What are the best chest exercises with dumbbells?
With dumbbells, start with a press, on a bench or the floor. No weights? Start with push-ups. In an 8-week trial, push-ups built similar chest muscle to a light bench press, with one condition.
On this page
Which dumbbell chest exercises work best?
A press and a push-up. Between them, they cover the gym, your living room and a home with no bench.
The NHS says adults should work all major muscles, including the chest, on at least 2 days a week. Pick the press that fits where you train.
| Move | Where | How |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | Gym or a home bench | Lie on the bench, feet on the floor. Tighten your stomach, press the weights up over your shoulders, lower slowly. |
| Incline dumbbell press | Gym, bench tilted up | Same press with the bench raised. In one trial, incline pressing grew the upper chest more. |
| Dumbbell floor press | Home, no bench | Lie on the floor, knees bent. Press up, then lower until your upper arms touch the floor. |
| Push-up | Anywhere | Hands under your shoulders, body straight. Lower your chest as far as you can, then push back up. |
Sources: The Prehab Guys; Chaves 2020
The Prehab Guys, physio educators, say your arms can sit about 45 degrees from your body, or however you prefer. Don’t flare your elbows wide. Keep your knuckles facing the ceiling.
Pick one press and one push-up, and do both twice this week.
How do I do a chest workout with dumbbells but no bench?
Use the floor. A dumbbell floor press is a bench press lying on your back, with the floor as the bench.
The Prehab Guys set it up with your knees bent to at least 90 degrees and your lower back flat on the floor. Press the weights up over your shoulders. Lower until your arms touch the floor.
Don’t let your back arch to push the weight up. Keep the weights over your shoulders at the top.
No dumbbells either? Filled water bottles or a loaded backpack can add weight. Then mix in push-ups.
Can I build my chest at home with push-ups?
Yes, in one trial. 18 young men new to training did either bench press or push-ups, twice a week for 8 weeks.
Both groups grew their chest muscle and lifted more on the bench. The bench press was light, at 40% of the most they could lift once. The push-ups were set to match that load, for example by doing them on the knees.
That condition: every set went to failure. Each of the 3 sets ended when they couldn’t do another rep. It was a small study, so treat it as a good sign, not proof.
The push-up ladder: move up a step when you can do 10 good reps
- 1
Wall press-up
Hands on the wall at chest height, arm’s length away. Bend your arms, elbows by your sides.
- 2
Incline push-up
Hands on a table edge or a sturdy step. Lower until your chest touches it or your upper arms are level with the floor.
- 3
Knee push-up
On the floor, knees down, body straight from knees to head.
- 4
Full push-up
On your toes. Don’t let your hips sag or point up.
Sources: NHS: strength exercises; The Prehab Guys
The NHS wall press-up is 3 sets of 5 to 10 reps. The 10-rep step up the ladder is a simple rule of thumb, not a study finding.
On full push-ups, The Prehab Guys cue a body that stays straight from heels to head. Find your step on the ladder today.
Dumbbells, barbell or incline: which is best at the gym?
None is clearly best. Pick the one you’ll do, and add an incline press if you want more upper chest.
| What was compared | Who | What they found |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell, barbell and machine press | 12 trained men | Chest muscle worked about the same. They lifted about 17% less with dumbbells than a barbell. |
| Push-ups and light bench press (40% of max) | 18 young men new to training | Similar chest growth and strength over 8 weeks, every set to failure. |
| Flat and incline press | 47 men new to training | Similar strength. Incline grew the upper chest more. |
Sources: Saeterbakken 2011; Kikuchi 2017; Chaves 2020
The dumbbell study measured muscle activity in one session, not growth. So in that study, a lighter dumbbell didn’t mean less work for the chest.
In the incline study, the bench was at 44 degrees on a machine, once a week. Only one of three chest spots grew more. Try an incline press as your second move.
How do I get a bigger chest?
Hard sets, at least 2 days a week, and a few more sets over time.
A review of 21 studies found light loads (60% or less of the most you can lift once) built similar muscle to heavy ones. Every set went to failure. Heavy loads did more for that one-lift max.
More sets tend to grow more muscle. In a review of 15 studies, each extra weekly set was linked to about 0.37% more gain.
- Below 5 sets a weekUnder 5: the lowest group.
- 5 to just under 10 sets a week5 to 9: the middle group.
- 10 sets a week or above10 or more: a trend to the most growth, not proven.
Source: Schoenfeld 2017, J Sports Sci
Count every chest move. A press and push-ups, 3 sets each, twice a week, is 12 sets.
Your two-day chest week
- Train your chest on at least 2 days a week.
- Do a dumbbell press, on a bench or the floor, for 3 sets.
- Do push-ups at your step on the ladder for 3 sets.
- Keep each set going until you need a short rest before the next.
- When 10 good reps feel easy, add a rep, a heavier weight or the next step.
- Got shoulder pain? Don’t make up hard exercises or use heavy gym kit.
Sources: NHS: physical activity guidelines; Schoenfeld 2017; NHS: shoulder pain
The NHS’s short rest is enough for health. The muscle trials went to the last rep.
Adding weight: progressive overload for beginners. Weekly plans: the two-day strength routine or beginner gym plan. Sore for days: muscle soreness and progress.
When to speak to a GP
A sore chest after a workout can be a strained muscle. The NHS says that kind of pain feels better when resting the muscle and may get worse when you breathe in. Get help if:
- You haven’t exercised for some time, or you have medical conditions or concerns. The NHS says speak to your GP first.
- You have chest pain that comes and goes, or that goes away quickly but you’re still worried. See a GP.
- Shoulder pain is getting worse or doesn’t improve after 2 weeks, or it’s very hard to move your arm or shoulder. See a GP.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you have sudden or very bad shoulder pain, can’t move your arm, or it has changed shape or is badly swollen. The same goes for pins and needles that don’t go away, no feeling, an arm that’s hot or cold to touch, pain that started after an injury or accident, like a fall, severe pain in both shoulders, or feeling feverish or unwell.
- Call 999 for sudden chest pain or discomfort that doesn’t go away, like squeezing, pressure, burning or indigestion. Also for pain spreading to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or chest pain with sweating, feeling sick, light-headed or short of breath.
In many areas you may be able to get physio from NHS community services without a GP referral.