Enhance Chest Strength Post-55 with These 5 Dumbbell Exercises That Outperform Gym Machines

These dumbbell exercises are designed to help you sculpt a remarkable upper body.

Here’s a revelation: Building strong, muscular pecs isn’t solely about enhancing your physique or dominating gym workouts. While a well-developed chest does contribute to these goals, it offers far more benefits. Robust pectoral muscles boost overall upper-body strength, reduce the risk of injuries, and aid in everyday tasks such as lugging heavy groceries, maneuvering a shopping cart, or wrestling with a stubborn door. Additionally, they can improve posture and enhance your golf swing.

If you’re eager to give your pecs some well-deserved attention, we’ve crafted the perfect routine to help you out. We consulted with Jacob Siwicki, a seasoned online fitness coach and the mastermind behind Siwicki Fitness, whose clientele spans from their 20s to their 70s. He shares five dumbbell workouts that promise to build strength more effectively than traditional gym machines, especially for those over 55. Before founding Siwicki Fitness in 2020, Siwicki was among the top 1% of instructors globally at Equinox.

“As people age, chest strength often declines, even among those who remain physically active,” Siwicki notes. “This happens because they tend to shy away from lifting heavier weights, perpetuated by societal beliefs that discourage heavy lifting in older age. However, continuing to lift heavy—and even increasing weights—can significantly enhance chest strength.” Siwicki further explains, “Gym machines may not offer the same benefits as they limit movement and range of motion, keeping you static. With dumbbells, you’re engaging with free weights, which also challenges your stability and stabilizer muscles, crucial for maintaining balance as you age.”

“Chest strength tends to decline with age, even in people who stay active, because they tend to use less weight. They believe what society says, that they can’t use heavy weights when they get older. But if they continue to use heavy weights and even increase their weights, their chest strength gets stronger and stronger and stronger,” Siwicki explains. “Gym machines might fall short on all of this because they restrict your movement and your range of motion, and they keep you static. With dumbbells, you’re using free weights, so you’re also working your stability and your stabilizers at the same time, which is very important when you get older, for balance.”

Siwicki chose these specific exercises because they’re safe and effective for those 55+ and he has clients doing these workouts who are 75 years old. They began using five-pound dumbbells and progressed to 30-pound dumbbells in most of these exercises.

Floor Chest Press

“The floor catches your elbows on every rep, so the shoulder can’t drop into a dangerous range,” Siwicki says.

1. Lie flat on your back on a mat, holding a dumbbell in each hand just outside your chest.
2. Keep your feet flat on the ground and maintain an engaged core.
3. Press the dumbbells over your chest until your arms are extended but not locked out.
4. Use control to lower the weights.

Pushups

Scale this exercise to your fitness level, whether that means performing wall pushups, incline pushups from a workout bench or sturdy chair, or placing your hands on the ground for traditional pushups.

1. Assume a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders, each holding onto a dumbbell, and your body straight.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Maintain a long, straight body as you lower.
4. Press back up, straightening your arms.

Chest Fly

1. Lie flat on your back with a dumbbell in each hand and feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend your arms over your chest, palms facing each other.
3. Engage your core as you lower the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc.
4. Hold for a moment at the bottom.
5. Lift the weights back up together over your chest.

Close-Grip Floor Chest Press

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1. Lie flat on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet flat.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, using a neutral grip, with your arms extended over your chest.
3. Keep your elbows close to your sides as you slowly lower the dumbbells toward your chest.
4. Hold for a moment at the bottom.
5. Press the weights back up to the start position.

Rotating Chest Press

1. Lie flat on your back with a dumbbell in each hand, knees bent and feet flat.
2. Begin with your palms facing each other and arms extended over your chest.
3. Lower the weights toward your chest.
4. When you press the dumbbells back up, rotate your palms forward so they face your feet at the top of the movement.
5. When you lower once again, rotate your palms back to a neutral position.