Benefits of Dumbbell Exercises & Training
- Dumbbell exercises… increase stabilisation and muscle activation, therefore recruiting more muscle fibres.
- Dumbbell exercises… are generally safer to perform when training alone.
- Dumbbell exercises… force limbs to work unilaterally, identifying weaknesses.
- Dumbbell exercises… are effective at overloading muscles for hypertrophy and will increase range of motion.
- Dumbbell exercises… are the most readily-available and easily-scalable weights on the gym floor
- Dumbbell exercises… allow you level out any pesky muscle imbalances as they arise. Evenly-distributed gains keep injury at bay later down the line.
Are Adjustable Dumbbells Worth it?
If you're having trouble utilizing your gym membership and your living room is too small to fit a squat rack, weight bench, and barbell, then adjustable dumbbells are a great investment.
A good set of dumbbells that can be adjusted to provide up to 24 different weight options will be more expensive than a set of 16 dumbbells, but it will help minimize clutter and maximize gains. Let us break down the benefits:
- Adjustable dumbbells… are versatile, allowing you to cater your workout based on the muscle you are targeting and the type of exercising you are performing.
- Adjustable dumbbells… allow you to progress, making it easy to switch easily between weights.
- Adjustable dumbbells… save space.
- Adjustable dumbbells… are portable… Ok, it may be tricky lugging the whole thing to the park, but pick a weight, choose a workout (from the list below), and there's no stopping you.
1. Cable Cross-Over: Low To High
Attach a D-handle to each side of a cable pulley machine set to the lowest setting. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grab a handle in each hand with your palms facing up. Stand with your back straight, your chest out, and your arms down at your sides. This is the starting position.
Keeping your arms slightly bent, bring both handles up and forward until your hands are at shoulder level. The movement should start at your hips and move in a scooping motion up to the front of your face. . Slowly raise the handles until you feel a good contraction, then return to the starting position.
This exercise will help to strengthen the upper part of your pectoralis major muscle. You should not use heavy weight and low reps for this. Depending on how fit you are, you should start with a 10-40 pound load in each hand for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. This should be enough to start working on your upper chest.
2. Cable Cross-Over: High To Low
To do this, set the pulleys on the machine to the highest setting, and then attach a D-handle to each side. Place your hands on the handles with an overhand (pronated) grip and stand between them with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms out to the sides, like they form a T. Your elbows should have a slight bend to them. This is the starting position.
To perform this exercise, bring both handles down and toward your bellybutton in a downward scooping motion until they meet in front of your hips. At the bottom of the move, squeeze your pecs and keep your core tight. Slowly bring the handles back to shoulder level. That's one rep.
This exercise targets the lower portion of your pectoralis major muscle. To work on your big pec from a different angle, set the pulley height in the middle and bring the handles to the center of your body using a neutral grip (palms facing each other). This standard cable cross-over move further strengthens your chest.
3. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
How to Do It: Set an incline bench at a 30-45-degree angle. Grab two dumbbells using an overhand grip, and sit with your back and head against the bench and your feet flat on the ground. Lift the dumbbells above your head with your arms fully extended. This is the starting position.
Lower the dumbbells until they are level with your chest, then press them up until your arms are back in the starting position. That's one rep.
Doing a press on a bench at 30-45 degrees rather than a flat position will help you work your upper pecs more during 20-50 percent of maximum contraction, according to a 2016 study. To really work your upper chest, pause about halfway through the rep and squeeze and hold a contraction for a second, then complete the rep.
4. Dumbbell Neutral-Grip Bench Press
To do this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip, with your palms facing each other. Lie back on a flat bench. With dumbbells in hand and arms extended overhead, keep the weights close together. This is the starting position.
When you are working out with dumbbells, focus on contracting your pec muscles and lowering the dumbbells until they just touch your chest. This will help you get the most out of your workout. After they lower themselves, press them back up to the starting position. That's one rep.
The weights should be close to each other throughout the entire exercise. Use your pecs, not your arms, to push the weights upward.
5. Barbell Bench Press
How to Do It: Lie back in a barbell bench press station with your feet flat on the ground and your head against the bench. Your eyes should be directly below the racked bar. Grab the bar with an overhand grip that is only slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hold the barbell with your arms extended straight above your chest, then lift it off the rack. This is the starting position.
Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly lower the bar until it touches your chest at nipple level. Then, push the bar up quickly until your arms are straight again. Keep your core engaged and avoid arching your lower back or moving your chest too much as you lift. That's one rep.
A spotter is someone who helps you lift heavy weights. They are there to help you if you can't lift the weight on your own. The spotter should be someone who is either a certified personal trainer or a knowledgeable training buddy, as they will be able to best help you in your workout.
6. Resistance Band Pull-Apart
To do this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your head facing forward. Take an overhand grip on a resistance band, with your arms fully extended, and hold it in front of you. If there is extra band extending beyond each hand, that is okay. This is the starting position.
Open your arms until they are parallel to the floor, maintaining tension on the band the entire time. Keep your shoulder blades together as you do this. Stretch your arms out as far as they will go until the band touches your chest. Slowly raise your arms until they are at eye level in front of you. Maintain control of the stretch throughout each repetition.
After your main workout, do three sets of ten to fifteen reps as a way to finish or to warm up. If you want to keep your muscles pumped, you can do this move between chest exercises or sets.
7. Plate Press-Out
Pick up a plate that weighs between 10 and 45 pounds and stand with your feet hip-width apart. With both hands, hold the plate out in front of your chest with your arms extended. This is the starting position.
Keeping your stomach muscles tight, and your back and arms straight, bring your shoulder blades together to bring the plate closer to your chest. Bring the plate in as close to you as possible, then press it straight back out. That's one rep.
Trainer Tip: Do 10-15 reps. To make the exercise more difficult, do thehorizontal reps first, then press the plate up above your head instead of toward your chest. Do 10-15 of these overhead reps. If you want to build a strong upper body, try combining the plate press with the overhead press. This will help you train your body to work under fatigue.
8. Push-Up
press down into your palms and raise yourself up so that your arms are straight. Set your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart and press into your palms to lift your body off the floor so that your arms are extended. Stretch your arms and legs out so that only your palms and toes touch the floor. Your feet should be hip-width apart. This is the starting position.
To do a proper push-up, keep your toes and hands in contact with the ground the whole time, and lower your body until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and your upper arms are parallel to the ground. With your elbows parallel to your sides, push the floor to return to the starting position. As you move up and down, contract your abdominal and gluteal muscles to support your lower back.
Trainer Tip: To increase difficulty, do a rotational push-up. Return to the starting position by raising one arm off the ground and lifting it above you as you turn your torso. When you are in the end position, your body should be in the shape of a letter T. Keep your hand in the air for a bit, then lower it back down to your side. Do another push-up and rotate to the other side.
9. Dip
How to Do It: Stand between two parallel bars. Place your hands on the bars and raise your body until your arms are straight and you are supporting your full weight. Tilt your torso forward so your chest is lower than your waist. This is the starting position.
Bend your arms to lower your body down, keeping your body leaning forward. Stretching your chest and triceps as you do this will give you a good stretch. Push against the bars to return to the starting position. That's one rep.
To get the most out of this exercise, keep your abs tight throughout the motion. This will help to engage your pecs and hold your body in place. You can make the workout more difficult by wearing a dip belt or holding a dumbbell between your ankles.
10. Sliding Disc Push-Up
To do this exercise, kneel on the floor with your arms shoulder-width apart and place each hand on a sliding disc. Raise yourself slowly into push-up position, making sure your hands stay in place underneath you. This is the starting position.
To do the Valslide pectoral stretch, start by putting pressure on each Valslide to spread your arms apart. Then, lower your body toward the floor. Pull the sliders back together to the starting position using your chest muscles. That's one rep.
To make this exercise more challenging, try sliding one hand up in front of you instead of out to the side as you lower yourself down to the floor. Place your other hand back in the push-up position and continue with the exercise. Both of these push-up variations target your body's stability, balance, core strength, and upper-body endurance.
11. Hammer Strength Chest Press
To do the chest press, sit in the machine with your thighs parallel to the floor and your feet flat on the ground. If necessary, adjust the seat so that your arms are parallel to the floor and the hand grips are at about nipple height. Choose a relatively light weight at first. This is the starting position.
Allow the handles to move slowly back toward your body as you keep your head, back, and shoulders in contact with the bench. This will help you to maintain good form. Extend your arms fully in front of you, starting from a position where your arms are comfortably back. That's one rep.
A trainer's tip is to not use this machine for heavy weight and fast reps. If you lift weights that are too heavy or lift them too quickly, at the bottom of the range of motion you will get a bounce. This will add momentum and reduce the muscle-building benefits of the exercise.
12. Seated Pec-Deck Machine
To do this exercise, sit at a pec-deck machine with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle. Your forearms should be resting against the vertical pads, and your hands should be holding the handles with an overhand grip. This is the starting position.
To stretch your chest, keep your elbows in the 90-degree position and pull them back slowly. After you have extended your arms to their full range of motion, contract your forearm, elbow, and chest muscles to bring your arms back to the starting position. That's one rep.
Use your lower body to generate power and keep your hands still. You don't need to hold on to the handles. Be sure to keep your forearms pressed against the vertical pads to ensure that your chest muscles are doing all the work.
13. Dumbbell Pull-Over
To do this, put the thumbs and fingers of both your hands together to create a diamond-shaped space between them. Wrap your hands around the handle of the dumbbell, overlapping them to lock the dumbbell into place. Laie back on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your head, and arms extended straight up. This is the starting position.
While keeping your elbows locked in place, slowly lower the dumbbell past your head and toward the floor. Move the weight back to the starting position while focusing on contracting your pecs instead of using arm strength. When your weight is at the starting position, use your pecs to flex. That's one rep.
Make sure you use a slow, controlled tempo and focus on contracting your pectoral muscles when you raise the dumbbell back to the starting position.
