1. Dumbbell Floor Press
The dumbbell floor press is a simple yet effective exercise to work on your pecs.
It involves lying on the floor and pressing the dumbbells over your chest as you do it on the bench.
It bolsters the chest and triceps simultaneously and helps improve upper body strength.
Steps to Perform
- Grab one dumbbell in each hand and lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold the dumbbells at your sides to a level of your chest. That’s your starting position.
- Squeezing your pecs, press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight.
- Pause for a second and then lower the dumbbells to the start. That’s one rep.
Tips to Make it Effective
- Squeeze pecs at the top and the bottom of the lift.
- Keep your core tight throughout the movement.
- Use the negative reps to get the most from this exercise. To do that, lower the weight slowly with full control, then press the weight as usual then lower it slowly again.
- Use as heavy dumbbells as possible to build strength and mass.
- You can also do the bench press on a stability ball to get the same level of activation as the DB bench press.1
One Downside
It doesn’t provide enough stretch in your pectoral muscles that’s why your chest won’t activate as much as it does during the bench presses.
2. Dumbbell Floor Fly
The dumbbell fly is an isolation exercise that helps build strong and defined pecs.2, 3
It stretches out pecs and then provides a squeeze when you bring the dumbbells toward each other. This allows decent contraction in the pectoralis major and minor muscles and helps improve the appearance of the torso.
Steps to Perform
- Pick one dumbbell in each hand and lie supine on the floor back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Extend your arms out to the sides, your triceps resting on the floor and elbows slightly bent. That’s the starting position.
- Focusing on your chest, bring the dumbbells toward each other until your arms are straight directly over your chest.
- Pause, squeeze your pecs at the top, and then lower the dumbbell in a controlled fashion. That’s one rep.
Tips to Make it Effective
- Squeeze your pecs at the top to feel the maximum contraction in your chest.
- Maintain a slight bend in your elbows throughout the exercise.
- I recommend doing dumbbell flies with lighter weights and higher reps to focus on developing muscle endurance and hypertrophy.
One Downside
You won’t be able to lift heavier weights during this exercise as it does not allow for maximum force generation due to the arm position, making it less effective for strength development goals.
3. Close Grip Dumbbell Floor Press
The close-grip floor press involves gripping the dumbbells with a neutral grip and squeezing your pectoral muscles while pressing the weight up.
Besides the chest, it also activates the triceps brachii and anterior deltoids and develops pushing strength.
Those who train at home with dumbbells only can use this close grip press as a finisher exercise on their chest day to feel the pump.
This exercise is also suitable for people with past shoulder injuries because it puts less load than underhand grip bench presses.4
Steps to Perform
- Start with lying on the floor with your face facing upward. Bend your knees and keep your feet planted on the floor.
- Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and hold them above your chest with your elbows bent and palms facing each other. That’s the start.
- Contracting the chest muscle, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
- Pause, squeeze your pecs at the top, and then return to the beginning. This is your one repetition.
Tips to Make it Effective
- Squeeze your pecs while pressing the dumbbells up to get your inner chest fully contracted. You should perform this movement in a controlled fashion so you can feel the work during the movement.
- Hold the dumbbells with your hands shoulder-width apart. The closer you keep your hands, the more your triceps activate.
One Downside
Like the floor press, this exercise may have a more limited range of motion, which could affect muscle recruitment and overall effectiveness. Plus, you also need a heavy pair of dumbbells to get the most from this exercise.
4. Stability Ball Pullover
The dumbbell pullover is an incredible exercise to provide a good stretch to your pecs muscles and help improve chest definition.
It involves placing your back on a stability ball, lowering a dumbbell behind your head, and then pulling it back.
There’s a debate about which muscles pullover mostly activates, whether pecs or latissimus dorsi, but several studies have shown the pullover activates chest muscles more than the lats.5, 6, 7
The pullover trains the pectoralis major from a different angle than presses and flies, making it an important exercise for chest development.
Steps to Perform
- Place your back on a stability ball, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the ground. Grasp a hexagonal or urethane dumbbell and hold the inner part of it with both hands.
- Extend your arms behind your head and maintain a soft bend in your elbows. That’s the start.
- Pull the dumbbell until your arms are straight over your chest.
- Pause and lower the dumbbell to the start in a controlled manner. This is your one repetition.
Tips to Make it Effective
- Perform this move in a controlled fashion.
- Stretch and squeeze your pecs as much as you can during the movement.
- Do not flare your elbows out while pulling the dumbbell.
One Downside
Doing the pullover on the floor limits the range of motion and won’t be as effective as doing it on the bench.
5. Dumbbell Deficit Pushup
The deficit pushup involves lowering the chest deeper than the standard push-ups, providing excellent stretch in your pectoral region. It works the entire chest (clavicular, sternal, and abdominal heads) and builds solid pecs.
It also stimulates the other upper body muscles, including the triceps, anterior deltoids, and abdominals, and makes the upper body strong and aesthetic.
Steps to Perform
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and get into a high plank position with your arms straight below your shoulders and your body straight from top to bottom.
- Lower your torso until your chest is close to the floor, and then push back to return to the start. That’s one rep.
Tips to Make it Effective
- You can pause for a few seconds to feel the proper stretch before extending your arms.
- Keep your core tight throughout the movement.
- Grip the dumbbells firmly throughout the exercise.
One Downside
It may be challenging for beginners because it requires more strength and flexibility than regular push-ups.
