In this article, I show a chest workout at home with one dumbbell. Want to do really effective training in your home gym with minimal equipment? Look no further!
Contents
Introduction
Standing Upward Fly
Elevated Chest Press
Pullover
Svend Press
Floor Fly
Introduction
Buying sets of dumbbells is expensive, but with just three individual dumbbells, one light, one medium and one heavy, or even a single powerblock, you can still do really effective workouts at home. In this series of videos, I'm going to show you single dumbbell workouts you can do at home for each muscle group to build some serious muscle mass.
In this week's video, we're going to do a chest workout that doesn't require a bench.
Standing Upward Fly
For this exercise, you will need a light weight.
The standing upward fly works the mid and upper chest. This is a great exercise for activating the chest at the start of the workout.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Hold the dumbbell with an underhand grip.
Contracting your chest muscles, lift the dumbbell up to shoulder height and in line with the center of your body.
Lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
The standing upward fly does look a lot like a front delt raise, but your arm position and the angle at which you move your arm enables you to target your mid and upper chest.
Elevated Chest Press
For this exercise, you will need a heavy weight and a foam roller.
Want to do a bench presses but have no bench?
No problem. Just elevate yourself with a foam roller.
Lie down on the foam roller with your knees bent, feet on the floor and your torso parallel to the floor.
Hold the dumbbell with an overhand grip.
Start with the dumbbell just above chest height and your elbow tucked into your armpit.
Push the dumbbell up and slightly in until your arm is fully extended.
Slowly return to the starting position.
Chest presses target all the muscles in your chest as well as your triceps for some bonus arm training. If you want to do incline presses to focus more on your upper chest, just put the foam roller lower down your back to create an incline angle.
Pullover
For this exercise, you will need a medium weight.
Remember last week when we used the pullover in our back workout? I said that the pullover could be used to train either the back or the chest.
The pullover is a unique exercise that can target either the back muscles or the chest muscles.
See, I did say that.
This time will be using the same exercise to target the chest. This exercise can also be done with a chair, but I will demonstrate it with a bench.
Stand a few steps away from the chair.
Holding the dumbbell in both hands, place your upper back on the chair so your hips are slightly lower than your shoulders to create a slight incline in your torso.
Lift the dumbbell up with both hands so that you are looking up at it.
With a slight bend in your elbows, lower the dumbbell back behind your head.
Contract your chest muscles to lift the dumbbell back up to the starting position.
Performing the pullover this way is very effective for training the mid and lower chest muscles.
Svend Press
For this exercise you will need a light weight. And while it looks easy, It's actually really taxing on the pecs, making it great for building muscle throughout the entire chest.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Hold the dumbbell vertically with both hands around the grip, or grips If, like me, you're using a power block.
Keeping your shoulder blades back and squeezed together, hold the dumbbell against your chest, pressing your hands together as hard as you can.
Contract your chest muscles and slowly press the dumbbell upward and inward until your arms are fully extended.
Slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position.
Floor Fly
For this exercise, you will need a medium weight.
This variation of the fly is a great way for training all your chest muscles while avoiding any strain on your shoulders.
Lie down on your back with your legs extended.
Hold the dumbbell with a neutral grip.
Place your arm out perpendicular to your torso, triceps against the ground and elbows slightly bent.
Contract your chest muscles and bring the dumbbell up until it is above your shoulder.
Slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position.
For effective training, contact Tokyo Titan!
I am Tokyo Titan, an internationally-certified bodybuilding specialist personal trainer and nutritionist. Using bodybuilding techniques, together we will create the body that you want in a short amount of time. Lessons are provided in three formats: online, in-person at my private gym in Ota-ku, Tokyo, a few minutes walk from Omori-machi Station on the Keikyu Line, and in-person at a convenient location for the client, allowing for a flexible lesson style that suits each client's preferences and schedule. As a bilingual Japanese native English speaker, I can provide lessons in either Japanese or English, allowing customers to train both their bodies and their language skills at the same time. For more information, inquire today!
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