Lower Chest Dumbbell Exercises to Build Muscle & Definition

If you are looking for the best lower chest dumbbell exercises, then you are at the right place, here we discuss the best lower chest dumbbell exercises, how to do them, and pro-tips.

As we all know, a well-shaped chest is one of the most important qualities of a good physique.

The lower chest is one of the harder areas to train because of the lack of variations available and the limited motion range. That’s why it’s so important to incorporate these best lower chest dumbbell exercises into your routine. People who want to develop their lower chest muscles can try doing a range of exercises that strengthen the pectoral muscles.

These Best Lower chest exercises and workouts definitely help to build the lower chest muscles.

To build more thickness, muscle, and strength in your lower pecs, you need to add these lower chest dumbbell exercises to your training regime. Having a well-developed lower chest contributes to the fullness of the upper body and has functional benefits.

How To Train Lower Chest With Dumbbells

Weight training with dumbbells can be beneficial for achieving hypertrophy and putting an increased impact on the specific muscle group.

If you want to target your lower chest, using a dumbbell may be better than using a barbell because it allows for a greater range of motion.

To train the lower chest (sternal head) requires you to change the angle of your press to emphasize the lower part of the chest. You do this by either performing exercises on a decline bench.

To strengthen your lower chest, you should try increasing the intensity of your workout. Drop-sets, forced reps, and the pause and go method are some of the methods for intensifying your workouts.

However, with dumbbells, you can easily increase the intensity of your workout on your own. For example, if you want to do drop sets on the barbell bench press, you’ll need a partner to drop the weight from the barbell.

If you’d like to drop sets with dumbbells, you can easily do so by picking up lighter dumbbells.

Can I Do Lower Chest Exercises With Dumbbells?

Any lower chest move that you can do with a barbell can be done with dumbbells. Below are some of our favorites, many of which are classic moves that you are probably already familiar with, but have been given a clever twist that yields even greater gains.

It’s time to try out the lower chest workout with dumbbells. Some people might think that training with dumbbells is outdated and ineffective.

However, due to the increased range of motion and ability to intensify the workouts, dumbbell chest workouts have shown benefits over other chest exercises.

6 Best Lower Chest Dumbbell Workouts

Here is the list of the best dumbbell exercise for the lower chest which helps to train the chest at various angles and strengthen and to build a well-developed chest.

1. Decline Dumbbell Press

Decline Dumbbell Press Exercise is an excellent exercise to build lower chest muscles. This dumbbell press is done on a decline bench with a pair of heavy dumbbells.

Muscles Worked

Primary: Lower pectoralis.

Secondary: Triceps, anterior deltoid, and Lats.

How To Do Decline Dumbbell Press

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie on a decline bench.
2. Hold the weights above you at shoulder height.
3. Now extend the weights to the top overhead feeling a good chest muscle contraction.
4. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and feel a good stretch in your pecs.

Tips

• Exhale while you exert.
• Perform them before triceps in any workout.

2. Decline Dumbbell Fly

The decline dumbbell chest fly is a variation of the dumbbell fly used to target the muscles of the chest. In particular, the decline dumbbell chest fly targets the lower chest due to the decline angle used.

Muscles Worked

Primary: Lower pectoralis.

Secondary: Anterior deltoid, triceps.

How To Do Decline Dumbbell Fly

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie on your back on a decline bench. Hook your feet into the footpad or roller.
2. Extend the dumbbells above your chest. Turn the palms to face each other and the dumbbells directly over your upper chest.
3. Slowly lower your arms out to your sides until your wrists come to about shoulder level or slightly above.
4. Bring your arms back toward the midline of your body, focusing on using your lower pec muscles to draw them back together.

Tips

• Keep the movement slow and controlled.
• Use a slight decline such as 30 degrees. Extremes are never the best option.
• If you’re using very heavyweights, have a spotter to handle dumbbells to you once your body is in position.

3. Dumbbell Pullover

Dumbbell Pullover is the best exercise to build a strong rib cage and build serratus anterior muscle to build a complete chest and back.

Pullovers work directly on the serratus anterior muscle to develop the back. This workout is done lying across on a bench with a heavy dumbbell.

Muscles Worked

Primary: Pectoralis.

Secondary: Shoulder, triceps, Back

How To Do Dumbbell Pullover

1. Lie across on a bench on your shoulders so that your head is hanging.
2. Grasp a dumbbell with both hands and get it straight over your chest.
3. Lower the dumbbell in an arc, slowly getting a good stretch in your rib cage.
4. Lower the dumbbell as far as possible and then raise it back to the starting position.

Tips

• Exhale while you exert.
• Maximum stretching ensures the greatest expansion on the rib cage.
• Relax your hips and let them fall as relaxed hips help in extra expansion.

4. Decline Hammer-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

The decline hammer-grip dumbbell bench press is a compound exercise which primarily targets the lower Pectoralis Major (Chest). But the triceps and shoulders are secondary movers during the workout, and they receive heavy stimulation as well.

Using a neutral grip is a safe alternative to the pronated grip as it protects the shoulder joints, and this is a great advantage. So, include the decline hammer-grip dumbbell bench press in your chest routine for great results.

Muscles Worked

Primary: Lower pectoralis.

Secondary: Triceps, anterior deltoid, and Lats.

How To Do Decline Hammer-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand in each hand with a neutral/hammer grip and lie on a decline bench.
2. Hold the weights above you at shoulder height.
3. Now extend the weights to the top overhead, feeling a good chest muscle contraction.
4. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and feel a good stretch in your pecs.
5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Do not lock out your elbows during the concentric (Positive) phase of the exercise.
• Perform them before triceps in any workout.

5. Dumbbell Decline one Arm Fly

The Dumbbell Decline one Arm Fly is a unilateral variation of the decline dumbbell chest fly used to target the muscles of the chest. It is used by those who would like to focus on one side of their chest working at a time.

In particular, the decline dumbbell chest fly targets the lower chest due to the decline angle used.

When performing the one arm dumbbell fly, it is important to start off with the weaker side of your chest.

Muscles Worked

Primary: Lower pectoralis.

Secondary: Anterior deltoid, triceps.

How To Do Dumbbell Decline one Arm Fly

1. Grab a dumbbell in one hand and lie on your back on a decline bench. Hook your feet into the foot pad or roller.
2. Extend the dumbbell above your chest.
3. Slowly lower your arm out to your side until your wrist come to about shoulder level or slightly above.
4. Bring your arm back toward the midline of your body, focusing on using your lower pec muscles to draw them back together.
5. Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.

Tips

• Keep the movement slow and controlled.
• Always keep a slight bend in the elbows and never lower the weight to the point where you get any sort of pain and pressure at the front of the shoulder joint.
• Always keep a slight bend in the elbows and never lower the weight to the point where you get any sort of pain and pressure at the front of the shoulder joint.

6. Dumbbell Decline Twist Fly

The decline dumbbell twist fly is a slight variation of the decline dumbbell fly.

The movement targets the muscles of the chest, with an emphasis on the lower pecs. It also indirectly targets the muscles of the shoulder and triceps.

The slight added twist of the decline dumbbell twist fly works the lower chest muscles more effectively.

Muscles Worked

Primary: Lower pectoralis.

Secondary: Triceps, anterior deltoid, and Lats.

How To Do Dumbbell Decline Twist Fly

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand in each hand with a neutral grip and lie on a decline bench.
2. Hold the weights above you at shoulder height. Slightly retract your shoulder blades, unlock your elbows, and slowly lower the dumbbells laterally while maintaining the angle at your elbow.
3. Once the dumbbells reach chest level, reverse the movement by squeezing your pecs together. As the dumbbells are returning to the starting position, twist the handles so that the bottom of the dumbbells almost touch.
4. Without allowing the dumbbells to touch, start the next repetition by untwisting the handles back to a neutral position, and continue until the set is completed.

Tips

• Imagine you’re trying to hug a tree while completing the exercise.
• Avoid touching or banging the dumbbells together at the top of each repetition to keep constant tension.

Takeaway

Doing the exercises provided in this article will give your lower chest a complete workout. For anyone interested to build body strength and gaining muscle on the lower chest, this lower chest dumbbell exercises and Workout plan is highly recommended.

Let us know, in the comment section below, your favorite exercise!

Thanks for reading.

Frequently Asked Question

can you target lower chest

Yes, but training your lower chest is not as straightforward as training other muscles, such as your biceps. You have to choose the exercise that directly targets the lower chest muscle.

What are the best lower chest exercises with dumbbells?

There are many good exercises with dumbbells that work your lower chest. The decline dumbbell bench presses are one of the best lower chest exercises. You could also add decline dumbbell flies.

 If you really want to improve your lower pecs, this adjustable decline bench is your new best friend.

How do I make my chest lower?

People who are looking to develop their lower chest muscles can try doing a range of exercises that strengthen the pectoral muscles. You should try the above-mentioned exercise to build the lower chest.

Is lower chest important?

Yes, lower chest is important to build the lower pec. Emphasizing your lower chest is vital for the overall appearance and functionality of the pectorals. Your lower chest contributes to the overall look of your pectorals. By developing the lower portion, your chest looks rounder and more balanced.

How to isolate lower chest workout?

The lower portion of your chest is part of a larger muscle that activates during most, if not all, chest-related exercises.

Still, you can emphasize the lower chest through better exercise selection. Include exercises like:

• Decline Dumbbell Bench Press
• Decline Dumbbell fly

Lower chest is not growing

If you do not properly train (under train) a lower chest muscle, it will not grow because it will not receive adequate stimulation. However, if you overtrain a muscle, it will not recover and will not grow. Adequate stimulation is required to grow the chest.

You should train your lower chest 1 to 2 times per week to build mass and strength. If your goal is muscle hypertrophy, then you should do 8-12 repetitions per set.

Know More About Chest Training

• Decline Cable Fly: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Alternate
• Decline Fly: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Form
• 10 Best Chest Workout With Dumbbells at Home or Gym
• How To Do Decline Tricep Extension and Tips
• Decline Dumbbell fly: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Variations

Video illustration Of Best Chest Workout With Dumbbells at Home

10 Best Lower Chest Exercises To Build Your Pecs | Workout For Lower Chest