoulders lift off the pad, so aim the lockout over the lower chest.
What Are the Best Hex Press Variations?
- Floor hex press: lying on the floor stops the elbows below the chest, an easier range for beginners.
- Incline hex press: a 30-degree bench shifts the squeeze toward the upper chest.
- Single-dumbbell hex press: one dumbbell held between both palms, the lighter option when hex pairs are limited.
- Alternating hex press: one dumbbell presses while the other stays on the chest, keeping contact only at the bottom.
- Close Grip Dumbbell Bench Press: the same narrow path with the dumbbells held apart, a heavier progression.
How Do You Progress the Hex Press?
- Add 5 pounds a hand once you complete every set at the top of the rep range with no gap opening at lockout.
- Work from 10 to 15 reps at a fixed pair before moving up.
- Add a fourth set when three sets no longer leave the chest fatigued.
- Hold the lockout squeeze for three counts, or lower for a four-count, when the next pair is too heavy to keep together.
How Should You Program the Hex Press?
Place the hex press second or third on a chest or push day, after a barbell or dumbbell bench press and before flys. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Pair it with a cable fly or a dip so the chest also works through a long range that the squeeze cuts short.
