Best Dumbbell Chest Workout For Hypertrophy
The table below gives you the best hypertrophy dumbbell workouts for chest development.
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Incline Bench Press | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60%–80% 1RM | 60–90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Pullover | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60%–80% 1RM | 60–90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Close-Grip Bench Press | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60%–80% 1RM | 60–90 seconds |
| Dumbbell Chest Fly | 3–4 sets | 12–20 reps | 40%–60% 1RM | 60–90 seconds |
| Standing Dumbbell Upward Fly | 3–4 sets | 12–20 reps | 40%–60% 1RM | 60–90 seconds |
Anatomy And Function Of The Chest
The pectoralis major muscle group, also known as the chest, is a large upper-body muscle. It consists of three heads that vary in location and function. These are the clavicular heads, sternal heads, and abdominal heads.
The primary role of the clavicular heads (upper chest) is to perform shoulder flexion. This is where your arms come in front and above the body.
The sternal heads’ (middle chest) main role is to perform shoulder adduction. This entails bringing the arms closer to the midline of the body. In most of the pressing movements above, this happens at the same time as the clavicular heads perform shoulder flexion.
The abdominal heads (lower chest) are the most variable parts of the pectoralis major. The size widely varies between individuals.
The main functions of the abdominal heads are to adduct and extend the shoulders. This means that they bring them into the midline of the body and behind the body.
Clavicular Head of Pectoralis Major
Muscles located at the top of your chest, running from your armpit to collar bone. Smaller portion of your chest muscle.
Sternal Head of Pectoralis Major
Large muscles located underneath your clavicle head. Makes up most of your chest area
Abdominal Head of Pectoralis Major
Muscles located at the bottom of your pectoral region, just above your abdominal muscles.
Benefits Of Training Chest With Dumbbells
These are the main benefits of performing the dumbbell chest movements above. Consider each of them when deciding how to program your chest workouts at home or in the gym.
Greater Range Of Motion
Range of motion refers to the extent to which a joint moves through its full range. A greater range of motion may benefit hypertrophy. However, studies looking at this are still ongoing, with some suggesting the benefits may be muscle-specific.
Using a full range of motion in the exercises above is better for developing joint mobility and stability. Both of these are important for movement, exercise, and daily life activities.
Dumbbell exercises allow a much larger range of motion compared to barbell and bodyweight exercises. This greater range of motion may help to improve muscular hypertrophy, joint mobility, and joint stability.
Muscle Symmetry And Balance
A muscle imbalance occurs when one side of the body is a different size or has a different strength level. The possibility of this increases when performing full-body compound movements. It is also a common occurrence during overhead sports where one side of the body is commonly used.
During this, the stronger or larger size of the body may overcompensate for the weaker side. This can increase injury risk and cause uneven muscle development.
Dumbbells use each side of the body individually. This helps to develop both sides evenly, improving muscular symmetry and balance. Doing this with enough training frequency can improve appearance and reduce injury risk.
Enhanced Stabilization
Performing dumbbell movements requires additional stability. This is needed to keep the dumbbells balanced and on the correct movement paths. The joints and muscles need to function correctly to ensure stable lifting positions.
This increased stability requirement provides a larger exercise stimulus. Performing them with enough training volume can enhance stability and therefore overall function. This can lead to better movement in daily living, activity, and exercise.
Reduced Risk Of Injury
Resistance training is well-known to improve various aspects of health. This includes cardiovascular health and physical function. With this, regular performance can reduce injury risk as the body can better cope with movement and exercise.
Dumbbell chest movements provide a great way to improve strength, muscle size, stability, and general function. Each of these contributes to reducing the risk of injury in daily life and during exercise.
Training Tips For Maximize Chest Gains
The ten movements above are some of the best dumbbell exercises for chest development. Following these training tips ensures that you get the benefits.
Training Volume & Intensity
Varying training volume is the main determinant of muscular hypertrophy. Changing exercise intensity provides a suitable challenge for strength adaptations. Managing both allows the body’s adaptive responses to take place.
This applies when performing the dumbbell chest exercises above. Focus on changing the volume and intensity according to your exercise goals. Use the programming tables as general guides.
Emphasize Range Of Motion
The correct range of motion should be used for each of the movements. As discussed above, this can help to improve joint stability and mobility and may improve muscle growth.
Use the technique cues described to achieve this. We’ve detailed these so that you use your full range of motion for each exercise.
Squeeze At The Top
Developing a good mind-muscle connection is shown to be important for hypertrophy. Squeeze your target chest muscles at the top of each movement above. Think about the primary mover you’re working with.
Briefly pause at the top position in each of the exercises above to better achieve this.
Warm-Up And Stretch Properly
Warming up properly is vital for exercise performance and injury risk management. A proper warm-up increases muscle temperature improves joint stability, and enhances blood flow.
A study estimated the prevalence of weightlifting injuries to be 2.4–3.3 per 1000 hours of training. Warming up before is one way to prevent this from happening.
Use a proper warm-up routine for the chest exercises above. This should include a short aerobic pulse raiser and dynamic upper-body stretches. Here is a good warm-up example:
- Static Bike (Normal Pace) — 5–10 minutes.
- Arm Circles — 1 minute.
- Cross Body Arm Swings — 1 minute.
- Shoulder Rolls — 1 minute.
- Chest Openers — 1 minute.
Have Enough Rest And Recovery
Rest and recovery are just as important as the main determinants discussed above. Making sure you get enough allows the body to replenish vital energy stores. It also means muscle adaptive responses can take place following a training session.
Not taking enough rest and recovery may negatively influence performance and adaptive responses. Take the suggested rest in between sets. Allow at least 48–72 hours between chest sessions.
Conclusion
Dumbbell chest exercises are a great option to build a bigger chest and become more functional. Our top ten exercises above can be done at home or in the gym as needed. They represent the best dumbbell exercise to choose for well-rounded chest development.
Use our training tips to maximize the effectiveness of each exercise. These are also important to follow to maintain performance and reduce injury risk. Add them to your routine and let us know how you get on!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best dumbbell chest exercise depends on specific goals and programming needs. The dumbbell incline bench press is a great compound movement for the upper chest. The dumbbell chest fly is an excellent exercise to isolate all three chest heads.
You should have no problem developing a well-rounded chest if performing only dumbbell movements. However, barbell and bodyweight movements provide exercise variety and a host of unique benefits. The best ones depend on your exercise needs.
Aim to train your chest 1–3 times a week. This depends on your session volume and rest periods. As stated above, use the minimum rest and recovery period for the body’s adaptive responses to take place.
For strength, perform 3–5 sets of 4–6 reps. For power, perform 3–5 sets of 1–3 reps. Perform 3–4 sets of 8–10 repetitions for hypertrophy and 3–4 sets of 12–20 repetitions for endurance training.
Dumbbell exercises are a great way to correct muscular imbalances. This is because they use each side of the body individually. This allows you to identify possible imbalances and work on them.
Ensure you perform the correct technique elements described below. Each exercise should be done using the right range of motion. Use a controlled movement tempo for both phases of the movements above.
Resources
Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
- Alexey Larionov, Yotovski, P. and Filgueira, L. (2018). A Detailed Review on the Clinical Anatomy of the Pectoralis Major Muscle. [online] 2(3), p.1015. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335136115_A_Detailed_Review_on_the_Clinical_Anatomy_of_the_Pectoralis_Major_Muscle.
- Schoenfeld, B.J. and Grgic, J. (2020). Effects of range of motion on muscle development during resistance training interventions: A systematic review. SAGE Open Medicine, [online] 8, p.205031212090155-205031212090155. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120901559.
- Alizadeh, S., Abdolhamid Daneshjoo, Zahiri, A., Saman Hadjizadeh Anvar, Reza Goudini, Hicks, J.P., Konrad, A. and Behm, D.G. (2023). Resistance Training Induces Improvements in Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, [online] 53(3), pp.707–722. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01804-x.
- Tengku Fadilah Tengku Kamalden, Qais Gasibat, Shamsulariffin Samsudin and Joseph, J.A. (2021). Occurrence of Muscle Imbalance and Risk of Injuries in Athletes using Overhead Movements: A Systematic Review. Sport Mont, [online] 19(3), pp.115–122. doi:https://doi.org/10.26773/smj.211012.
- Neme, J.R. (2022). Balancing Act: Muscle Imbalance Effects on Musculoskeletal Injuries. Missouri medicine, [online] 119(3), pp.225–228. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9324710/.
- Haugen, M.E., Vårvik, F.T., Larsen, S., Haugen, A.S., van den Tillaar, R. and Bjørnsen, T. (2023). Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance – a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, [online] 15(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-023-00713-4.
- Sawan, S.A., Nunes, E.A., Lim, C., McKendry, J. and Phillips, S.M. (2022). The Health Benefits of Resistance Exercise: Beyond Hypertrophy and Big Weights. Exercise Sport and Movement, [online] 1(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1249/esm.0000000000000001.
- Zwolski, C. (2017). Resistance Training in Youth: Laying the Foundation for Injury Prevention and Physical Literacy – Christin Zwolski, Catherine Quatman-Yates, Mark V. Paterno, 2017. [online] Sports Health. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1941738117704153.
- SCHOENFELD, B.J., CONTRERAS, B., KRIEGER, J., GRGIC, J., DELCASTILLO, K., BELLIARD, R. and ALTO, A. (2018). Resistance Training Volume Enhances Muscle Hypertrophy but Not Strength in Trained Men. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, [online] 51(1), pp.94–103. doi:https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000001764.
- Mangine, G.T., Hoffman, J.R., Gonzalez, A.M., Townsend, J.R., Wells, A.J., Jajtner, A.R., Beyer, K.S., Boone, C.H., Miramonti, A.A., Wang, R., LaMonica, M.B., Fukuda, D.H., Ratamess, N.A. and Stout, J.R. (2015). The effect of training volume and intensity on improvements in muscular strength and size in resistance-trained men. Physiological Reports, [online] 3(8), p.e12472. doi:https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.12472.
- Wolf, M., Patroklos Androulakis-Korakakis, Fisher, J., Schoenfeld, B. and Steele, J. (2023). Partial Vs Full Range of Motion Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, [online] 3(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v3i1.182.
- Calatayud, J., Vinstrup, J., Jakobsen, M.D., Sundstrup, E., Brandt, M., Jay, K., Colado, J.C. and Andersen, L.L. (2015). Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, [online] 116(3), pp.527–533. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3305-7.
- Neves, P.P., Alves, A.R., Marinho, D.A. and Neiva, H.P. (2021). Warming-Up for Resistance Training and Muscular Performance: A Narrative Review. IntechOpen eBooks. [online] doi:https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96075.
- Ulrika Aasa, Ivar Svartholm, Andersson, F. and Berglund, L. (2016). Injuries among weightlifters and powerlifters: a systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, [online] 51(4), pp.211–219. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096037.
- Sousa, C.A., Zourdos, M.C., Storey, A.G. and Helms, E.R. (2024). The Importance of Recovery in Resistance Training Microcycle Construction. Journal of Human Kinetics, [online] 91, pp.205–223. doi:https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/186659.
- Monteiro, E.R., Vingren, J.L., Corrêa Neto, V.G., Neves, E.B., Steele, J. and Novaes, J.S. (2019). Effects of Different Between Test Rest Intervals in Reproducibility of the 10-Repetition Maximum Load Test: A Pilot Study with Recreationally Resistance Trained Men. International journal of exercise science, [online] 12(4), pp.932–940. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6719818/.
0 Comments