Dumbbell bench press

The ten levels

BYOH measures a discipline in ten cleared levels. Level 9 is a genuine feat; Level 10 is the standing world record, which is there to be looked at rather than reached.

Dumbbell bench press starts at Level 1 with 6 reps at BW/10. Level 5 asks for 6 reps at BW/4, and Level 9 - the last level a person can train towards - 6 reps at BW/2.5. The largest single jump is from Level 2 to Level 3, 6 reps at BW/7.5 to 6 reps at BW/5.5.

The load is a fraction of your own bodyweight — BW÷10, BW÷7.5, BW÷5.5, BW÷4.5, BW÷4, BW÷3.5, BW÷3.1, BW÷2.8, BW÷2.5 across the ten levels — so the kilograms follow the hero rather than the table. For a female hero the upper body reference is 0.60 of that.

The record past Level 9

Dumbbell bench press — Awaiting a governed record format.

BYOH uses a provisional final gate until a comparable governed record format is selected. This is a provisional benchmark rather than a governed record.

How it is done

1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other.
2. Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
3. Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest, with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle. Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.
4. Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then begin coming down slowly. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
5. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions of your training program.

Movement guidance and imagery from the public-domain Free Exercise DB. BYOH adds the level thresholds.

How the attempt is judged

A level only means something if two heroes clearing it have done the same thing. These are the rules BYOH counts an attempt by — they are the rules of a game, not coaching.

What counts as one

One repetition is the dumbbells lowered until the upper arms are level with the bench and pressed back to straight arms.

The set

One unbroken set with both dumbbells. You may pause holding the weights at the start position; setting either down ends the set.

What you need

A flat bench and a pair of dumbbells. The load is the combined weight of both dumbbells: your bodyweight divided by the level's figure, and BYOH scales that for a female hero's reference.

What ends it

Bouncing the weights off the chest, or a spotter touching the dumbbells, voids the set.

What it builds

Dumbbell bench press feeds Chest and Arms in a hero’s record, working chest, shoulders, triceps.

• Pressing strength
• Press control
• Triceps

Dumbbell bench press is one of 32 strength disciplines. It shares its weights requirement with 10 other strength disciplines. Chest is also built by push-ups, barbell bench press, dumbbell floor press and 3 more, and a broad attribute needs several of them rather than one taken far.

Quests that ask for it

• Touch IronDiscipline · Level 1
• The Iron PathDiscipline · Level 3
• Forged TogetherDiscipline · Level 5
• The Walking ArmouryDiscipline · Level 7