Difficulty: Medium
Impact Level: Normal
Target Body Parts: triceps, chest, shoulders
How to do Dumbbell Chest Press
Back to ExercisesInstructions
Lie down face up with elbows out wide, resting on the floor. Bend your legs slightly to take tension out of your lower back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your fists pointing up to the ceiling. Lift your elbows off the floor and straighten your arms over your chest by contracting your chest and tricep muscles. Lower the dumbbells back down slowly until your elbows just brush the floor then repeat the movement. Try not to rest your elbows on the floor between reps. Keep the weights above you chest, not above your head. Ask someone to spot you if you don’t feel confident with this exercise.
How to make Dumbbell Chest Press easier
Try this with lighter dumbbells or holding a small bottle of water in each hand. Depending on the weight of your dumbbells, you might find our Push up on Knees exercise easier, it is a very similar exercise developing the chest and triceps.
How to make Dumbbell Chest Press more challenging
Increasing the weight of your dumbbells will make this exercise harder. If you have a bench you can lie on, it would allow for a greater range of movement, which will increase the challenge. If you don’t have heavier dumbbells, then try our Push-ups and Dumbbell Renegade Row and Push-Up exercises to progress.
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