A chest workout for most males consists of alternating between three chest exercises: bench press in flat, incline, and decline positions. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Building an excellent pair of pecs doesn't have to be a chore with so many chest exercises and regimens to choose from, ranging from bodyweight basics to twists on dumbbell classics. In fact, by varying your workouts, you'll be hitting your chest from more angles than the simple bench press, no matter how good it is. This will give you a bigger, stronger upper torso, which will (obviously) make you more capable of pushing heavy objects, such as barbells or broken-down cars.
Best Exercises to Build Bigger Chest
Barbell Flat Bench Press
A classic exercise is the bench press. It's used by powerlifters to see who has the highest pressing strength, gym rats to bulk up their pecs, and athletes to test their pushing power. The bench press should be a part of your regimen if you want to increase the size and strength of your chest.
Return to a bench, slightly arch your lower back, and put your feet on the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together to improve upper back strength and stability. Grab the bar with a variety of grips and compress the hand firmly to fully flex the arm and grip muscles. Pull the barbell to the body to touch the sternum/base of the chest with the load unracked. Keep your back stiff and your shoulder blades pushed together as you press the weight upwards.
Incline Bench Press
Because the incline press is a cross between an overhead press and a flat bench press, pushing a barbell (or a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells) from an incline engages more upper chest muscle fibers and puts a greater strain on the shoulders. Strongmen prefer this pressing variety because it has more application in log presses and axle bar clean and presses.
Adjust a training bench to a 45-degree angle and set it up similarly to a flat bench press. Unrack the heavy barbell and start pulling it down to line up with your upper chest (a few inches below the clavicle). Pulling the shoulder blades together and angling the elbows at a 45-degree angle. Raise the barbell above your head.
Decline Bench Press
The lower pectoral fibers are targeted in the third main barbell bench press variation. Because of the changed shoulder angle, this pressing variation is often less taxing on the lifter's shoulders than the traditional bench press.
Begin by securing your feet into a decline bench set-up, as well as your upper back and hips (similar to the flat bench press). Remove the weight from the rack and draw it down toward the sternum, keeping the shoulder blades together. To lock out the elbows, press through the barbell. Make sure the elbows don't flare out too far during the movement.
Chest Flye
The chest flye is a popular bodybuilding exercise for stretching muscle fibers and pumping up the muscle. It can be done with dumbbells or on a cable machine. That pump will aid in the delivery of nutrient-rich blood to the target area, allowing for a faster recovery. Dumbbells will also help you improve your coordination because you'll have to stabilize each weight separately.
With a dumbbell in each hand, lie back on a bench (flat, decline, or incline - it doesn't matter). Lower your arms out to your sides gently and steadily with a slight bend in your elbows. To engage the chest, reverse the motion. You should appear to be embracing a tree.
Dumbbell Bench Press
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Although you can't go as heavy with a dumbbell bench press as you can with a barbell, there's a lot to enjoy about this technique. For starters, you're in charge of two dumbbells, which train your chest (as well as the tiny stabilizer muscles around the shoulder joint) in a different way than the bench press. If you have a weaker side, the unilateral nature of this movement allows one to catch up to the other. If you have shoulder or elbow pain, you can modify the grip and arm angle using dumbbells to find a pressing posture that is more pleasant for you.
To pick up each dumbbell, sit up on a flat bench and hinge forward. Set each weight on a knee and get ready to go. Lean back and use your knees to carefully drive the dumbbells back towards you, while simultaneously pressing the weights over your chest. Lower the weights until your elbows break 90 degrees, keeping your elbows tucked in at 45 degrees. Then, drive the dumbbells back up to the starting position. You can also press from a neutral posture by turning your palms so they're facing each other.
Push-Up
Do we need to persuade you to do a push-up? Probably not, but what kind of training resource would we be if we didn't tell you that the push-up is gentler on your joints because you aren't putting weight on them? Would it be worth our salt if we didn't explain that you can do a bunch of push-ups for higher volume (and thus muscle building) because they're quite safe? No, leaving that information out wouldn't be cool.
Put your hands beneath your shoulders, back flat, and feet together in a plank position. Make a fist in the earth with your palms. You should notice a tightening in your chest. Hold this position for a few seconds before slowly lowering yourself until your chest is about an inch above the ground. Return to the palms of your hands and drive back up.
Dips
Another bodyweight treasure is the dip. In contrast to the push-up, which requires you to be on all fours, the dip requires you to suspend your entire bodyweight. Working your triceps in combination with your chest will assist strengthen the synergistic muscles in conjunction.
Take a firm grip on the dip bar and position yourself at the top of the dip, with your upper back taut and shoulder blades pressed together. Allow your elbows to bend and tuck inwards towards the sides of your body as you angle your torso slightly forward. Lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. When you're ready, thrust your body up into the top of the dip position by pressing through the handles.
Svend Press
Surprisingly, the wimpiest-looking action on our list of the finest chest exercises will definitely burn the most calories (we mean best). You must continuously squeeze the weights together to prevent dropping two plates on your toes. That alone will engage your pecs. Then you'll extend your arms even further to crush your chest even tighter. When opposed to hard pressing, the Svend press (or plate pinch) is low-impact. It also takes minimal equipment (so you won't have to wait for a bench on International Chest Day).
Begin by squeezing two smaller weight plates (five or ten pounds each) together between your hands. Your arms should be extended in front of you, outwards.
Pull the plates towards your sternum while aggressively squeezing the plates together and without letting them slip apart (continuous strain). Keep your chest high and shoulder blades drawn together. Flex the chest and press the weights back outwards after bringing the plates to the sternum area, making sure to keep the plates squeezed together and the inner chest muscles engaged.
Cable Iron Cross
The iron cross is a gymnastics classic, but it can also be beneficial for physique development when executed in a cable tree. This workout begins by stretching the chest muscles and progresses through a wide range of motion for maximum chest development. Furthermore, the constant strain of the cable machine keeps your muscles under tension for a longer period, resulting in increased hypertrophy.
Set the cable machine's handles to the highest position on both ends. Take both handles and stand in the centre with a staggered posture. Lean your torso forward while keeping your spine neutral and slightly bending your elbows. Pull both handles down and across your body while keeping your core tight, and compress your chest muscles at the finish of the action.
Related article: The 5 Best Lower Chest Exercises to Build Your Pecs
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