The primary muscles of the chest are the pectorals, which make up about one-fifth of that part of the body. Developing chest muscles will improve shoulder movement and posture, important for both men and women. Women sometimes worry that chest exercises will affect the breasts, but the pectoral muscles are underneath the breast tissue and developing them can enhance the breasts. You can build chest muscles with simple exercises using 5-pound dumbbells two or three times a week.
Presses
The basic chest exercise is the press, done lying on your back, standing up or seated on a bench. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulders and press them upward. Lie on a bench with the back flat for bench presses, but vary the routine by setting the bench back at a 45-degree incline. For seated presses, sit on a bench with your feet on the floor and start with the dumbbells above your shoulders.
Raises
Raises are another dumbbell chest exercise that can be done standing or while seated or lying on a bench. Hold the dumbbells at your sides while standing and raise your arms to the side until the dumbbells are shoulder height. Lift the weights in front of you for front raises. Vary this by bending at the waist, either while standing or seated on a bench, and lifting the dumbbells to the side. You also can do raises with the bench set at an incline.
Flyes
The dumbbell flye is done lying on your back, on the floor or a weight bench. You hold the dumbbells above your chest with your arms slightly bent. Lower them to each side, keeping your elbows bent, until you can feel the chest muscles slightly stretched, about when your arms are parallel to the floor. Raise them back together in a sort of hugging motion.
Pullovers
The pullover is another bench dumbbell exercise for the chest. Lie on your back perpendicular to the bench with your shoulders on the bench and your feet on the floor, your body parallel to the floor. Hold a single dumbbell in both hands above your chest with your arms slightly bent. Lower the dumbbell above and beyond your head until your upper arms line up with your torso, then lift the weight back up.
