9 Best Dumbbell Chest Exercises
- 1 – Incline Neutral Grip Dumbbell Press.
- 2 – Crush Press.
- 3 – Dumbbell Fly.
- 4 – Dumbbell Floor Press.
- 5 – Dumbbell Pullover.
- 6 – Standing Cross Body Dumbbell Raise.
- 7 – Reverse Grip Dumbbell Press.
- 8 – Renegade Rows Push-Up Combo.
Is it better to use a dumbbells for your chest?
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.
What is a good dumbbell weight for chest?
Dumbbell chest press – Similar to a barbell chest press, a dumbbell chest press involves lying on a bench, pushing dumbbells up and away from your body. To select the right dumbbells for this exercise, many weight trainers suggest starting with dumbbells that weigh 70% of the weight you’d use for a barbell press.
Top 7 Chest Exercises, Recommended By Fitness Experts
- Traditional Pushups. Equipment needed: none.
- Scapular Pushups. Equipment needed: none.
- Wide Grip Chest Press. Equipment needed: Dumbbells, weight bench (optional)
- Narrow Grip Chest Press.
- Incline Bench Press.
- Cable Chest Flys.
- Triceps Dips.
Chest Press (Alternating Arms)
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Press the dumbbell in your right hand toward the ceiling, straightening your elbow completely and keeping your palm facing your leg.
- Slowly bend your elbow and lower it back down to the floor.
- Complete 8–12 reps on each side.
Are dumbbells better for building chest?
That’s why if you’re looking to build your chest, Gentilcore recommends the dumbbell press. “Barbell is still great if you want to move a lot of weight, but if your goal is pec development and building a more defined, more muscular chest dumbbell are going to be the better play,” he says.
Can I build muscle using only dumbbells?
Can I build muscle with just dumbbells? Yes, so long as you increase the weight over time. You can absolutely bulk up with dumbbells, but you’re going to hit a wall if you don’t keep adding weight. Every few weeks, increase the amount of weight you’re lifting by 5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg) or so to keep those gains going.
What builds chest better dumbbell or barbell?
It is better to bench press with dumbbells if you want to prioritize the chest muscles, but if you want to activate the triceps more, you can use the barbell. The bench press with a dumbbell provides more range of motion, so if your goal is to build muscle, then choose a dumbbell bench press.
What is better dumbbells or bench press?
Since you can move more weight with a barbell than you can with dumbbells, you are likely to build more strength with the barbell bench press. A key aspect of any exercise’s strength-gain potential is the ability to load it with more weight, and that barbells typically allow for more fine-tuned loading than dumbbells.
Is dumbbell or barbell better for muscle growth?
A barbell is closer on the scale to a machine, and dumbbell movements are closer to bodyweight exercises. Both pieces of equipment are very advantageous, but if the goal is to build muscle, especially working in that 8–12-rep hypertrophy range, dumbbell exercises are preferable.”
Are dumbbells more effective than barbells?
It is statistically proven that most of you will be 20% stronger when you’re using barbells for the same exercise. Most of you will also find it easier to progress with barbells rather than dumbbells. And that’s to be expected.
Are dumbbells better than benching?
From this perspective, dumbbells are a better choice. Compared to barbells, they provide a greater range of motion and allow your arms to move more freely. A bench press with barbells provides less range of motion compared to dumbbells.
Is it more efficient to use dumbbells or barbells for chest?
The researchers confirmed that 20% more weight can be pressed with a barbell than with a dumbbell. They also found that, although there was little difference in the muscle activity of the pecs and delts for both exercises, the dumbbell bench press used less triceps and more biceps.
Is dumbbell chest press better than machine?
The chest press is a safer movement because the weight isn’t being held over your body and there is less room for error with machines than free weights. You don’t need a spotter, so training to failure using a chest press is a lot smarter than a barbell bench press.
Why is dumbbell bench press better?
Dumbbell press: Since dumbbell presses allow for a greater range of motion in your press, you have more control over the motion of your arms and can keep your movement more in front of your body instead of outwards.