After verification, your discount will auto-apply on that order and all future orders. Step 3: Slowly bend your elbows and pull your shoulder blades together on the bench, lowering the dumbbells until they are close to the sides of your chest. That’s a good thing, he says: the smaller muscles in your shoulder joints learn to stabilize those joints, while the big muscles (the pecs, mainly) work harder to control the weights, preventing them from drifting in all directions. You have one on each side of your body, and they’re commonly referred to as the “pecs.” They each have two heads – one attaches to your collarbone, and the other attaches to your breastbone. For example, the barbell chest press focuses solely on your chest but when you do Dumbbell Chest press, it also targets your shoulder area, allowing you maximize each rep you do. Only the last three require both dumbbells and a bench. † This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. New to chest workouts? Sets: 2 Reps: Stop two reps shy of failure on the first set; last set, as many reps as possible. Andrew Heffernan, C.S.C.S., is an award-winning health and fitness journalist whose work appears regularly in Men’s Health and Experience Life. You may feel like your right and left arm push with equal force on the barbell bench press, but humans are very good at compensating—throwing a little more stress onto their stronger side while favoring their weaker one. Just below the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor. Pause, then push back up until your arms are fully extended. Step 1: Elevate one end of a flat exercise bench on two or three heavy barbell plates. These are the best Chest Exercises with Dumbbells: 1. Keeping your core braced, lie back on a decline bench, holding a pair of medium-to-heavy dumbbells at arm’s length over your chest, with your palms facing your feet. # 4. This is your starting position. You can build and strengthen your chest muscles using dumbbells without breaking the bank or spending hours on huge pieces of gym equipment. With your feet flat on the floor, slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest. Secure Shopping with 100% Industry Standard SSL. Step 2: Rotate your wrists so that the thumb sides of your hands are closer together than the pinky sides (as if holding a steering wheel at 10 and two o’clock). You can also use a stability ball as a substitute. This balanced position permits maximal drive from your muscles, while the decline angle recruits more of the muscle fibers that connect to the sternum (targeting the lower chest). All together, these muscles work to move your arm in multiple directions, helping you push, squeeze, carry, and more. Lie down on the floor holding a pair of dumbbells directly above your chest, palms facing in, arms slightly bent. The same goes for barbell rows vs. dumbbell bent-over rows with dumbbells. Squeeze hard at the top on crush presses and you’ll get a similar effect to cable crossovers, without needing two fancy cable stations to do it. Have a dumbbell in each hand with a reverse grip and position your arms at 45-degrees from your body. Dumbbell exercises for chest muscles target the inner, outer, lower and upper pectoral muscles. Now lift your right foot and bring your right knee to your left elbow. Step 3: Keeping the dumbbells pressed together, slowly push them to arm’s length over your chest. Benefits: You’ll hit both heads of the pecs twice with this move: once with the weighted press and again with the push-up. 4401 Freidrich Ln. Using Dumbbells instead of Barbells in your chest day allows you to target more parts of your body. But if benching hurts your shoulders, you train at home without a trusty spotter, or you’ve found that barbell training just doesn’t give you a bigger chest, dumbbell work is the answer. Step 4: Press the weights back to the starting position. HOW TO DO IT: Lying face-up on a flat bench, hold a pair of dumbbells over your chest with palms facing each other and elbows only slightly bent. Step 1: Place your hands on the floor, or on a stable elevated surface (a bench, box, or table work well—the higher the surface the easier the exercise). Finish with two sets of old-fashioned pushups, which will feel shockingly difficult after the other moves. If you have access to a bench – either at a gym or at home – give these three moves a try. Step 4: Pause in the stretched position, and then press the dumbbells back up, flexing your chest as you push. Pause and push the weights to the starting position. Perform a sit-up, but don’t return to the starting position. At the top of the move, bring your right foot underneath your left leg, plant the weights on the floor to your right, and then flip over into a. We categorized them by the area of the chest they emphasize most. Lie back on a sturdy, padded bench, feet flat on the floor, holding two heavy dumbbells at arm’s length over your chest, palms facing forward. Each is designed to suit a specific goal and experience level. Openfit is the all-in-one fitness, nutrition, and wellness destination. Step 3: Slowly bend your elbows and pull your shoulder blades together on the bench, lowering the dumbbells until they are close to the sides of your chest. Your legs should be extended straight toward the ceiling. Create your best upper-body workout yet by incorporating these nine upper body dumbbell exercises into your... Building your upper body takes hard work. Onnit, Step 2: Press the dumbbells together in the center of your chest (this is your starting position). Step 3: Slowly lower the dumbbells directly out to the sides, simultaneously bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together until your chest is comfortably stretched and your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle. Pause and return to the starting position. When the dumbbells … In one smooth motion, roll onto your #2 Dumbbells place less stress on your joints. See the directions above. Then you’ll probably want to go on the lighter side. Benefits: This move engages both heads of the chest muscles, and requires you to stabilize your core as you work one side of your body at a time. To begin the exercise, lie down on a declined bench by holding dumbells at the top of your chest. Lie on your back holding a pair of dumbbells at chest level with your upper arms on the floor, your forearms vertical, and your palms facing forward. Benefits: In addition to working your chest and your back, this move forces the muscles of your core to fire the entire time to keep you stable in plank position while you drive your knees to opposite elbows. Flys consist of a movement where the elbows remain at a constant angle while the arm moves through an arch. Slowly press your right hand directly above your chest. We’re confident you’ll love your Onnit supplements. Benefit: This exercise nails both heads of the pectoralis major, as well as the front of the shoulders. Keep your back straight and chest up. If you’re after a classic strongman feel, and don’t feel like plopping down three bills for hand weights, you can’t beat a pair of York Fitness Cast Iron Dumbbells. It’s great to close a chest workout with a set of push ups to failure, and doing them with dumbbells is a nice way to wrap up a dumbbell chest workout too. A 2017 study found that dumbbell bench presses activate the pectoralis major—the impressive slab that makes up most of the chest musculature—more effectively than both the barbell bench press and the Smith machine bench press. Ready to sear your chest? We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you place an order or enter, submit, or access any information on our website. It depends on your training goal. Take the Onnit 6 Challenge! Step 4: Reverse the movement, contracting your pecs as you straighten your arms fully, until you are back in the starting position. If you think that chest-strengthening exercises are just for sweaty, grunting, muscular men who lift heavy weights, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Chest workout at home with dumbbells. Try a pair before you buy though, as some people find the handgrips a little awkward. While the main chest exercises usually use barbells, there’s a number of important benefits that dumbbells have over the barbell. Known as selectorized dumbbells, the handles sit in the center of square-shaped plates, and you can load and unload them quickly with the flip of a lever. Perform this workout up to three times a week on nonconsecutive days. We verify through. Like the dumbbell chest press, dumbbell fly can be performed in three ways: flat, decline and incline. Perform the workout twice a week on nonconsecutive days. Lay on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand above your chest. By elevating the bench just a little bit, you can incorporate leg drive into the movement in the same way you do (or should) perform a flat barbell bench press. You load and unload plates with these guys like they were mini-barbells, spinning the collars into place around the ends of the threaded bars. The elbows will remain slightly bent while the back remains flat on the bench. Make sure not to lock your elbows. Chest exercises like push-ups, chest fly, and chest press can increase shoulder stability, improve posture, and may even make breasts look perkier. Step 3: Press back up, spreading your shoulder blades at the top of the movement. Lie back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat, holding a pair of medium-weight dumbbells directly over your chest with your palms facing each other. Flyes take the triceps virtually out of the equation, largely isolating the pecs and working them hardest in the fully stretched position—where the maximum amount of muscle fibers can be recruited. Pause for a moment, squeezing your chest muscles. Reverse the move to return to the starting position, and repeat the move with your left arm. Keeping your lower back pressed against the floor, simultaneously lower your arms out to your sides and your legs toward the floor (but don’t let your heels touch it). We use industry-standard, 256bit SSL encryption to protect your personal information online, and we also take several steps to protect your personal information in our facilities. In thanks to military and first responders, we're extending a 15% discount off MSRP for all products purchased at Onnit.com. All three muscles work together in this exercise. Benefits: This variation on the classic bench press forces your two sides to work equally, thus ensuring that your weaker side pulls its share of the weight. That’s not something you need to worry about when your hands are connected by a steel bar. Austin, TX 78744 References to any non-Onnit entity, product, service, person or source of information in this or any other Communication should not be considered an endorsement, either direct or implied, by the host, presenter or distributor of the Communication. Getting in position: Never pick the dumbbells up off of the floor while you’re lying on the ball. by Andrew Heffernan. Use it in place of your current chest day and limit any other chest training you do in the same week to ensure recovery. But if you’re doing your dumbbell chest workouts at home and don’t have a bench, no worries – you can use a stability ball instead. Place your feet flat on the bench. This basically takes your entire lower body out of the exercise, which isn’t always what you want. The chest could be improved using barbells, cables, and dumbbells. He is the co-author of two fitness books—The Exercise Cure and Your New Prime—and is a frequent top-five finisher as an age-group triathlete and competitive obstacle-course racer. Chest Fly Exercises With Dumbbells. Do it: Lay back on the floor gripping a pair of dumbbells tightly. Well, This is a compound exercise. Your arms should be locked out and your body straight from your heels to the top of your head. #6 Feet-Up Slight Decline Dumbbell Bench Press. This is also one of the safer pressing angles for your shoulders. We incorporate physical, electronic, and administrative procedures to safeguard the confidentiality of your personal information, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for the encryption of all financial transactions through the website. This is the starting position. On the pushup, perform each rep at a deliberate pace, stopping before you reach failure on your first set. Benefits: The bridge puts you in a decline position, which targets the sternal head of your pectoralis major. Have in mind that specific vital adjustments need to be made when exemplifying the exercises at home. Both difficulties lead to better muscle engagement and muscle growth. After a transaction, your credit card information is not stored on our servers. This effectively turns the move into a full-body exercise, which will allow you to handle more weight. 10 Dumbbell Chest Exercises Without A Bench . Because the range of motion is abbreviated, resulting in little stretch on the shoulders, they’re a good option for people with shoulder pain. Both fuse together to attach to your upper arm bone. Some of the concepts presented herein may be theoretical. Chest exercises.doc Page 8 of 19 Dumbbell Bench Press Exercise Data Main Muscle Worked: Chest Other Muscles Worked: Triceps,Shoulders Equipment: Dumbbell Mechanics Type: Compound Tips: Sit on the edge of a flat bench with dumbbells on your knees. Your wrists are free to rotate, and your elbows and shoulders can travel along the path that’s most comfortable for them, essentially customizing the exercise for your body. Step 2: Keeping your body straight and your head in a neutral position, simultaneously bend your arms and retract your shoulder blades until your chest is just above the floor—or as far as you can go without losing good form. MULTIPLE TARGETS. Step 2: Lie back on the bench with your head at the elevated end, holding two medium-heavy dumbbells at arm’s length above your chest, palms facing inward. Hold a dumbbell in both hands and extend arms straight out in front of chest. Choose this one. The host(s), presenter(s) and/or distributor(s) of this Communication are not responsible for the content of any non-Onnit internet pages referenced in the Communication. Below, we’ve pulled out nine of the best dumbbell chest exercises that you can do at home or at the gym. Place the dumbbells on the floor, then do 6 slow pushups, squeezing your shoulder blades on each rep. Repeat. Keeping your core engaged and your body straight, perform a push-up by lowering your chest until it’s a few inches from the floor. Eventually, the strength on your two sides evens out. Ensure that you place your arms back where they started (at 45-degrees from your body) at the end of each rep. You can either lie back from a sitting position while holding the dumbbells, or have a partner hand them to you. It’s safer than doing flat or incline presses with heavy weight. On the final effort, get as many reps as you can. palms facing your body. Push-ups are the best bodyweight exercises to target your chest. This attaches to your upper ribs and the front side of your shoulder blades. All you have to do is incorporate any of the previously discussed chest exercises into your current fitness routine, and you’ll be sure to start feeling and seeing the benefits in no time. Accessibility Policy  The weight is secured to the handle. Over time, work up to completing the highest number of reps listed for every set before increasing the weight. Looking to build mass? With your feet flat on the floor, slowly lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest. Sit down on the ball, put the dumbbells up on your hips, and roll out. Then hit the second move, leaving a couple of reps in the tank on all your sets. Exercise Mode: Strength Main: Chest Others: Shoulders and Triceps Equipment: Barbell Type: Compound . Press the weights up and together above your chest, squeezing the muscles at the top of the movement. They work similarly to the PowerBlocks and they’re about as pricy (you’ll pay around 300 dollars for a pair), but are a little easier to use and feel better in your hands. It’s important to switch up your training as well, so it might be a good idea to substitute the ole’ barbell for dumbbells … On each exercise, choose weights that allow you to complete the lowest number of reps listed. But if you want to gain size and athletic performance, you may be better off with dumbbells, which allow you to lower the weights past chest level—maximally stretching the pecs and activating more muscle fibers. In fact, you’re going to be struggling to finish that last set, even using lighter dumbbells. With a subscription, you'll get your favorite Onnit products whenever you want at 15% off MSRP. #3 Dumbbells give you balanced development and strength. Targeted Muscle Group: Serratus Anterior or Lower Chest. Step 3: Reverse the movement, contracting your pecs as you straighten your arms fully, until you are back in the starting position. And you’re wondering ‘Can I still get a good workout with light weight?’. Standard flyes are great for building muscle—but brutal on the shoulders. Not as convenient as the other adjustable options, but at about $120.00 for a 5 to 45-pound pair, they’re way less expensive. Privacy Policy  Your palms should be facing forward (away from your face). That’s not so bad if your goal is to press the biggest weight you can. Benefits: While the fly homes in on the chest muscles, the leg raise works the core. Keeping your core engaged and your body straight from head to heels, lower your chest until it’s a few inches from the floor. Press the weights above your chest, then slowly lower them. The incline also works the pec fibers that attach to the clavicle more strongly. Keeping your elbow tucked, row the weight in your right hand to your ribs, and then lower it. Take your dumbbell press to the floor for a shoulder-safe chest pump. By doing compound movements that work multiple muscle groups at once, you’ll get more out of your workout in less time. Many of these dumbbell chest exercises don’t even use a bench. Set them slightly wider than shoulder width and do the same with your feet. Read more about the difference between bodyweight training and … Grab your dumbbells and get to work! these dumbbells for your home gym (or these if you’re on a tight budget). Here are the best chest exercises with dumbbells: 1.) Do it: Lie flat on a bench holding two dumbbells directly above your chest, palms facing in, and weights touching one another. Browse through the various dumbbell exercises for the chest (pectoral muscles) below: Bench Press Bench Press (Neutral Grip) Incline Bench Press Incline Bench Press (Neutral Grip) Decline Bench Press Lying Fly Incline Fly Straight-Arm Pullover Bent-Arm Pullover Bench Press Lie down […] Tone the muscles in your chest, the back of your shoulders, and your arms with dumbbells. If you can do more than 20 reps, wrap an elastic exercise band around your back and grasp an end in each hand for extra resistance. But, if you like the real-gym feel of one-piece dumbbells, and money and space are no object, it’s hard to beat CAP Barbell Rubber-Coated Hex Dumbbells, which feel great in your hands and won’t nick up your flooring if you drop them. Onnit is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information or services you chose to follow without consulting a qualified medical professional. Over time, you’ll be tripping over dumbbells, and wondering why you didn’t shell out a little more for the adjustable type up front. In the down position, your elbows should be at a 45-degree angle to your torso—not straight out to the sides. 1-855-ONNIT-99 The slight decline works the pecs with the shoulders in a centrated—or neutral—position. Step 2: Press the dumbbells together in the center of your chest (this is your starting position). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Pause and then push the weights back up to the starting position. The post 14 Dumbbell Exercises … Step 2: Lie back on the bench, your head at the elevated end, holding two dumbbells at arm’s length above your chest. We just ask that you try it out for at least two weeks to give it a fair shot. 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