The Best 14 Upper Body Exercises to Do with Dumbbells

Flat dumbbell bench press

For this classic upper body exercise, lie on your back on a flat bench with your feet firmly on the floor and your arms extended over your chest, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should face forward.

1. Slowly bend your arms to lower the dumbbells down and outward until they are on either side of your chest.
2. Extend your arms straight up and over your chest again, pressing back up to the starting position. Pause briefly at the top before repeating for the suggested number of reps.

What it does: Strengthens the muscles in your chest, the front of your shoulders, and the back of your arms.

Form tip: Don’t lower the dumbbells too deep, or you’ll risk injuring your shoulders. You should feel a nice stretch in your chest and still be able to see your knuckles and thumbs in the bottom position.

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