Dumbbells come in specific sizes or as adjustable types with handles and weight plates. All forms range in weight and are equally effective at working the pecs. This chest muscle group moves the humerus toward the center of the body. The humerus is the large upper arm bone. Dumbbells can work your pecs with a free range of motion.
Step 1
Stretch your upper body with dynamic stretches before doing exercises. Dynamic stretches are done in motion and can help loosen your muscles and joints before exercising. Do arm crossovers, arm circles, shoulder shrugs and rotations, spinal rotations and side bends. Place your hands on a weight bench and perform a set of push-ups as well. Perform 12 to 15 reps of each stretch.
Step 2
Target all areas of your chest with dumbbells. Although the chest is one large muscle group, focus on the upper, middle, lower and inner portions independently to promote full development. Do incline presses for your upper chest, flat dumbbell bench presses for the middle, decline presses for the lower chest and flyes for the inner chest. Use an incline bench and decline bench for incline and decline presses.
Step 3
Maintain proper form. Lie face-up on a flat bench and hold the weights an inch apart above your chest with your palms facing your knees. Lower the weights to your sides slowly by bending your elbows. Stop when your upper arms parallel the floor and feel the strong stretch in your chest. Push the weights back to the starting point and repeat. Inhale when you are lowering and exhale when you are pushing up. Hold the top position for a full second and squeeze your pecs forcefully.
Step 4
Perform enough work to get a desired result. Aim for eight to 12 reps and four to five sets with your pec exercises. Take two days off in between your workouts to fully recover. If you train too often, you will not give your muscles enough time to rebuild and you subject yourself to injury.
Step 5
Lift the heaviest dumbbells you can with all of your exercises. This is the best and fastest way to gain size and strength in your pecs. Have a spotter on hand at all times to ensure you will make your rep ranges.
Step 6
Execute a set of around the worlds at the end of your workout for a burnout. This exercise works the entire chest. Lie flat on your back on the bench with the dumbbells held behind your head. Turn your palms up, keep a slight bend in your elbows and move the weights away from your body, then toward your body in an arcing motion. Stop the dumbbells right above your thighs, hold for a second and move them back to the starting point. Repeat until failure. Failure means your form breaks down.
Tips and Warnings
- Move the weights through a full range of motion, breathe properly, keep your abs tight and never bang the weights into each other.
Things You'll Need
- Incline bench
- Flat bench
- Decline bench
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