So you’ve bought dumbbells and are looking to include dumbbell chest workouts in your routine? This blog will be really helpful. You can also find out about the benefits of dumbbell exercises and what kind of dumbbells you should buy in this blog.
For a lot of bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts, building a big chest is one of the most challenging. You might have seen people in the gym slapping a lot of weight on a barbell and bench pressing it. But that’s not the only way to build a chest. You can try some effective and convenient chest exercises with dumbbells at home or in the gym to shape your chest and give it that chiseled look.
Benefits of dumbbell chest workouts
If you want well toned arms or are looking to strengthen your arms and shoulders, then dumbbell chest exercises are great for you. Of course, if you want a ripped look at your chest then also you need to vary between different kinds of dumbbell chest exercises.
Some of the main benefits of including dumbbell chest workouts in your routine are –
• Greater range of motion
When you perform bench presses with a barbell, the bar hits your chest before your pectoral muscles achieve a full stretch. This is okay if you want to press the biggest weight. But if your fitness goal is to improve your strength and gain muscle size, then doing chest workouts with dumbbells will work best. Doing these exercises regularly will maximize stretching of pecs and active more muscle fibers.
• Less stress on joints
The one thing that most people don’t know is that the human body only looks symmetrical. Actually it is not symmetrical. So when you use a weighted bar to exercise, one side of your chest will face more pressure than the other. The direct result of this can be seen on your joints. If you want to support your joint health, then consider switching to dumbbell chest workouts. Dumbbells allow both sides of your body to find its optimal path. You can freely rotate your wrists, elbows, and shoulders in a more relaxed and customized way. This means there is no forced stress on the joints.
• Helps with balanced muscle development and strength
Like mentioned above, when you use a bench press one side of your body compensates for the other so that there isn’t any imbalance. That’s not the case with dumbbells. The left and right side of your body have to stabilize the push with equal force to get the desired results. If you want to build strength, then you can always opt for heavier dumbbells or do more reps.
What kind of dumbbells should I buy?
If you go to the market to buy dumbbells, there are two basic kinds – adjustable dumbbells and fixed dumbbells. In adjustable dumbbells, plates can be added and held on with collars to increase the weight capacity. In fixed dumbbells, on the other hand, the weight is secured to a handle. So if you need to increase your weight training, each time you need a different set of dumbbells. Depending upon the kind of workouts you do, your fitness level, and whether you like to exercise in the gym or home, you should choose the dumbbells.
Best dumbbell chest exercises
Here are a few of the best dumbbell chest workouts that you should definitely try.
1. Dumbbell bench press
Lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell of desired weight in each hand. Hold the weights at shoulder level, and then press the weights straight up.
2. Incline fly press
Elevate one end of the bench. Lie back on the bench with your head at the elevated end and holding two medium-heavy dumbbells in each hand. Slowly lower the dumbbells onto the sided, simultaneously bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Make sure your chest is comfortably stretched and your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
3. Cable crossover
Stand comfortably between two facing cable stations. The pulleys should be set midway between the top and bottom. Attach a D-angle to each pulley and hold one in each hand. Keep your elbows slightly bent. Step forward until you feel the tension on the cables. Flex your pecs as you bring your hands together in front of your chest. Alternate stretching and flexing in each set.
4. Squeeze press
This exercise is ideal for middle and inner chest. Lie flat on an exercise bench. Hold two heavy dumbbells on your chest with palms facing one another. Press the dumbbells together in the center of your chest. Keep the dumbbells pressed together and slowly push them to arm’s length over your chest. Pause for a moment, squeeze your chest muscles and come back to starting position.
5. 45 Degree dumbbell floor press
Lie on your back on the floor and hold your dumbbells at arm’s length over your chest. Rotate your wrists so that the thumb sides of your hands are closer together than the pinky sides. Slowly lower the dumbbells while keeping your elbows close your sides, until your triceps touch the floor.
6. Feet up slight decline dumbbell bench press
The slight decline works the pecs with the shoulders in a centered way. It is ideal if you want to maximize your muscle drive. Elevate one end of the bench. Lie on the bench, with your head on the lower end. Hold two dumbbells at arm’s length above your chest. Place your feet flat on the bench. Slowly bend your elbows and pull your shoulder blades together on the bench. Lower the dumbbells until they are close to the sides of your chest. Pause in this stretches position and then press the dumbbells back to starting position.
7. Dumbbell flye
Lie back on the bench with a dumbbell of desired weight in each hand. Make sure there is a slight bend in your elbows and your arms are spread wide. Lower the dumbbells until they are even on your chest. Flex your pecs and lift the dumbbells back to starting position.
8. Prone Flye
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and get into pushup position on the floor with your palms facing each other. Spread your arms apart like done in a normal dumbbell flye and lower your body until you feel that stretch in your chest. Squeeze the dumbbells and bring your hands back to pushup position. Keep your abs and glutes tight.
Make sure you do all these exercises in expert supervision. Talk to your trainer to know how may reps of each of these or some particular chest dumbbell exercises will be best suitable for you.
The one thing you need to keep in mind is that no amount of exercise will be effective if you don’t modify your lifestyle. Make healthy lifestyle a choice – eat nutritious and balanced diet, remove alcohol and smoking from your life, get proper sleep, and stay hydrated to see best results.
You can consider including premium quality supplements to support your workouts. The most common kind of fitness supplement is a whey protein. You can also opt for pre or post workout supplement, performance boosters, muscle builders, and energy and endurance supplements. Start taking these supplements and be consistent with them to see best results. Also don’t forget to consult your doctor and trainer to know which fitness supplement will complement dumbbell chest workout in the best possible way.
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