What happens when you bench press with 1 arm?

My clients with home gyms are familiar with the game: “How can we make lighter dumbbells feel heavy?”

It’s a fun little game that leads to movements like this one: the 1-arm bench press.

By taking away that second pressing arm, you instantly ask a lot more from the rest of your body. Your core has to work harder (hi, obliques!), your glutes have to get involved, and your single working arm has to do all of the pressing.

It’s become a pretty popular move among my home-gym clients, especially when I’m writing workouts around the equipment they actually have available.

Not sure exactly how to set up or what you’re supposed to feel with the 1-arm bench press? I’ve got you covered. Click the video below and I’ll walk you through the setup, execution, and a few of the little coaching cues that make this exercise so much more than just a one-sided chest press.

Give it a watch, then grab a dumbbell and give it a try in your next workout.