The chest is considered one of the major muscle groups and justifiably so. It takes up a large portion of the upper body, and it gets called into play when a number of movements are performed. Barbells are a common fitness tool used to work this large muscle group, but you can also work these muscles by way of dumbbells. These can actually make the exercises more challenging because each hand is working independently. This causes instability and recruits more muscle fibers.
Step 1
Adjust your bench to 45 degrees. Incline chest presses are done to target the upper chest muscles. To do these, lie on the bench with your arms straight above you and your palms facing forward. Slowly lower the dumbbells down by bending your elbows. Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the ground, then push them back up. Stop when they are about an inch apart. Do three to four sets, and use weights that are heavy enough that you can do only 10 to 12 reps.
Step 2
Perform dumbbell chest presses. Lie flat on the bench with your arms extended straight in the air above you and your palms facing forward. Slowly lower the weights down until your upper arms are parallel to the ground, then push them back up. Do three to four sets and 10 to 12 reps.
Step 3
Get out the decline bench. A decline bench is often used for crunches, but it doubles as a bench to work your lower chest. To do these, lie on the bench, hook your legs under the padded supports and lift the dumbbells straight up in the air. Slowly lower them down toward your lower chest until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then push them back up in the air. Do three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Step 4
Perform dumbbell flys. To do dumbbell flys, lie on the bench with your arms extended straight above you and your palms facing each other or forward. Slightly bend your elbows and lower the weights to your sides until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then push them back up. Keep the slight bend in your elbows the whole time you do these. Do three to four sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Step 5
Go around the world. "Around the worlds" are a chest exercise that forces you to use light weights. To do these, lie on the flat bench and extend your arms straight behind your head with your palms up. Swing the dumbbells around in a circular fashion until they are right above your thighs, and do not touch them together. Swing them back to the starting point. Repeat 10 to 12 times. Do three to four sets. When you are swinging them around, you can keep your palms up when you get to your thighs, or you can turn them down.
Things You'll Need
- Adjustable bench
- Decline bench
- Dumbbells
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