Chest Exercises With Dumbbells

Working with dumbbells can add a new challenge to your chest workouts. Using dumbbells activates more muscles to guide the exercises, works your core through stabilization and independently works the arms.

  1. Chest Press

    • Lay face-up on a flat bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Extend arms straight up over the chest. To perform the exercise, bend elbows until the upper arms are parallel to the floor. Return arms to straight position. That equals one repetition.

      This same exercise can be performed on an incline or decline bench to challenge the pectoral muscles differently. To further challenge the abdominals and core, this exercise might also be performed while lying on a stability ball.

    Chest Fly

    • Lay on a flat bench, face-up, with a dumbell in each hand. Extend arms straight up over the chest, palms facing one another. To complete one repetition, open straight arms to the sides, until parallel to the floor, and then return arms to beginning position. Try not to lock your elbows or to let your arms drop below the height of the bench.

      This same exercise may also be performed on an incline bench or on a stability ball for variation.

    Push-ups

    • Get into a plank position, with hands on the handles of a dumbbell and placed slightly wider than shoulder-width. Execute a classic push-up--bending the elbows and lowering your whole torso toward the floor. Using the dumbbells as a base for the hands better stabilizes the shoulders so that the pectoral muscles can work harder. For an even greater challenge, use heavy dumbbells (for stability) and place them on their flat heads. From prone (face down) position, place hands on the dumbbells--execute a push-up. If you find stabilization difficult with this additional balance challenge, widen your foot stance.

    Exercise Protocol

    • You should use weights that fatigue your chest in 10 to 15 repetitions, meaning that the last two or three in each set are very difficult to eke out. If you are a beginner, two sets of each exercise is sufficient. More advanced exercisers may complete three or four sets of each exercise. You can perform these all in one strength training session to completely fatigue the chest, or pick one or two as part of a total body circuit routine. Be sure to rest 30 to 90 seconds between each set.