How to Build Pecs With Dumbbells
When trying to build your pectoralis -- or chest -- muscles for growth, you do not necessarily need a full gym or expensive weight machines. You can target these muscles for growth with a simple set of dumbbells. In addition to performing dumbbell exercises regularly, proper nutrition and rest are both essential to building strong muscles.
Instructions
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Dumbbell Chest Press
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1
Lay on a weight bench on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbells over your chest with your palms facing away from your head.
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2
Lower the weights toward your armpits with your elbows out to the sides at a rate of three seconds.
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3
Push the weights over your chest at a rate of one second. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Dumbbell Chest Fly
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4
Lay on the weight bench on your back in the same position as the previous exercise. Hold the dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing each other.
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5
Lower your arms out to your sides with your arms slightly bent at a rate of three seconds until you feel a stretch in your chest.
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6
Pull your arms up, and return to the starting position. Perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
Dumbbell Push-Ups
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7
Place two dumbbells on the floor parallel to each other about as wide as your shoulders. Grab a dumbbell in each hand, and place your legs slightly apart on the floor on your toes in a push-up position. Place your shoulders over your hands.
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8
Lower your chest and hip toward the ground until they barely touch the ground or until your shoulder blades pull together. Keep your head in alignment with your spine and hips.
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9
Brace your abdominals and push yourself back up. Perform three sets of 10 to 15 push-ups.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you can perform the range of reps with little difficulty, use a heavier weight. If you cannot perform the exercise with form and full range of motion, use a lighter weight.
Perform pulling and back exercises, such as pull-ups and rows, to balance your upper body and prevent hunching of your upper back, suggests physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Athletic Body in Balance."
