15 No-Bench Dumbbell Chest Exercises to Build Muscle

You don’t always need a workout bench to hit your chest effectively; you can do it with dumbbells only.

The dumbbells allow you to train your chest from various angles and will help you build muscular and defined pecs at home without a workout bench.

In this article, I’ll show you the following dumbbell chest exercises that require no bench. You can do them while lying on the floor or standing upright.

1. Floor Press
2. Floor Fly
3. Close Grip Floor Press
4. Stability Ball Pullover
5. Deficit Pushup
6. Reverse Grip Chest Press
7. Close Grip DB Push-up
8. Decline Floor Press (Bridge Press)
9. Underhand Bridge Fly
10. Bridge Squeeze Press
11. One-arm Floor Press
12. One-arm Fly
13. Svend Press
14. Upward Fly
15. Standing Horizontal Press

The combination of lying and standing and single-arm and dual-arm dumbbell chest exercises will allow you to effectively target the upper, middle, and lower chest and help you build strong pecs with dumbbells only.

At the end of this article, I’ll also share a 30-minute no-bench dumbbell chest workout routine that you can try at home.

15 Best Dumbbell Chest Exercises Without a Bench

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

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and lie on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Hold the dumbbells at your sides to a level of your chest. That’s your starting position.
3. Squeezing your pecs, press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight.
4. 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 Goodman, Craig A et al. “No difference in 1RM strength and muscle activation during the barbell chest press on a stable and unstable surface.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research vol. 22,1 (2008): 88-94. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815ef6b3

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.²Welsch EA, Bird M, Mayhew JL. Electromyographic activity of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid muscles during three upper-body lifts. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 May;19(2):449-52. doi: 10.1519/14513.1. PMID: 15903389, ³Solstad, Tom Erik et al. “A Comparison of Muscle Activation between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males.” Journal of sports science & medicine vol. 19,4 645-651. 19 Nov. 2020

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

1. Pick one dumbbell in each hand and lie supine on the floor back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend your arms out to the sides, your triceps resting on the floor and elbows slightly bent. That’s the starting position.
3. Focusing on your chest, bring the dumbbells toward each other until your arms are straight directly over your chest.
4. 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 Do neutral grip presses have the same aesthetic effects as regular presses? Powerbuilding (Reddit)

Steps to Perform

1. Start with lying on the floor with your face facing upward. Bend your knees and keep your feet planted on the floor.
2. 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.
3. Contracting the chest muscle, press the dumbbells toward the ceiling until your arms are straight.
4. 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 Marchetti, Paulo & Uchida, Marco C.. (2011). Effects of the Pullover Exercise on the Pectoralis Major and Latissimus Dorsi Muscles as Evaluated by EMG. Journal of applied biomechanics. 27. 380-4. 10.1123/jab.27.4.380, ⁶ Graham, J.F. (2004). Dumbbell pullover. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 26(2), 48–49, ⁷ Lacio, Marcio & Teixeira, Jonathan & Vieira, João & Santana, Derick & Amorim, Guilherme & Coelho, Mariele & Campos, Yuri & Dias, Marcelo Ricardo & Panza, Patricia & Novaes, Jeffersonda & Vianna, Jeferson. (2021). Electromyographic Activation of Pectoralis Major and Triceps Brachii during Dumbbell Pullover. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. 24. 1-11.

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

1. 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.
2. Extend your arms behind your head and maintain a soft bend in your elbows. That’s the start.
3. Pull the dumbbell until your arms are straight over your chest.
4. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.

6. DB Reverse Grip Chest Press

This exercise involves lying on the floor, holding the dumbbells with the reverse grip, and pressing the weight above the chest. It bolsters the upper chest and helps build jacked pecs.

Steps to Perform

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip and lie on the floor.
2. Keep your elbows close to your body and palms facing each other.
3. Twisting your wrist, press the dumbbells upward until your arms are straight.
4. Pause momentarily, feel the pump, and then return to the start.

Tips to Make it Effective

Consider incorporating the reverse grip dumbbell press into your workout routine as an alternative to traditional chest exercises, such as the bench press or dumbbell press with a neutral grip.

One Downside

The reverse grip can be less secure than a traditional grip, preventing you from lifting heavier dumbbells.

7. Close Grip DB Push-up

The narrow grip pushup may not be as prominent as wide grip push-ups. Still, it engages the pecs efficiently, especially the inner parts, and helps develop chest strength and definition.

You can substitute this exercise with the squeeze press on your chest or push day.

Steps to Perform

1. Holding one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, get into a position to perform pushups. The arms should be straight below your chest, and the palms should face each other.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest as close as toward the ground.
3. Contracting your chest, push your hands down to return to the starting point. That’s one rep.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Keep your elbows slightly flared outward to engage your chest muscles along with the triceps.
• Keep your abdominal muscles tight throughout the movement.

One Downside

Close grip push-ups can be more challenging than traditional push-ups, especially for those with narrower shoulders or less flexibility in their chest and shoulders.

8. Decline Floor Press

The decline floor press is also known as the bridge press and is an excellent way to engage multiple muscle groups, especially the pecs, glutes, and core.⁸ Decline Bench Press Guide – Medically reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT, Physical Therapy, Written by Kirsten Nunez – Healthline.com

It requires you to lift your hips and glute off the floor so you can target the lower pecs. Working on your lower chest improves your pecs definition and strengthens the upper body.

Steps to Perform

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet firmly planted on the floor.
2. Grab one dumbbell in each hand and hold it to a level of your chest. Palms are facing forward.
3. Lift your hips off the ground so your torso is elevated, and your back is straight (Assume bridge position in Glutes bridge). This is your starting point.
4. Contracting your chest muscles, press the dumbbell upward until your arms are fully straight over your chest. This is your one repetition. Repeat as many times as required.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Bridge press is an advanced dumbbell chest exercise and requires you to keep your hips, glutes, thigh, and core tight throughout the movement.
• Make sure your elbows are not aligned with your shoulders during the exercise, as it can reduce stress from your chest.

One Downside

The bridge press requires you to keep your hips lifted throughout the movement. This position limits the amount of load that you can lift while lying flat on the floor.

9. Underhand Bridge Fly

The underhand bridge fly is another chest exercise that you can do while lying on the floor without a bench. It targets the lower and middle chest and stimulates muscle growth.

Staying in the bridge position also strengthens the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and abs and helps improve balance and posture.⁹ Kellis, Eleftherios et al. “Effect of Bridge Exercise Duration on Lateral Abdominal Muscle Thickness and Gluteus Maximus Activation.” Journal of Sport Rehabilitation vol. 32,7 773-781. 24 May. 2023, doi:10.1123/jsr.2022-0286, ¹⁰Luk, Jim & Kwok, Freeman & Ho, Indy & Wong, Del P.. (2021). Acute Responses of Core Muscle Activity during Bridge Exercises on the Floor vs. the Suspension System. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18. 5908. 10.3390/ijerph18115908.

Steps to Perform

1. Holding a pair of dumbbells, get into the bridge position. Make sure your posterior chain muscles and core are tight so that you can maintain proper form.
2. Contracting your pecs, raise your arms and bring the dumbbells toward each other above your lower pecs.
3. Pause for a moment and lower your arms to the start. That’s one rep.

Tips to Make it Effective

• There will be soft bends in your elbows, but mostly, your arms will be straight throughout the movement.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor, and make sure your body is straight from your knee to your chest.

One Downside

The bridge fly provides limited tension at the top of each rep when the arms come together. This is because the decline angle used in this exercise reduces the range of motion, resulting in less tension being generated in the chest muscles.

10. Bridge Squeeze Press

The bridge squeeze press works in the same way as the close-grip floor press. However, it emphasizes more on your lower chest. So, if your focus is to develop the lower pectoral region, you can try this exercise.

Steps to Perform

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and get into a bridge position.
2. Hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms facing each other.
3. Squeezing your pecs, press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight.
4. Pause for a moment and then return to the start.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Lift your hips off the ground by pressing through your heels, making sure to maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your knees at the top of the movement.

One Downside

The decline squeeze Press may not be an effective or safe exercise for individuals with limited hip mobility or poor abdominal strength.

11. Dumbbell One-arm Floor Press

The one-arm floor press is a unilateral exercise that helps you individually train each side of your chest and improve strength imbalance and muscle symmetry.

This exercise also helps you increase your balance, strengthen your core, and scale your pressing ability.

Steps to Perform

1. Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and lie on the floor.
2. Keep your right arm straight over your chest while the other one is at your side.
3. Press the dumbbell up until your arm is straight, and then lower it down and repeat.

Tips to Make it Effective

• You can keep your left arm straight if you’re pressing the dumbbell with your right hand and vice-versa.
• Perform more reps or sets on your weaker side to improve muscle balance imbalance.

One Downside

The single-arm dumbbell press requires greater balance and stability, making it challenging for beginners.

12. Dumbbell One-arm Fly

Like unilateral floor press, you can also perform single-arm chest fly. The single-arm exercises allow you to concentrate more on your underdeveloped side and improve your chest muscle definition.¹¹ The Benefits of Unilateral Training by Pete McCall, Health and Fitness Expert, Published in May 2020 – American Council of Exercise (ACE)

Steps to Perform

1. Get in the same position as the dumbbell floor fly, but keep your right arm straight over your chest during the entire exercise while doing dumbbell flyes with your left arm.
2. Once you complete ten repetitions, hold your left arm straight over you and perform dumbbell flies with your right arm.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Keep your elbow softly bent to hit the chest muscle effectively.
• Lower the dumbbell in a slow, controlled manner while keeping the elbow position fixed.

One Downside

Single-arm dumbbell flies only work the horizontal range of motion of the arm, which may not engage the entire pectoralis major muscle or provide a comprehensive chest workout. It is also not possible to handle as much weight during a single-arm dumbbell fly as with other exercises like the bench press or other dumbbell exercises.

13. Dumbbell Svend Press

The Svend press is also known as the standing squeeze chest press. It is a simple exercise to train your pectoral muscles without a bench.

The svend press also strengthens shoulder muscles, especially the anterior deltoid, and contributes to overall upper body muscle development.

Steps to Perform

1. Grab one dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip.
2. Bend your elbows and keep the dumbbells close to your chest with your palms facing each other.
3. Stand upright with your feet together, chest up, and core tight.
4. Contracting your pecs, push the dumbbell in front of your chest until your arms are straight.
5. Squeezing your pecs, pause for a moment, and then return to the start. That’s one rep.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Keep your back straight, chest up, and core tight during the entire movement.
• Hold the dumbbell firmly and press it in a controlled manner.

One Downside

It requires you to hold the dumbbells against the gravity that prevents you from using heavier dumbbells and properly activating the pectoral muscles.¹² Santana, Juan Carlos et al. “A kinetic and electromyographic comparison of the standing cable press and bench press.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research vol. 21,4 (2007): 1271-7. doi:10.1519/R-20476.1

14. Dumbbell Upward Fly

The dumbbell upward fly is an excellent way to hit your upper and lower pecs simultaneously.

It involves standing upright and raising the dumbbells in front of you so you can feel the contraction in your chest.

Besides the pectoralis major, this exercise also hits the shoulder (front delts), arms (requires forearm strength to grip the dumbbells firmly, and abdominals (the core should be tight to lift the weight and engage the chest effectively).

Steps to Perform

1. Stand tall in the shoulder-width stance, holding one dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your palms facing inward.
2. Contracting your chest muscles, raise your arms upward until your arms reach above your chest height and your palms are facing upward.
3. Pause for a second and then return to the start. That’s your one repetition.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Keep your back straight, chest up, and core tight during the entire exercise.
• Squeeze your chest muscles at the top of the movement to maximize the contraction.

One Downside

It is not as effective as cable upward fly which provides better control over movement and engages chest muscles more efficiently.

15. Standing Dumbbell Horizontal Press

The standing dumbbell press is another way to work on your chest without a bench. It involves standing in a staggered stance and pressing the dumbbells against the chest.

It stimulates the pectoral’s clavicular head, shoulder’s front delt, and the midsection.

The standing chest press also requires your lower body to work more, ultimately engaging various muscle groups simultaneously.

Steps to Perform

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and stand straight in the split stance.
2. Hold the dumbbells to your shoulder height by bending your arms, elbows pointing down.
3. Press the dumbbells in front of you until your arms are straight, and return to the initial position.

Tips to Make it Effective

• Keep your core tight at times.
• Use light dumbbells and squeeze your pecs when you press them forward.

One Downside

The standing chest press works on several muscle groups at once but they are not as effective as lying dumbbell chest exercises.

How to Program Dumbbell Chest Workout Without a Bench?

You have seen how to perform various dumbbell chest exercises without a bench. But you need to program them well to yield the best result from those exercises.

Explore these examples of dumbbell chest workout routine that requires no bench:

Example 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Dumbbell Floor Press	3	8-12	60-sec
Dumbbell Floor Chest Fly	3	8-12	60-sec
Dumbbell Deficit Pushup	3	8-12	2-min
Close Grip Dumbbell Floor Press	3	8-12	60-sec
Dumbbell Floor Pullover	3	8-12	60-sec

Example 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Dumbbell Deficit Pushup	3	8-12	2-min
Dumbbell Floor Press	3	8-12	60-sec
Dumbbell Upward Fly	3	8-12	60-sec
Dumbbell Floor Pullover	3	8-12	60-sec
Bridge Squeeze Press	3	8-12	60-sec

Can You Build Your Chest with Dumbbells Only?

Only dumbbells are not enough for developing your chest. You need an exercise bench where you can do bench presses, dumbbell flies, and pullovers to target your pectoral muscles from all angles.

If you don’t have a bench, then only you should try the above dumbbell exercises to build your chest.

Other than the dumbbell upward fly, deficit push-ups, and stability ball pullover, all exercises produce better results when you do them on a workout bench.

Related: Not only the chest, you can train your entire body with this no-bench dumbbell workout plan.

References

• 1
  Goodman, Craig A et al. “No difference in 1RM strength and muscle activation during the barbell chest press on a stable and unstable surface.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research vol. 22,1 (2008): 88-94. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815ef6b3
• 2
  Welsch EA, Bird M, Mayhew JL. Electromyographic activity of the pectoralis major and anterior deltoid muscles during three upper-body lifts. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 May;19(2):449-52. doi: 10.1519/14513.1. PMID: 15903389
• 3
  Solstad, Tom Erik et al. “A Comparison of Muscle Activation between Barbell Bench Press and Dumbbell Flyes in Resistance-Trained Males.” Journal of sports science & medicine vol. 19,4 645-651. 19 Nov. 2020
• 4
  Do neutral grip presses have the same aesthetic effects as regular presses? Powerbuilding (Reddit)
• 5
  Marchetti, Paulo & Uchida, Marco C.. (2011). Effects of the Pullover Exercise on the Pectoralis Major and Latissimus Dorsi Muscles as Evaluated by EMG. Journal of applied biomechanics. 27. 380-4. 10.1123/jab.27.4.380
• 6
  Graham, J.F. (2004). Dumbbell pullover. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 26(2), 48–49
• 7
  Lacio, Marcio & Teixeira, Jonathan & Vieira, João & Santana, Derick & Amorim, Guilherme & Coelho, Mariele & Campos, Yuri & Dias, Marcelo Ricardo & Panza, Patricia & Novaes, Jeffersonda & Vianna, Jeferson. (2021). Electromyographic Activation of Pectoralis Major and Triceps Brachii during Dumbbell Pullover. Journal of Exercise Physiology Online. 24. 1-11.
• 8
  Decline Bench Press Guide – Medically reviewed by Gregory Minnis, DPT, Physical Therapy, Written by Kirsten Nunez – Healthline.com
• 9
  Kellis, Eleftherios et al. “Effect of Bridge Exercise Duration on Lateral Abdominal Muscle Thickness and Gluteus Maximus Activation.” Journal of Sport Rehabilitation vol. 32,7 773-781. 24 May. 2023, doi:10.1123/jsr.2022-0286
• 10
  Luk, Jim & Kwok, Freeman & Ho, Indy & Wong, Del P.. (2021). Acute Responses of Core Muscle Activity during Bridge Exercises on the Floor vs. the Suspension System. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18. 5908. 10.3390/ijerph18115908.
• 11
  The Benefits of Unilateral Training by Pete McCall, Health and Fitness Expert, Published in May 2020 – American Council of Exercise (ACE)
• 12
  Santana, Juan Carlos et al. “A kinetic and electromyographic comparison of the standing cable press and bench press.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research vol. 21,4 (2007): 1271-7. doi:10.1519/R-20476.1