How to Do a Dumbbell Workout for Chest
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
So you wanna work your chest, huh? And you don't want to use barbells, right? Well okay then, let's get ourselves a pair of dumbbells and get liftin'! Below i'll outline four exercises that can be put together in any order for you to get a quick, fun, and dumbbell-only chest workout.
Step 2
The first exercise we'll take a look at are incline dumbbell bench presses. Incline dumbbell bench presses are great for your upper chest and good for the rest of your chest. They allow your chest to stretch a lot on the way down due to a very large range of motion, and to contract tightly at the top due to your hands being able to freely move inward with dumbbells. In essence, this is the perfect chest exercise. I recommend 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Step 3
Next we're going to look at incline dumbbell flys. Similar to the incline dumbbell bench press, flys are going to offer an insane rang of motion. Your pecs will be able to stretch to their limit, and the inner portion of your pecs will contract powerfully on the way up. This exercise is actually the main reason that pros get striations in their pecs. As a bonus, the weight is pretty light on this one and it's pretty fun feeling like an upside-down bird. Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
Step 4
Third is the decline dumbbell bench press. This exercise will recruit the bottom portion of your pecs in order to give your a cliffhanger type look in your chest. You can go pretty heavy on this exercise, and the angle makes it a fun variation from normal bench presses. Make sure to contract as tightly as possibly at the top of the motion, as decline dumbbell bench presses offer a limited range of motion and therefor rely on the contraction at the top. Perform 3 sets of 8-15 reps.
Step 5
Finally, we come to the traditional flat dumbbell bench press. This exercise is a staple in so many weightlifter's programs that it almost needs no explanation. However, I will add in that the flat dumbbell bench press is the exercise that you will be able to go the heaviest on during your dumbbell-only chest workout. So, load up the weight and power away.
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
Dumbbell-only workouts (especially for your chest) tend to be pretty harsh on the wrists. Your best bet is to grab a pair of wrist wraps, like the ones that I've listed below, and strap those on during your workout. This way you're helping to prevent and serious injuries. As long as you pay attention to your wrists and to your body, the dumbbell-only chest workout is just a whole lot of fun.
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist Wraps by Rip Toned - 18 | No Price |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Powerlifting Barney Groves | No Price |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
My friends get bored of traditional workouts and often ask me to throw some advice their way in order to spice things up. One time, for chest, I offered up a workout like the one I outlined above. I told my friend, "be careful, because your chest will get a lot of extra contraction from using only dumbbells. You'll find yourself sore in places where you weren't sore before." He just laughed me off and said thanks for the workout. The next day, though, he called me up to tell me I was right. "Holy crap dude," he said, "my inner chest is KILLIN me." We both laughed about it and after that, forever onward, he was a huge fan of dumbbell-only chest workouts.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
I became involved in dumbbell-only chest workouts when I first started lifting in order to mix things up and gain more knowledge. I've always loved them for the insane range of motion and crazy contractions I get. Not to mention they're a ton of fun to work through. I still do these kinds of workouts to this day. Hopefully you'll be just as hooked after you try the one above. Work hard! and as always, happy lifting
J