Welcome to the ultimate guide to dumbbell exercises for chest.

Dumbbells are a great way to train, they require more stability and can offer great advantages in terms of unilateral training.

They offer a great range of exercises and the possibility to attack every muscle in the body from multiple angles.

In this guide to dumbbell exercises for chest we have compiled as many relevant exercises as we could think of that will help you to build strength and muscle mass.

Dumbbell exercises for chest – The ultimate list

Incline dumbbell press

Ideal if you are looking for further upper chest development, the incline dumbbell press will give you a satisfying pump and perform great as an assistance exercise to your regular flat bench press.

1. Take your dumbells and hold them with a neutral grip. Place them on your hip crease and nest yourself down into your incline bench.
2. To get into that right position, you’ll want to lay back whilst kicking the dumbbells up with your knees, keeping them close to your chest. Make sure your scapula is tucked down and back. Press the dumbells into lockout.
3. Lower the dumbbells in a controled movement, going as far down as comfortably possible.
4. Push with your chest and triceps, locking out at the top. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in.

It’s important to not that dropping the weights to your side can be damaging for the shoulders, unless you are experienced and know exactly what you are doing. Try to bring them back to your lap on your last rep, using that momentum to bring yourslef back to a sitting position.

Flat dumbbell press

The standard flat dumbbell bench press alows you to lift more weight that on the incline variant. It’s great for building a strong foundation and overall pressing power.

1. Take your dumbells and hold them with a neutral grip. Place them on your hip crease and nest yourself down into your flat bench.
2. To get into that right position, you’ll want to lay back whilst kicking the dumbbells up with your knees, keeping them close to your chest. Make sure your scapula is tucked down and back. Press the dumbells into lockout.
3. Lower the dumbbells in a controled movement, going as far down as comfortably possible.
4. Push with your chest and triceps, locking out at the top. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in.

Here again, and pretty much like in any other pressing exercise, mind that you keep your elbows tucked in. This will allow you to build strength and muscle without putting too much strain on the shoulders.

Decline dumbbell press

Emphasize more lower chest.

1. Take your dumbells and hold them with a neutral grip. Place them on your hip crease and nest yourself down into your flat bench. It’s important to not here that due to the angle of the bench, you’ll be using much lighter weights than you would on the inline or flat bench. Setting yourself up for this exercise, with heavier weights, can be quite dangerous.
2. To get into that right position, you’ll want to lay back on the bench keeping the dumbbells close to your chest. Make sure your scapula is tucked down and back. Press the dumbells into lockout.
3. Lower the dumbbells in a controled movement, going as far down as comfortably possible.
4. Push with your chest and triceps, locking out at the top. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in.

Close grip dumbbell press

This variant is more suited towards tricep developement. It will still challenge your chest to a high degree though.

In the gif above, you will see this exercise being performed on a mat. Of course, ou can do it on a bench, too.

1. Take your dumbells and hold them with a neutral grip. Place them on your hip crease and nest yourself down into your flat bench.
2. To get into that right position, you’ll want to lay back whilst kicking the dumbbells up with your knees, keeping them close to your chest. Make sure your scapula is tucked down and back. Press the dumbells into lockout.
3. Lower the dumbbells in a controled movement, going as far down as comfortably possible.
4. Push with your chest and triceps, locking out at the top. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in. Maintain a close grip at all times.

Dumbbell chest flies

This is more of an assistance/isolation exercise, good for obtaining a solid pump after you’ve done your lain pushing work. It’s not useful nor recommended to go extra heavy on those.

1. Pick up the dumbbells off the floor and set yourself up in the same way as previously mentioned. Use a neutral grip.
2. Lay back on the bench with the dumbbells perpendicularly to your torso. Think of it like doing chest flies on a cable machine, but with dumbbells.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells under control as far as comfortably possible. You should feel a powerful stretch on your pecs.
4. Contract the chest and push the dumbbells back up to the starting position.

Dumbbell unilateral press

Unilateral work can be used to target weaknesses and isolate them. It’s a great way of telling whether one side of your body is weaker than an other, and fixing any imbalances.

1. Take your dumbell and hold them it with both arms.
2. To get into that right position, you’ll want to lay back whilst keeping the dumbbell as close to your body as possible with both arms. Make sure your scapula is tucked down and back. Press the dumbell into lockout, with the help of the other arm if needed.
3. Lower the dumbbell in a controled movement, going as far down as comfortably possible.
4. Push with your chest and triceps, locking out at the top. Make sure to keep your elbow tucked in.

Dumbbell alternating press

Another fun variation of your standard flat dumbbell press. This one allows you to build more tension on the chest, with one dumbbell being held isometrically whilst the other is moving.

1. Take your dumbells and hold them with a neutral grip. Place them on your hip crease and nest yourself down into your flat bench.
2. To get into that right position, you’ll want to lay back whilst kicking the dumbbells up with your knees, keeping them close to your chest. Make sure your scapula is tucked down and back. Press the dumbells into lockout.
3. Lower one dumbbell whilst keeping the other locked out. Then repeat with the other arm.
4. Push with your chest and triceps, locking out at the top. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in.

Dumbbell pullover (straight arm/bent arm)

1. Grab a dumbbell and place it next to you on a bench, or have a partner hand it over to you once positioned on the bench.
2. Place your upper back onto the bench, and raise your hips, contracting your glutes and core. Take the dumbbell into your palms firmly, and bring it overhead.
3. Slowly lower the dumbbells under control as far behind your head as comfortably possible.
4. Contract the chest and push the dumbbell back up to the overhead starting position.

Dumbbell floor press

1. Pick up the dumbbells off the floor whilst sitting down, and position them close to your chest. Lay back slowly, again, tucking your scapula down and back. Press into lockout.
2. Slowly lower the dumbbells under control until your elbows touch the floor.
3. Push with your chest and triceps, back into the lockout position. Keep your elbows tucked in.

[page_section template=’2′ position=’bottom’] [/page_section]

If you are looking for the best dumbbell exercises for back, head over to this complete article.