Looking to build a great Chest workout routine with Dumbbells?
Well, you’re on the right track because dumbbells are exceptionally versatile when it comes to loading different muscle groups effectively, and the Chest is no exception. In fact, Dumbbell variations of some of the classic Chest exercises have been shown to be more effective at optimizing muscle fiber activation. All you need to know is which exercises to focus on within the context of key principles of muscle building. We’ll lay the foundation with a quick look at basic Chest muscle anatomy/structure, before moving on with a look at the best options available based on current scientific evidence.
Knowing Your Chest Muscles: Basic Anatomy
The Chest muscle mass is made up of two main muscles: Pectoralis Major and Pectoralis Minor.
Basically, these muscles connect your Upper Arm bone (Humerus) to the Sternum (Breast Bone), Clavicle (Collarbone), and upper 6-7 ribs.
The Pectoralis Major is the star of the show due to its larger size and influence on various movements and stability of the arm. It’s a flat, broad muscle that covers the Pec Minor, and originates from the Collarbone, Sternum and upper ribs.
A closer look into its structure reveals that it actually has three divisions.
- Upper Part: Made up of fibers running in a downward direction from the lower parts of the Collarbone to the arm.
- Mid: Horizontal fibers running sideways.
- Lower: Runs in an upward direction.
A well-rounded Chest routine should get the most out of all these portions of the muscle. Thankfully, most of the classic moves you may normally do with other equipment like Barbells can be replicated using dumbbells to a greater or lesser extent.
Now let’s move on to the meat and drink of the article: the most effective Dumbbell workouts for Chest development.
Dumbbell Bench Press
The Bench Press is widely considered as the “Chest King” for a good reason:
Numerous comparative studies consistently prove it the most effective chest exercise, based on muscle activation levels.
The American Council on Exercise(ACE) furnishes one of the most recent pieces of evidence through a study that looked at 10 popular chest exercises for muscle strength and size.
The Bench Press set the standard, with the highest overall muscle activation levels, seconded by the Peck Deck.
The Dumbbell Bench Press offers a highly effective variation to the traditional Barbell Bench Press. In fact, comparative EMG(Electromyogram) studies by Bret Contreras coupled with earlier studies consistently prove it a better alternative in terms of overall muscle activation levels compared to the traditional Barbell Press.
There are two main reasons for these observations:
- Dumbbells require a lot more stability work from the Pecs and other muscles around the Shoulder girdle. This means more profound muscle fiber recruitment and overall activation levels.
- Dumbbells allow you to work through a wider range of motion and a more natural range of movement compared to the Barbell Press which only requires you to move the weight in a fixed vertical path.
How to Do the Dumbbell Press
Setting Yourself Up
To keep things safe as you’re getting into position, there’s a quick trick you can use without overstressing your joints and muscles. This is especially handy when it comes to lifting heavy weights.
- With a Dumbbell in each hand, sit down on a bench and rest each Dumbbell on the corresponding thigh. Palms should be facing each other while the plate on either side is resting on the thigh.
- To safely get into position, push the Dumbbells back with your thighs as you roll down to lean on the bench, one at a time.
- Plant your feet firmly into the ground, brace your core, and lower your Shoulders back into the bench.
- Extend your chest up to create a slight arch in your upper back.
- Open up your Elbows to a slight angle, about 45-60 degrees away from your Torso. This should get your forearms and wrists slightly turned outwards. At this point, the weights should be at the base of your chest, in line with your nipples.
Note: Opening up your Elbows allows you to align the load directly to most of the muscle fibers of your Pecs, which ensures better isolation and Chest muscle activation. Additionally, it minimizes stresses on your Shoulder joint structures, and thus injury risk.
The Movement
- Press/Push the Dumbbells up and back until your arms are extended right above your Shoulders.
- Lower the weights back down with control to the initial position.
- Repeat the movement for another rep.
Need some more help with mastering proper form, talk to one of our experts in the “experts” section.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The Incline Press is a clever tweak of the Bench Press, aimed at optimizing activation of the upper portion of the Pec Major. In fact, this is backed by some solid studies looking into how different bench angles activate different portions of the Chest muscle.
A 2020 study, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, compared the effect of 5 bench angles in 30 trained adults, and ended up with some interesting insights. The researchers observed the highest upper Pec activation levels at 30 degrees. Anything above 45 degrees and below 30 degrees shifted most of the load to Shoulder muscles and lower portions of the chest respectively.
Its efficacy on this portion of the Chest muscle lies in the positioning and movement path. Unlike the classic Press, the bench is setup at an angle (30-45 degrees). In terms of movement, the weight path starts from the base of the Collarbone and crosses right in front of your Chin before hitting the top position. This setup aligns the load in a more mechanically sound position for optimal involvement of the upper Pecs throughout the movement.
Dumbbell Bench Chest Flys
The Chest Fly offers a great alternative to the Bench Press you can easily slot in for more variety. Based on current evidence, it’s not as effective as the Bench Press and other more powerful Chest moves, but still offers a reasonably effective option to exploit. A 2020 study, published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, compared the Flat Barbell Bench Press to the Dumbbell Fly. Expectedly, the Dumbbell Fly came out second, but still achieved significant chest muscle activation, especially during the lifting phase. The ACE study cited earlier rated the inclined version of the exercise (Inclined Dumbbell Fly) as the 5th most effective.
How to Do the Dumbbell Fly
Getting Set
- Just as it’s the case with the Bench Press as described earlier, get into position by pushing both Dumbbells with your Thighs while lowering your back down on the bench.
- Extend both arms into a vertical position, placing both Dumbbells above your Shoulders.
- Bend your Elbows slightly and shift the Dumbbells to nipple level.
- Now lower the Dumbbells outwards to Chest level. Just like it’s the case with the Bench Press, this allows you to optimize Chest muscle activation while keeping your Shoulders and Elbow joints safe.
The Movement
- Raise both Dumbbells inwards to the initial position, before lowering back down in a controlled fashion.
- To keep the rhythm consistent, take a deep breath in while lowering down the weights, and out when raising to the top position.
Dumbbell Crossovers
This move is an attempt to recreate something close to the Cable Crossover, which is a highly efficient Chest exercise. In fact, the Cable Cross-over consistently registers the highest Pec muscle activation levels in comparative research studies. This includes the ACE study, which saw it clinching the third spot, behind the Bench Press and Peck Deck exercise. Based on this, the Dumbbell variation makes sense as a possible inclusion in your chest workout repertoire, especially when you only have Dumbbells to work with.
How to do Dumbbell Crossovers
The Setup
- Hold a Dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand tall with feet at hip-width apart, and slightly bend your Knees.
- Alternatively, get into a staggered/split stance. The feet should be a little wider than a walking stride to keep things balanced. The rear foot’s heel should be raised to shift some weight to the forefoot.
- Bend your elbows slightly, and move the Dumbbells out and wide until they’re level with your nipples.
The Movement
- With control, move both Dumbbells inwards to the midline.
- Reverse to the starting position.
Note
- Movement should be limited to your arms, avoid creating unwanted momentum by swinging your torso as you’re moving the weights in space.
Decline Dumbbell Chest Press
The Decline Bench Press offers another variation aimed at optimizing involvement of the lower portion of the Pec muscle. The scientific community has looked at this so far through a number of studies, with results providing some evidence in favor of its usage. For instance, a 2016 study published in the European Journal of Sports Science looked into the influence of bench angle on muscle activation in upper body muscles. Results showed highest lower Pec Major activation at a -15-degree angle. This makes the Decline Dumbbell Press a great option to consider as part of a well-rounded chest development program.
How to Do the Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
The Setup
- Set the bench at a 15-degree decline.
- Hold a Dumbbell in each hand, secure your feet on the leg brace and roll back.
- Alternatively, get in position and ask a spotter to help you with completing the starting position.
- Extend both arms above your Chest to get both Dumbbells over the Chest at nipple level.
- Take a deep breath in.
The Movement
- With control, lower both Dumbbells to Chest level as you’re exhaling.
- Press the weights back up to the initial position before repeating the sequence for another rep.
