You don’t need a warehouse full of weightlifting machines to make your upper body stronger and more powerful. In fact, all you need is a bench and some dumbbells to work out your shoulders, back, chest, and arms, in fact the whole of your upper body. Read on to find out more; here are some great dumbbell exercises for the upper body.
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
For maximum development of your pecs, triceps, and deltoids, as well as other upper-body muscles, the dumbbell bench press is a must-do exercise.
Lie back on a flat bench and bring the dumbbells up to hold them on either side of your chest, horizontally.
Straighten your arms to raise the dumbbells up and over your chest. Then return them back down to either side of your chest.
You can get the most out of this exercise by having a full set, for instance the Mirafit dumbbell sets, so that you can steadily increase your weight as well as number of sets.
2. One Arm Dumbbell Row
The main advantages of the one-arm dumbbell row are that it works each side of your body separately and you can rest the other on a bench. This means you can lift additional weight on each side than when you do barbell rows, leading to more muscle strength (and gains).
Use your right hand to hold a dumbbell.
Set your left knee and arm firmly on a bench. Put your right foot on the floor a foot or two away from the bench. Let your right arm (the one holding the dumbbell) swing straight down toward the floor.
Pull the dumbbell upwards until it touches your chest while keeping your back straight. Then put the dumbbell back where it started.
Once you’ve done the number of reps you want, do the same thing with your left arm.
3. Arnold Press
By rotating your wrists throughout the Arnold press, you move the emphasis from the front to the side delts, helping you build more balanced shoulders than you would with most overhead pressing exercises.
Holding one dumbbell in each hand, rest them on your thighs while seated on an upright bench.
Sit on an upright bench. Raise the dumbbells until they are chin high at your shoulders with your palms facing you – your thighs should be slightly outward.
Lift the dumbbells over your head until your arms are straight, you should rotate your wrists as you do this so that your palms finish facing away from you. Reverse the action to return to the starting point.
4. Dumbbell Pullover
The lats and pecs get a dual workout with the dumbbell pullover, which is a rare occurrence. In addition to encouraging muscle growth, training the muscles through their complete range of motion (and while stretched) is an effective way to improve flexibility as well.
Position yourself so that your head is almost touching the end of the bench with both feet flat on the floor.
To perform this exercise, bring the dumbbell to your chest and raise until your arms are fully extended.
With arms extended lower the dumbbells over your head, so that your arms are in line with the rest of your body.
Reverse the movement to return to the starting point.
