Chest · Dumbbells · 39 exercises

Chest workouts with dumbbells

A full chest workout with nothing but dumbbells and a bench: flat and incline presses for size, flyes and a pullover for the stretch.

A good chest workout pairs a heavy press for strength with lighter presses and flyes for volume. Flat pressing trains the whole pec; an incline of 15 to 30 degrees shifts more of the work to the upper chest, and flyes load the muscle at a long stretch, which presses can’t.

Dumbbells load each side on its own, so your stronger side can’t cover for your weaker one, and they let your wrists and elbows find their own path. A pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench covers every exercise below.

Dumbbell chest workout
Neutral-grip dumbbell chest workout

Dumbbell chest workout

Everything you need for the chest from one pair of dumbbells and an adjustable bench.

Dumbbell Bench Press
Sets
4
Reps
8–10
Rest
2 min
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Sets
3
Reps
8–12
Rest
2 min
Dumbbell Fly
Sets
3
Reps
10–15
Rest
60–90 s
Dumbbell Pullover
Sets
3
Reps
10–12
Rest
60–90 s

Neutral-grip dumbbell chest workout

Palms facing each other is easier on cranky shoulders and still loads the chest well.

Dumbbell Incline Hammer Press
Sets
4
Reps
8–10
Rest
2 min
Dumbbell Lying Hammer Press
Sets
3
Reps
8–12
Rest
2 min
Dumbbell Incline Fly
Sets
3
Reps
12–15
Rest
60 s
Dumbbell Decline Bench Press
Sets
3
Reps
10–12
Rest
90 s

Can’t do one of these?

Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.

Tips

Set your shoulder blades back and down before you unrack, and keep them there. It protects the shoulders and gives the chest a stable base to press from.
Lower the weight under control to the bottom of the range. Most chest growth comes from the stretched position, so half reps leave a lot behind.
Ten to twenty hard sets a week is the range most lifters grow on. Start near ten and add sets only while you keep recovering.
When dumbbells get too heavy to get into position, switch to a harder variation or more reps instead of fighting to set up.

Run this workout in SPLYT

Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.

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39 chest exercises with dumbbells

Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.

All chest exercises →

Questions

How many chest exercises can you do with dumbbells?

SPLYT’s exercise library has 39 chest exercises you can do with dumbbells, including Dumbbell Fly, Dumbbell Pullover and Dumbbell Bench Press. Each one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration.

How often should I train chest?

Twice a week suits most people: it lets you split ten to twenty weekly sets across two sessions so each one stays productive. Once a week works too if the session is big enough.

Should I do incline or flat bench first?

Start with whichever press you most want to get stronger at, since the first lift of the day gets your freshest effort. If your upper chest lags, lead with the incline.

Can you build muscle with only dumbbells?

Yes. As long as you can keep adding weight or reps, dumbbells train every muscle well. A wide enough set of weights, or adjustable ones, is the main thing you need.