10 Best Dumbbell Exercises For Chest (Size and Strength)
Let’s be honest, when most of us think of chest exercises we immediately think of Bench Press. Specifically, Bench Press with a bar.
But, what if all you have to work with is a set of dumbbells? For example, you could be in a hotel gym and just be thankful you at least have dumbbells. (Tell me you don’t get fired up when a hotel gym has 50s)
The good news is there are plenty of dumbbell exercises you can use to create a chest workout you can feel good about. Yes, they’ll be some obvious ones like Dumbbell Bench Press, but they’re are many variations of Dumbbell Bench that you may not have thought about.
Enough chit-chat, let’s get into it.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Let’s go ahead and start this list of the best dumbbell chest exercises with the most obvious one, Dumbbell Bench Press.
Dumbbell Bench actually has some advantages over the barbell variation. It can be easier on the shoulders and it’s an isolateral exercise meaning both arms have to work independently. This can help prevent muscular imbalances.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
- Bench
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Grab your dumbbells, sit on the edge of the bench, and sit the dumbbells on your thighs vertically.
- Take a deep breath, lie flat on your back on the bench, and get your dumbbells in position ready to press.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your butt on the bench.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and keep the back of your head on the bench. You will slightly arch your back. Keep your core tight and keep the shoulder blades pulled back tight.
- The dumbbells should be slightly angled (representative of the path you are descending with your elbows).
- Press the dumbbells up.
- Control the dumbbells down during the eccentric movement and draw the dumbbells in, keeping the elbows at about a 45-degree angle away from the torso.
- The dumbbells will make contact with your torso right at the nipple line on the chest.
- Once contact is made, drive the dumbbells back up.
- When your set is done, do not freely drop the dumbbells without checking your surroundings. You could drop the dumbbell and it might hit a person nearby. Or your could drop your dumbbell and crush your fingers on a dumbbell that was left next to your bench.
- The best way to finish a set is to bring the dumbbells back to your thighs and stand up with them. Or have a lifting partner take them from you.
Coaching Points
This is a very shoulder-friendly pressing movement. Because the implement is a dumbbell, the range of motion is increased, the shear force on the shoulder is decreased, and the shoulder stabilizing muscles are engaged.
I would highly recommend this movement to any athlete. It provides all the benefits that a pressing movement can offer with minimal risk.
Remember to finish your sets with awareness so that you and your training partner/fellow gym members stay safe and injury-free.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline brings many of the same benefits of flat bench, but with more of an emphasis on the upper chest.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
- Adjustable Bench (Capable of changing angles)
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Determine the angle for your incline bench. Most programs would refer to a 45-degree angle as ideal for it provides the best chest and shoulder engagement.
- As you go higher with your angle, you are moving more toward a shoulder press. The flatter the bench gets, you are moving more toward a regular bench press.
- Grab your dumbbells, sit on the edge of the bench, and sit the dumbbells on your thighs vertically.
- Take a deep breath, lie flat on your back on the bench, and get your dumbbells in position ready to press.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your butt on the bench.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and keep the back of your head on the bench. You will slightly arch your back. Keep your core tight and keep the shoulder blades pulled back tight.
- The dumbbells should be slightly angled (representative of the path you are descending with your elbows).
- Press the dumbbells up.
- Control the dumbbells down during the eccentric movement and draw the dumbbells in, keeping the elbows at about a 45-degree angle away from the torso.
- The dumbbells will make contact with your torso right at the nipple line on the chest.
- Once contact is made, drive the dumbbells back up.
- When your set is done, do not freely drop the dumbbells without checking your surroundings. You could drop the dumbbell and it might hit a person nearby. Or your could drop your dumbbell and crush your fingers on a dumbbell that was left next to your bench.
- The best way to finish a set is to bring the dumbbells back to your thighs and stand up with them. Or have a lifting partner take them from you.
Coaching Points
Remember as you move your bench up, the more you are engaging the shoulders and less chest. Be sure your angle matches the goals you’ve set for pressing.
This is a very shoulder-friendly pressing movement. Because the implement is a dumbbell, the range of motion is increased, the shear force on the shoulder is decreased, and the shoulder stabilizing muscles are engaged.
I would highly recommend this movement to any athlete. It provides all the benefits that a pressing movement can offer with minimal risk.
Single Arm Dumbbell Bench
One of my favorite dumbbell chest exercises is the Single Arm Bench. Benching with one arm at a time brings the core into play as it has to work as anti-rotation stabilizer.
If you’re looking to add some variety to your dumbbell chest workout, this is a great option.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbell
- Bench
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Grab your dumbbell, sit on the edge of the bench, and sit the dumbbell on your thigh vertically.
- Take a deep breath, lie flat on your back on the bench, and get your dumbbell in position ready to press.
- Lay your free hand on your stomach. Placing your hand on your hip (as shown in the featured image above) will help balance you more is a more beginner-friendly hand placement.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your butt on the bench.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and keep the back of your head on the bench. You will slightly arch your back. Keep your core tight and keep the shoulder blades pulled back tight.
- The dumbbells should be slightly angled at roughly a 45-degree angle to the torso. (representative of the path you are descending with your elbows).
- Press the dumbbell up.
- Control the dumbbell down during the eccentric movement and draw the dumbbell in, keeping the elbow at that 45-degree angle from the torso.
- The dumbbell will make contact with your torso right at the nipple line on the chest.
- Once contact is made, drive the dumbbell back up.
- Complete the designated number of reps and then switch sides.
- When your set is done, do not freely drop the dumbbell without checking your surroundings. You could drop the dumbbell and it might hit a person nearby. Or your could drop your dumbbell and crush your fingers on a dumbbell that was left next to your bench.
- The best way to finish a set is to bring the dumbbell back to your thigh and stand up with it. Or have a lifting partner take it from you.
Coaching Points
If you’re familiar with Dumbbell Bench Press but are new to this single arm variation, you’ll probably be pretty surprised by just how much you need to brace your core to keep from literally rotating off the bench. For this reason, start light and then work your way up in weight.
This is a very shoulder-friendly pressing movement. Because the implement is a dumbbell, the range of motion is increased, the shear force on the shoulder is decreased, and the shoulder stabilizing muscles are engaged.
I would highly recommend this movement to any athlete. It provides all the benefits that a pressing movement can offer with minimal risk.
Remember to finish your sets with awareness so that you and your training partner/fellow gym members stay safe and injury-free.
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
However, another unique benefit of Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press is the amount of time under tension it creates. Benching one arm at time for 8 to 10 reps creates a long set and that increased time under tension can turn lighter dumbbells into a tough set.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
- Bench
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and a bench.
- Sit on the edge of the bench with dumbbells resting on each thigh.
- Lay back on the bench and press both dumbbells to full extension.
- Now, lower the right dumbbell down to just outside the chest, keeping the elbow at roughly a 45-degree angle to the body.
- Press that dumbbell back up to full extension.
- Next, lower the opposite dumbbell down, same as the first, and press back to extension.
- Continue alternating arms back and forth until all reps are completed.
Coaching Points
Hold and stabilize the non-repping arm at full extension and only rep one dumbbell at a time. As the arms begin to fatigue, you may find one (or both) arms start to drift down as you’re repping the opposite arm. Try to keep that opposite dumbbell pressed at full extension!
Don’t turn the movement into a ‘piston-pumping’ type action. I’ll see athletes that will have one dumbbell going up at the same time the other is going down. Keep one dumbbell at extension until the opposite rep is completed.
Some will teach to keep the ‘resting’ dumbbell at or on the chest while the other arm is repping. Personally, I much prefer to keep the non-repping arm extended because helps to improve shoulder stabilization.
Dumbbell Fly
You can’t have a list of dumbbell chest exercises without including Dumbbell Flys, right? They may not build strength like some of the other exercises above, but they can provide a great chest pump and are the perfect option when all you have is light dumbbells to work with.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
- Bench
Muscles Worked
- Chest (Pectoralis Major)
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Grab your dumbbells, sit on the edge of the bench, and sit the dumbbells on your thighs vertically.
- Take a deep breath, lie flat on your back on the bench, and get your dumbbells in position ready to press.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your butt on the bench.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and keep the back of your head on the bench. You will slightly arch your back. Keep your core tight and keep the shoulder blades pulled back tight.
- Press the dumbbells up.
- Now, keep a slight bend in the elbow and lower the dumbbells down until they’re at shoulder height.
- Finally, flex the chest and pull the dumbbells together, back to arm’s length over the chest.
- When your set is done, do not freely drop the dumbbells without checking your surroundings. You could drop the dumbbell and it might hit a person nearby. Or your could drop your dumbbell and crush your fingers on a dumbbell that was left next to your bench.
Coaching Points
Dumbbell Fly should not be done with heavy weights. Stay relatively light, keep the movement very controlled and focus on the stretch.
Remember to finish your sets with awareness so that you and your training partner/fellow gym members stay safe and injury-free. The best way to finish a set is to bring the dumbbells back to your thighs and stand up with them. Or have a lifting partner take them from you.
Dumbbell Incline Fly
If you’ve only tried the flat bench version of Dumbbell Flys, then you definitely need to give Incline Dumbbell Flys a shot. You get a huge stretch on the upper chest and they’re a great option to finish off a chest workout.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
- Adjustable Bench (Capable of changing angles)
Muscles Worked
- Chest (Pectoralis Major)
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Determine the angle for your incline bench. Most programs would refer to a 45-degree angle as ideal for it provides the best chest and shoulder engagement.
- Grab your dumbbells, sit on the edge of the bench, and sit the dumbbells on your thighs vertically.
- Take a deep breath, lie flat on your back on the bench, and get your dumbbells in position ready to press.
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and your butt on the bench.
- Pull your shoulder blades together and keep the back of your head on the bench. You will slightly arch your back. Keep your core tight and keep the shoulder blades pulled back tight.
- Press the dumbbells up.
- Now, keep a slight bend in the elbow and lower the dumbbells down until they’re at shoulder height.
- Finally, flex the chest and pull the dumbbells together, back to arm’s length over the chest.
- When your set is done, do not freely drop the dumbbells without checking your surroundings. You could drop the dumbbell and it might hit a person nearby. Or your could drop your dumbbell and crush your fingers on a dumbbell that was left next to your bench.
Coaching Points
Remember as you move your bench up, the more you are engaging the shoulders and less chest. Be sure your angle matches the goals you’ve set for pressing.
Flys should not be done with heavy weights. Stay relatively light, keep the movement very controlled and focus on the stretch.
Remember to finish your sets with awareness so that you and your training partner/fellow gym members stay safe and injury-free. The best way to finish a set is to bring the dumbbells back to your thighs and stand up with them. Or have a lifting partner take them from you.
Dumbbell Floor Press
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbells
Muscles Worked
- Triceps
- Chest
- Shoulders (Anterior Delt)
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sit down on the ground with dumbbells in each hand.
- Lay on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
- Engage your lats and set yourself up basically the same as you would for Dumbbell Bench Press.
- Lower the dumbbells down until the triceps lightly tap the floor and then press it back to extension.
- Keep the elbows at roughly a 45-degree angle to the torso (don’t let them flare out wide away from the body).
- Repeat for the designated amount of reps.
Coaching Points
A good spotter can be worth their weight in gold to help you get set up (and even take one dumbbell at the end of the set). This becomes more true the heavier you get in weight.
Control the rep down to the floor and lightly tap the floor with your triceps. Don’t go crashing your arms into the floor and unnecessarily hurt yourself in the process.
Dumbbell Pullover
Dumbbell Pullover often gets overlooked as a chest exercise. Maybe you think of it as an exercise for the lats or the serratus anterior (which it is), but it also does a good job of hitting the chest.
Equipment Needed
- Dumbbell
- Bench
Muscles Worked
- Serratus Anterior
- Chest (Pectoralis Major)
- Triceps Brachii (focus on the long head)
- Latissimus Dorsi
How To
- Lay on a bench with the top of your head all the way to the edge of the bench.
- Make a diamond shape with your hands and place them on the inside of one of the heads of the dumbbell.
- Press the dumbbell to arm’s length straight up over the chest.
- Now, reach the dumbbell overhead (allow some bend in the elbow) until your hands are about even with the height of the bench.
- Finally, pull the dumbbell back to the starting position.
Coaching Points
This exercise will give a deep stretch to the chest and triceps on the lift’s eccentric (lowering) phase. Stay slow and controlled and focus on the stretch followed by the strong contraction as you raise the dumbbell back to the start.
Drawbridge Drop Set
If you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a Drawbridge Drop Set” it’s because you haven’t. I just made up the name.
However, although the name is made up, the actual exercise is something I’ve been doing forever – especially when limited on the weight of dumbbells I have access to.
Here is how it works:
First, you’re going to need a partner. Grab a set of dumbbells and set an adjustable bench up to 90 degrees.
Rep out 8 to 10 reps or whatever you think makes the most sense depending on the size of dumbbells you have.
Now, sit up tall (off the bench) so your partner can adjust the bench down to 45 degrees. Lay back and do another 8 to 10 reps.
Sit back up and have your partner now lay the bench down flat. Lay down and hit another 8 to 10 reps.
Your rest is only the amount of time it takes your partner to adjust the bench.
If you get the weight and reps correct, this “drop set” will absolutely smoke your chest, shoulders and triceps.
Push-Ups
I know, I know. Push-Ups are not a ‘dumbbell’ exercise (although technically you can do push-ups with your hands on a set of dumbbells). However, there is a reason I’m listing them here.
I’m guessing you’re on this page because you’re limited to dumbbells and you’re looking for effective exercises that you can use to still get in a great chest workout. Well, I believe Push-Ups are the most undervalued chest exercise there is because they’re not fancy and they’re not complex.
Push-ups also require zero equipment so why not include them with your dumbbell chest workout?
Equipment Needed:
- None
For modification purposes though:
- Barbell
- Med ball
- Bench or box
Step-by-Step Instruction
- Lie face down on the floor.
- Pull your toes in so that you’re on the tip of your shoes.
- Eyes should be focused straight down or slightly up.
- Pull your hands close to about the nipple line of the chest and bring them out about 2-3 inches away.
- Take a deep breath, engage the core and brace.
- Push yourself up in one unit. There should be no sagging of the waist. The entire body from head to toe should move up and then back down in unison.
- Feel your scapula upwardly rotate and make sure the antagonist muscles (Back and biceps) are fully engaging.
- Lock out your push-up and pause.
- Slowly lower yourself back down and get ready for the next repetition from just above the ground. Do not fully relax at the bottom of the push-up unless your program specifies.
Coaching Points
Take your time and master the push-up. The benefits of doing sound push-ups will pay dividends for your shoulder health and the potential to maximize your upper body strength.
Keep the elbows at a 45-degree angle. For maximal chest, shoulder, and rotator cuff engagement, do not let the elbows flare out away from the middle. Also, do not let the elbow hug right next to the torso.
I would highly recommend this movement to any athlete. It provides all the benefits a pressing movement can offer with minimal risk.
Final Thoughts
Whether you have a barbell, dumbbells, resistance bands or even no equipment at all – you can also put together enough exercises to get in a great workout if you’re determined and creative enough.
I hope this list of dumbbell chest exercises gave you a few ideas that you can incorporate into your workout.
Finally, if you want to finish off your chest workout with some arms (because why wouldn’t you?) here are some of the best dumbbell exercises you can do for arms.
