Dumbbell Chest Workout

Looking to change up your chest workout?

Yesterday I offered you some killer arm workouts, so I thought I’d throw in some chest workouts to give you a ripped upper body!

This article covers everything you need to know about chest workouts that rely on dumbbells only.

What’s the advantage?

Dumbbell exercises are great for both intermediate and advanced strength training levels. If you’re a beginner, I recommend starting with weight machines in order to build up your strength and develop your form.

But the truth is, dumbbell exercises will lead to better results for a number of reasons.

First, they require greater use of muscles which work to stabilize the target muscles. Second, they depend on equal force from both sides of the body, unlike machines which can let one side of your body work harder than the other.

Dumbbell Chest Workout

This dumbbell chest workout is aimed at covering every part of your chest, so you can definitely substitute it for your current workout!

Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 reps, depending on your goals. Complete all of the basic exercises as well as their variations, for 8 exercises in total.

And remember, you’ll always maximize your benefits if you have a protein shake a couple hours before your workout and immediately following.

Dumbbell Chest Press – Simply lie flat on a bench and press dumbbells straight over your chest, maintaining a steady form, and lower until dumbbells return to starting position. (view exercise)

• Variation 1: Incline – In order to focus your efforts on your upper chest, perform the same exercise on an incline bench. (view exercise)
• Variation 2: Decline – Using a decline bench will target the lower portion of your chest. Make sure the dumbbells are lifted perpendicular to the floor, not over your face or head. (view exercise)

Dumbbell Chest Flye – Lie flat on a bench, hold dumbbells at sides, and bend slightly at the elbows. Holding this bend steady throughout the movement, bring the weights together at your midline, and return to starting position. (view exercise)

• Variation 1: Incline – Just like the incline chest press, this exercise also targets your upper pectoral muscles.
• Variation 2: Decline – Do the same on a decline bench, making sure not to press dumbbells over your face or head.

Dumbbell Press on Stability Ball – This one requires a lot more balance and will engage more muscle groups simultaneously. Using your lower body, stabilize yourself parallel to the floor, with your shoulders and upper back resting on the stability ball. Use lower weight for this exercise, as it should be more challenging.

Dumbbell Grip Pushups – This is a great twist on the traditional pushup. Place 2 low-weight dumbbells on the floor, about shoulder width. Perform a series of pushups (normal or modified) while gripping the dumbbells (which should remain stationary). You’ll notice that this increases the range of motion in this exercise. Change the angle of the dumbbells to target your muscles in different ways.

Sound intense? Trust me, this dumbbell chest workout will get you looking ripped! With the added challenge of stabilizing the weights throughout your entire workout, you’ll be making gains in no time!

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