When you’re trying to put together the best dumbbell chest workout, it’s important to focus on a wide variety of factors. Yes, the weight you choose and the movements you attempt will influence your progression, but getting the grip and position right can also influence how effectively you activate your muscles.
If you’re trying to progress quickly, it’s also worth buying some of the best adjustable dumbbells, as these will allow you to add weight and constantly challenge yourself. We spoke to Michael Detten, a doctor of physical therapy and NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist, to learn more about exercises to strengthen your chest.
What muscles do dumbbell chest exercises strengthen?
The main muscles of the chest are the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle at the front of the chest, and the pectoralis minor is a smaller, triangular-shaped muscle below it.
“The pectoralis major plays an important role in stabilizing the shoulder,” Detten told Live Science. “It can actually be divided into three main portions: the upper portion includes the clavicular head; the middle portion includes sternal insertion; and the lower part inserts on the fifth to eighth ribs”.
Michael Dette
Detten is the clinic director at Physical Therapy Central, Oaklahoma. He has a doctorate in physical therapy and is a certified sports physical therapist. A trained physician with a strong background in strength and conditioning, Detten has extensive training with professional and amateur athletes from the MLB, NBA, NFL, NCAA and Crossfit.
Detten says that any dumbbell chest exercise will engage all three parts of the pectoralis major, but you can isolate or target specific parts by changing the incline or decline of the exercise or varying the width of your grip.
mistakes to avoid
Detten noted that one of the most common mistakes he sees when people perform “press” exercises is over-activation of the serratus anterior and anterior deltoid muscles, which are muscles under the armpit and in the front of the shoulder.
“When this happens, shoulder protraction takes over, which is an unstable and compromising position for the shoulder in general,” he warns. This means you are at higher risk of injury.
To combat this, he suggests working in a position that brings your shoulder blades closer together, keeping your elbows low and making sure your upper/mid spine remains extended.
#1: Horizontal Dumbbell Chest Press with a Close Grip
“Using a narrow grip with the dumbbell horizontal press will help activate the sternum heads [upper portion] of the pectoralis major, as well as greater activation of the triceps brachii,” says Detten.
Evidence also suggests that having a narrow grip will reduce the force across the acromioclavicular joint (at the shoulder cap), which may reduce the risk of injury, as suggested by a study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine (opens in a new tab).
Here is a breakdown of the exercise:
- Lie on your back on a weight bench with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the dumbbells so that your palms are facing your feet, and bring each one to a chest press position so that the fist is suspended roughly above the armpit on that side. In this close-grip version, your hands should be close enough together that the inner sides of the dumbbells are almost touching each other.
- Exhale as you push the dumbbell up into the air above your body.
- Inhale as you slowly lower them back down.
- Complete 8 to 12 repetitions.
#2: Medium/Wide Grip Dumbbell Horizontal Chest Press
Detten says that using a medium to wide grip with the dumbbell horizontal press will also induce activation of the sternal heads of the pectoralis major musculature. But doing this grip, rather than the narrow variation above, will engage the biceps instead of the triceps.
- Perform the same chest press movement as the dumbbell horizontal chest press described above. But this time, your hands should remain shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
#3: Dumbbell Horizontal Chest Fly
The dumbbell horizontal fly exercise is another great dumbbell chest exercise to activate the pectoralis major. But unlike the above, it will target the mid/lateral chest along with the biceps, as Detten explains:
“This movement isolates the chest and shoulder horizontal abduction musculature and will also produce greater activation of the biceps brachii musculature, compared to the chest press.”
- Lie on your back on a weight bench with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold the dumbbells so your palms are facing each other and extend each arm up over your chest.
- Exhale as you slowly bring each dumbbell to the side, keeping a slight bend at the elbow, until your hands are level with your body.
- Inhale as you return to the starting position.
- Complete 8 to 12 repetitions.
#4: Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
According to research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (opens in a new tab), when you perform a dumbbell chest press in an incline position, you’ll get more activation of the clavicular head of the pectoralis major. Here’s how to do it.
- Perform the same chest press exercises with a standard shoulder-width grip, but tilt the bench so it’s about 30 degrees from horizontal.
#5: Incline Dumbbell Chest Fly
Detten says that as with the dumbbell chest press exercise, the incline position with the chest fly exercise increases the reliance of the clavicular head on the pectoralis major muscle.
- Do the same dumbbell chest flyes, but tilt the bench so it’s about 30 degrees from horizontal.
#6: Dumbbell Curls
Performing a pushup while holding on to the hex dumbbell handles allows you to go deeper during the lowering phase of the pushup. This can help strengthen your chest and maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.
- Grab onto the handles of two hex dumbbells and plant them slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor with your palms facing each other.
- Your feet should be flat on the ground with your toes curled down, in contact with the ground behind you. Your elbows should line up directly below your shoulders. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest just above the ground, so that you sink lower than you would if your hands were flat on the ground, and then push through your hands to lift your body up until your elbows are extended but not completely locked.
- Complete 20 reps using good form.
Detten says that while it’s important to build chest strength through pushing exercises, it’s equally important to focus on stabilizing your shoulders and back strength with pulling exercises.
