Compound exercises are favourites for a lot of people for a very specific reason: they work multiple muscle groups in the same exercise. The conventional bench press, performed over a flat bench has been a standard feature for gyms all over the world. Not only for those obssessed with building a mountaineous chest, but because it also adds definition to the arms, particularly the shoulders and triceps.
The chest contains one of the largest and strongest muscles in the human body and requires a lot of time and determination to build it. Strengthening the chest has other health benefits too, besides enhancing the physical appearance of a person. There are dozens of variations to perform a chest press but performing it on a flat bench reduces the risk of workout injuries, thus making it a simple exercise even for a beginner.
Incline or decline benches have also made their way into gyms targeting specific portions of the chest, but the flat bench remains more universal as well as versatile because of its use in other exercises as well.
Whether you perform the exercise with dumbbells or a large barbell, the eventual exercise is extremely effective for the chest muscles. Performing the bench press with dumbbells can be difficult for many because many tend to have less strength in their non-dominant arm, making the barbell the choice of equipment to strengthen the weaker limbs as well. However, it eventually comes down to individual preference as well as availability of equipment.