Whether you want to build a muscular or sizeable chest, you need to train your upper pecs. There are various exercises you can do to hit your upper pecs, but if you’re looking for dumbbell workouts, you can read this article. In this article, I’ve shared some of my favorite upper chest dumbbell exercises that can help you build a strong, toned, and defined chest.
The dumbbells are my favorite piece of equipment when it comes to training at home because they allow a full range of motion and help target muscles effectively.
You can also use one dumbbell at a time, for example, a single-arm dumbbell bench press or fly. And one-arm dumbbell chest exercises help improve chest muscle imbalances.
Top 5 Dumbbell Exercises for Upper Chest
- Incline DB Bench Press
- Incline Dumbbell Fly
- Dumbbell Pullover
- Incline DB Squeeze Press
- Dumbbell Upward Fly
Let’s see how to perform these upper chest workouts with dumbbells with the step-by-step guide.
1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline dumbbell bench press is one of the best exercises to hit your upper chest and build defined pecs. It also helps strengthen your shoulders and arms and tone the upper body muscles.
How to do it:
- Set the bench to a 30-degree incline height, grab a pair of dumbbells, and lie on the bench with your face up.
- Hold the dumbbells at your chest levels with your elbows bent and brace your abdominal muscles.
- Squeezing your pecs, press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are straight.
- Return and return. Aim for three sets of 10 to 12 reps.
2. Incline Dumbbell Fly
The incline dumbbell fly is one of the old-school chest workouts that provides a good stretch in your upper pecs and improves your overall chest strength and shape.
How to do it:
- Set the bench to a 30-degree incline height, grab a pair of dumbbells, and lie on the bench with your face up.
- Tighten your core and keep your arms out.
- Contracting your upper chest, bring the dumbbells toward each other until they are above your chest.
- Pause and return your arms to the start. Strive for three sets of eight to 12 reps.
3. Dumbbell Pullover
The dumbbell pullover focuses on the upper pecs and the latissimus dorsi (lats) and helps you get your upper body stronger and more defined.
How to do it:
- Grab the inner head of the dumbbell with a neutral grip and place your upper back on the bench with your hips and lower back parallel to the floor.
- Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground.
- Keeping your elbows straight, extend your arms behind your head, and maintain a tight core.
- Contracting your pecs, pull the dumbbell until it comes directly over your chest.
- Pause for a couple of seconds and then return to the start.
- Go for three to four sets of eight to 12 reps.
4. Incline Dumbbell Squeeze Press
The dumbbell squeeze press is an isolation exercise that helps you build up your pectoral muscles and give them that nice rounded shape.
How to do it:
- Grasp a pair of dumbbells and lie on a 30-degree incline bench with your face up.
- Keeping your elbows bent, hold the dumbbells above your chest with your palms facing each other.
- Squeezing your chest, press the dumbbells above your chest until your arms are straight.
- Contract your pecs return to the start and repeat.
5. Dumbbell Upward Fly
The dumbbell upward fly targets the pectoral muscles, especially your upper chest and helps build sculpted pecs while toning your upper body. The best thing is it does not require a workout bench, you can do this movement while standing on the floor.
How to do it:
- Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand upright in the shoulder-width stance.
- Keep your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing up.
- Focusing on your chest, raise your arms in front of you until they are at your chest level.
- Lower them back to the start and repeat for the desired repetitions and sets.
Final Words
Whether you work out at home or in the gym, you can perform dumbbell upper chest exercises to improve the size, strength, and definition of your pectoral muscles. You can integrate these workouts into any workout program and perform with any muscle group you like.
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