Best Dumbbell Exercises For Chest Growth At Home

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Ranking The Best Dumbbell Chest Exercises For Hypertrophy At Home

Most guys completely waste their time with the wrong dumbbell chest exercises at home.

On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m ranking the 5 best dumbbell chest exercises, from good, to absolutely must-do, if you want to build a bigger, fuller chest.

I’ll also share one tweak that will instantly improve your chest activation.

Here’s the plan.

I’ll count down from number 5 to number 1, breaking down:

• Why each chest exercise works
• The muscles it targets
• How to do it right

Table Of Contents – Jump To Links

Best Exercise Selection Ranking Criteria

Now, before we jump in, here’s how I ranked these chest exercises:

1. Muscle activation: the exercise must activate the primary muscle, backed by EMG research.
2. Range of motion and stretch: the exercise must provide good tension in the deep stretch position as this is a key driver of hypertrophy.
3. Safety and joint-friendliness: the exercise must be safe to perform, because if you’re hurt, you’re not growing.
4. Balanced chest development: these exercises ensure you’re hitting your upper, middle, and lower pec fibers.

Alright, with that in mind, let’s kick it off at number 5.

5. Decline Dumbbell Press

The decline dumbbell bench press targets the lower chest.

But here’s the thing, your lower pecs already get plenty of work from flat pressing.

EMG research shows decline doesn’t activate the lower chest much more than flat, and without a proper bench, it’s a bit awkward to set up.

It’s still a solid move, but not as valuable as the rest.

Form Tip: Make sure you keep wrists stacked over elbows and drive dumbbells slightly up, not straight out, for better pec tension.

Mistake to Avoid: Don’t turn this into a close grip triceps press by tucking elbows too close to your sides.

Bench-Free Modification: If you don’t have a decline bench, complete the floor dumbbell decline press with feet elevated by lying on the floor with feet elevated on a chair or sturdy surface to mimic the decline angle.

4. Dumbbell Flat Bench Fly

The dumbbell flat bench fly are great for creating that deep stretch on the pecs, which is a big driver of hypertrophy.

But since you can’t load them as heavy, they’re best as an accessory, not your main builder.

Use them for that pump and pec isolation.

Form Tip: Lower slow and pause briefly at the bottom to milk that stretch.

Mistake to Avoid: Going too heavy and bending elbows too much, will turn this into a half-press, rather than a fly.

Bench-Free Modification: If you don’t have a bench, complete the dumbbell fly on floor by lying on the floor or exercise mat, or use a rolled up towel to slightly elevate your upper back for more range of motion.

3. Dumbbell Flat Bench Guillotine Press

The dumbbell flat bench guillotine press is an old-school bodybuilding move crushes the upper pecs thanks to the huge stretch at the bottom.

But, and this is important, it can be tough on the shoulders if you lack mobility.

Keep the weights lighter, nail your form, and it’s a killer upper chest builder.

Form Tip: Make sure you lower the dumbbells in line with your upper chest or collarbone to keep the pecs loaded.

Mistake to Avoid: Don’t let elbows drop too far below the bench since that’s where shoulders get cranky.

Bench-Free Modification: If you don’t have a bench, complete the floor dumbbell guillotine press by lying on the floor, lower dumbbells toward your upper chest and neck as much as mobility allows.

You won’t get as deep as a bench, but it will still hit your upper pecs.

2. Dumbbell Flat Bench Press

The classic dumbbell flat bench press is the bread-and-butter mass builder:

• Heavy loads
• Stability challenge
• Strong overall pec activation

Form Tip: Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and squeeze dumbbells toward each other at the top for maxiumum contraction.

Mistake to Avoid: Don’t slam the dumbbells together, control them the whole way.

Bench-Free Modification: If you don’t have a bench, complete a dumbbell floor press by lying flat on the floor.

If you want chest size, this is non-negotiable.

But it still takes second place, because…

1. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

The dumbbell incline bench press takes the crown.

Most guys have a lagging upper chest, and incline pressing lights up those clavicular pec fibers more than flat or decline, according to EMG studies.

If you want that full, athletic chest, this is your go-to move.

Form Tip: Keep the bench at about 30° and press in an arc, up and back, to stay locked on the upper pecs.

Mistake to Avoid: Don’t crank the bench too high as that turns it into a shoulder press.

Bench-Free Modification: If you don’t have a bench, complete the floor dumbbell incline press by propping your upper back on a couple folded towels or a couple of stacked cushions at about a 30° incline.

Best Chest Activation Tip For More Growth

When you press, don’t just think about pushing the dumbbells up.

Instead, think about squeezing your biceps together as if you’re trying to crush something between them.

That cue instantly fires up your pecs so you’ll feel it right away.

Chest Muscle Anatomy And Function Explained

Think of your chest muscles as your main pushing muscle.

Your chest is made up of two main muscles:

1. Pectoralis major
   • This a large, fan-shaped muscle that gives your chest its size and power.
   • It has two heads:
     • the clavicular head for the upper chest
     • the sternal head for the mid-to-lower chest
2. Pectoralis minor: is a smaller, thinner muscle that sits underneath the pec major, which helps with shoulder stability.

The main function of the chest is to bring your arms toward the midline of your body via adduction, pushes them forward via flexion, and rotates them inward.

Fully Shortened (Contracted)

The chest is fully contracted in the shortened position when your arms are together in front of your chest or pushed straight out, like at the top of a push up or bench press.

This is when the pec fibers are actively squeezing and producing maximum force.

Fully Lengthened (Stretched)

The chest is fully stretched in the lengthened position the when your arms are extended out to the sides and back, like at the bottom of a dumbbell fly.

The fibers are under tension, but not actively producing force.

Get My Home Dumbbell Workout Program For 30% Off

If you want a ready-to-go at-home dumbbell program, use code Afterburn30 to get 30% off my 6-week Afterburn Dumbbell program inside my Live Lean app.

I help busy guys in their 30s and 40s stay lean, strong, and athletic year-round, without giving up family, career, or social life.

You can also take my free Live Lean Body Quiz to find the best training program for you based specifically on your:

• Goals
• Level of experience
• Access to equipment

The quiz only takes 30 seconds to complete.

I’ll see you over there.

If this helped, make sure you click the social media buttons to share this with your friends and go subscribe to my Live Lean TV YouTube channel, so you don’t miss my weekly workout, nutrition, and health videos.

If you want to keep building that upper body, go watch my video right here on the Top Exercises For Men to Increase Testosterone Levels Naturally.

It’s the perfect follow-up to this chest workout.

Question Of The Day

Drop a comment and tell me:

• If you could only keep ONE dumbbell chest exercise in your program, which one would you choose?

Keep Living Lean.