8 Best Lower Chest Dumbbell Exercises for Sturdy Pecs

Training your lower chest is crucial when it comes to building sturdy and defined pecs.

You can train your lower pec in several ways. However, if you workout with dumbbells, this article is for you.

I’ve shared various lower chest dumbbell exercises that help build strength and mass in your pectoral muscles, improve upper body definition, and increase pushing strength.

These exercises are suitable for all, from beginner to intermediate and from at-home fitness freaks to gym-goers.

Benefits of Doing Lower Chest exercises with Dumbbells

You can train your lower pecs with multiple pieces of equipment, but if you do it with dumbbells, here are some advantages.

1. The dumbbells provide a full range of motion and help you target your lower pecs effectively.
2. Dumbbells allow you to perform unilateral exercises (one arm at a time). Unilateral exercises help fix the imbalance pecs structure and improve chest definition.
3. Dumbbells are good for performing isolation exercises. Isolation exercises help target tiny muscles, such as the lower chest.
4. These days, dumbbells have an adjustable function that allows you to easily change the weight to match your exercise needs. For example, the bench press is performed with a heavier weight than the fly, so if you have an adjustable dumbbell, you can quickly change the weight accordingly.

Lower Chest Dumbbell Exercises and How to Do Them

You can do the following lower chest exercises with dumbbells to build strong pecs at home.

1. Decline Bench Press
2. Decline Squeeze Press
3. Decline Chest Fly
4. Standing Upward Fly
5. Around The World
6. Bridge Press
7. Pullover
8. Deficit Pushup

Let’s find out the benefits of each exercise, how to do them step by step, and how you can integrate them into your dumbbell workout program.

1. Decline DB Bench Press

The decline bench press bolsters the lower chest, increases mass, and builds sculpted pecs. It also strengthens the anterior deltoid and core muscles and helps you build a solid upper body.

Steps to do a decline bench press:

• Lie on your back on a decline bench with your feet firmly on the floor.
• Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them to your chest level at your sides.
• Squeezing your pecs, press the dumbbell toward the ceiling until your arms are straight over your chest.
• Pause for two seconds and then lower the weight to the start. This is your one repetition.
• Do three sets of 8-10 repetitions each.

2. Decline Squeeze Press

The squeeze press is a free-weight exercise that elicits maximum contraction in your pectoral muscles, including the lower portion, and helps develop ripped pecs.

Steps to perform a decline squeeze press:

• Holding one dumbbell in each hand, lay down on a decline bench with your feet planted on the floor.
• Keep your core tight and hold the dumbbell just above your chest with your palms facing each other. That’s the start.
• Squeezing your lower chest, press the dumbbells over your chest until your elbows are fully extended.
• Pause for a couple of seconds, squeeze your chest muscle, and then lower to the start. This is your one repetition.
• Perform two sets of 8 to 10 reps each.

3. Decline Chest Fly

The dumbbell fly is an efficient exercise for building strength and mass in the sternal and abdominal head of the pectoral muscles – a study published by the Journal of Exercise Physiology suggested.

Unlike dumbbell presses, it targets the lower pec from a different angle and helps forge the chest.

How to do a decline fly:

• Grab a pair of dumbbells and lay down on your back on a decline bench.
• Keep your arms out to the sides with your elbows slightly bent. And hold the dumbbells slightly below your chest level. That’s the start.
• Raise your arms upward in a flying manner until your palms face each other over your lower chest.
• Pause for a couple of seconds at the top, feel the contraction, and return to the start. That’s one rep.
• Do two to three sets of 6 to 8 reps each.

4. Upward Chest Fly

The standing upward fly help strengthens and tones your chest without a bench.

It works on the middle and lower pecs when you perform this exercise with the proper form.

How to do an upward dumbbell fly:

• Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold your arms straight at your sides with your palms facing your hips.
• Squeezing your lower chest muscle, raise your arms upward until they reach above your chest height and your palms are facing upward.
• Pause for a couple of seconds at the top and then lower the dumbbells to the start. This is your one repetition.
• Try to perform two sets of 8 to 10 repetitions each.

5. Decline Dumbbell Circle Fly

“Around the world fly” is one of the least-known dumbbell chest exercises you can do to build your chest, including the lower part. It provides good stretch and muscle contraction from the upper chest to the lower chest.

Steps to perform an around-the-fly:

• Lay down on a decline bench, holding one dumbbell in each hand.
• Keep your arms straight beside your thighs with your palms facing upward.
• Hold your core tight and chest up. That’s the starting position.
• Now raise your arms out in a circular motion until your hands meet behind your head. And then return your arms in the same way to the start. That’s your one repetition.
• To feel more contraction in your lower chest, keep your hands together just over your lower abs instead of beside your thighs.
• Do two sets of 6 to 8 repetitions each.

6. Bridge Press

The bridge press is a dumbbell compound exercise that targets multiple muscles at once, including the lower chest, Maximus gluteus, lower back, and core. This exercise is also helpful for those who don’t have a workout bench.

How to do a bridge press:

• Holding one dumbbell in each hand, lie on the floor.
• Bend your knees to 90 degrees and lift your hips off the floor so your knees align with your chest.
• Hold the dumbbells to your chest level at your sides and maintain a tight core. That’s your starting position.
• Press the dumbbell upward until your arms are fully straight over your chest. You’ll feel the contraction in your lower chest at the top.
• Pause for two seconds and then return the weight to the start. That’s one rep.
• Do two sets of 8-10 repetitions. 

You can even do this exercise by placing your legs on the bed or chair and your torso on the floor. The important thing is contraction. You’re doing it right if you feel your lower chest contract and engage.

7. Decline Pullover

The pullover is one of my favorite exercises. It works on the lats and the chest and builds a sturdy torso.

The decline variation works more on the lower pecs while putting less stress on the shoulders.

I often perform this exercise after bench presses and machine fly. You can also incorporate in your training to smoke your chest gains.

Steps to do a pullover:

• Grab a top of a dumbbell and lie on a 30-degree decline bench.
• Adjust your feet in the pad, keep your core tight, and extend your arms behind your head.
• Contracting your pecs, pull the dumbbell until your arms are straight over your chest.
• Pause for a moment, then return the dumbbell to the start. Perform three to four sets of 8-10 reps.

8. Deficit Pushup

The deficit pushup is another good exercise to stretch your entire pectoral muscles, from the sternal and clavicular to the abdominal head.

It is a bodyweight exercise, but you can add weight to make it more effective and challenging.

Steps to perform a deficit pushup:

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip and get into a high plank position.
2. Lower your torso until your chest touches the floor.
3. Pause for a couple of seconds, then push back to the start. Repeat for the desired times.

Summary

The lower chest is involved in almost every pec exercise. But if you want to focus on it specifically, you can do that with dumbbells.

The dumbbells provide a full range of motion and help you target your lower pecs effectively with and without a bench.

Decline bench press, squeeze Press, chest fly, around the world, bridge press, pullover, and deficit pushup are some best examples of lower chest dumbbell workouts.

These exercises help build strength and mass in your pectoral muscles, improve upper body definition, and increase pushing strength.

Moreover, you can combine them with other chest exercises to build defined pecs.

Other than exercise, you must take care of your diet. Because a nutritious diet will help you recover and build muscle.

If you want exercises for each muscle group, you can explore this dumbbell workout category.

I’ve created an ultimate 3-month dumbbell workout program that includes 72 days of detailed workouts, 100+ dumbbell exercises (compound and isolation), the combination of high and low reps range, and some macros details. You can follow this program at your own pace. Give it a try!