"Not only is this exercise good for building up your chest, but it also recruits the muscles of your arms and shoulders," says Caley Crawford, NASM-certified personal trainer at Row House. She describes the bench press as a dynamic move that works your muscles together, helping you build strength and coordination throughout your upper body.
- Sit on a flat workout bench with one leg on either side. With one dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs, lie back onto the bench. (If you don't have a bench, use a stability ball, as show, or lie flat on the ground with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor.)
- Hold the dumbbells above your chest, shoulder-width apart, creating a 90-degree angle between your upper arm and forearm. Your palms should be facing forward. Press your back against the bench and engage your core.
- Exhale as you push the dumbbells up, fully extending your arms so the weights come to a stop above your shoulders. Hold for one second.
- Inhale and lower the dumbbells to the sides of your chest with control. That's one rep.
- Try 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
