The bench press has often been considered ‘the holy grail’ when it comes to building a bigger chest. However, not all of us have time to get to the gym during the week and the majority of us don’t have a bench press lying about our living rooms. Plus, believe it or not, some people just don’t enjoy doing the exercise (there’s no judging here). If any of these are you, give these four alternative exercises a go instead, which you can easily do at home with just a pair of dumbbells.
Although the bench press is the classic exercise for growing big pecs, it doesn’t actually necessarily mean it’s the best exercise for you. As Powerlifting Technique points out, the bench press is an advanced exercise which depends on strong chest muscles, especially at the bottom of the movement. If you’re a beginner, you may struggle with this and could injure yourself. Also, if you find you're plateauing with your bench progress, it may be time to switch things up.
