When most people think of pectoral exercises, they think of the bench press. It's the iconic power lift for the upper body, and "What do you bench?" sometimes seems like bodybuilder speak for "Hello." However, you can use dumbbells on a weight bench to do a variety of exercises that will work out your pecs.
Dumbbell Bench Press
Dumbbell bench presses work just like a barbell bench press. You lie on the bench and hold the dumbbells directly above your chest with your arms straight but not locked. From that position, you lower the dumbbells slowly by bending your arms, then extend them to the starting position. You can do dumbbell bench press on a straight, incline or decline bench to shift the load to different sections of your pecs.
Dumbbell Flies
Dumbbell flies engage a wider range of your pectoral muscles than a bench press. Begin lying on your back, holding the barbells above your chest, with the grip of the weights running parallel to the line of your body. With your elbows slightly bent, you open your arms and allow the weights to lower to your body level. Reverse direction and return the dumbbells to the starting position. You can do dumbbell flies on straight and incline benches.
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This exercise is challenging, and you should use lighter weights when trying it for the first time. Begin by lying on the bench, holding the dumbbells in your hands, with your hands next to your hips. In this position, you do the upper-body equivalent of a jumping jack. Your arms will move slowly up in semicircles until the weights touch above your head, then reverse direction to return to your hips. Pay close attention to keep the plane of motion parallel to your body at all times. Especially as you fatigue, your arms will want to drop toward the floor and shift the load of the exercise.
Pullovers
Pullovers stretch your pectoral muscles, then force you to contract from that stretched position. Start a pullover on your back on the bench with your shoulders along the top edge of the bench. Hold a dumbbell in both hands and, keeping your arms straight, lower it in a line until your hands are above and behind your head. From that position, pull the dumbbell up and forward until it is directly above your face. Take care to keep your arms extended, or you'll shift the load to your triceps instead of your pecs.
Dumbbell Safety
Safe weightlifting means working out with a spotter who can help catch the weight if you fail a lift or lose your grip. Dumbbells are harder to spot for than barbells, because there's no room on the grip. With dumbbells, your spotter should be ready to grip the dumbbells by the plates and focus on helping you control the weight rather than taking over primary responsibility for holding it. If you lose your grip on a dumbbell, your best move is to get out of the way.
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