Dumbbell · Chest
There are 10 dumbbell exercises for the chest here: 6 compound movements and 4 isolation exercises, beginner to intermediate level. Good places to start: Dumbbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Fly. By level: 5 beginner and 5 intermediate. Each links to step-by-step instructions and form tips.
Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated
01
The main chest muscle is the pectoralis major. It has an upper (clavicular) portion that attaches to the collarbone and a larger lower (sternocostal) portion that attaches to the breastbone and ribs. Together they bring the upper arm across the body, press it forward and rotate it inward. The smaller pectoralis minor sits underneath and helps move the shoulder blade. Presses also work the front of the shoulders and the triceps.
02
With dumbbells, each side works on its own, so start with your weaker side and match the reps on the other. When you can beat the top of your rep range with good form, move up to the next pair. Dumbbells are the most versatile piece of free-weight equipment. One pair can train the whole body, and because each arm works on its own they help even out left-right differences.
03
Start with one pressing movement you can load progressively, such as a barbell or dumbbell bench press or push-ups, then add a fly or an incline variation. If you train at home, push-up variations (incline, decline, diamond, wide) let you change the angle and difficulty without equipment.
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Beginner compound dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the triceps and shoulders.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the chest.
Beginner compound dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the shoulders.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the shoulders.
Beginner compound dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the triceps and shoulders.
Intermediate compound dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the shoulders.
Intermediate isolation dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the shoulders.
Intermediate isolation dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the shoulders.
Intermediate compound dumbbell exercise for the chest, also working the glutes.
Intermediate compound dumbbell exercise for the chest.
Free GymStreak calculators that go with chest training.
Guides from the GymStreak blog on this topic.
GymStreak's AI personal trainer builds a workout plan from your goal, schedule and equipment, shows every exercise with an animated demo and logs your sets.
