When building an exercise routine, it’s important to be complete and use correct form. If you use sloppy form during your exercises, you’re only hurting any gains you could be making. Most people want to get the most out of their training in the shortest amount of time possible. These 4 chest exercises will strengthen your chest and leave you feeling pumped.
As with most body groups, compound exercises will be your best bet when it comes to choosing which exercises to do. The chest is a large group of muscles and there are different exercises to work the different parts, but keep in mind that it is still almost impossible to develop one part of your chest more than another.
1. Flat Bar Bench Press
This exercise is the best option for chest exercises to work the entire chest. When building a workout for your chest, this is one of the best options to grow your chest. You can use a bar or dumbbells. Dumbbells will allow you to develop more stability with your muscles.
- Main muscle group: Chest
- Secondary muscle groups: Triceps, Shoulders
- Equipment: barbell
- Gentle: Compound
- Explanation: Lie down on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor. Back up far enough so that your eyes are directly under the bar. It is important to ensure that your back is against the bench at all times. Place your hands on the bar at shoulder height with your thumb wrapped around the bar. Raise the bar and slowly lower it towards the lower chest. Without bouncing off your chest, press the bar until your arms are straight with your elbows locked.
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
The incline bench press is great for targeting your upper chest, which is the part of your chest that makes you look like you have a sculpted chest. Incline the bench and finish with as little as a 15-degree rise and you’ll still get the same spin with less shoulder work.
- Main muscle group: Chest
- Secondary muscle groups: Triceps, Shoulders
- Equipment: Weight
- Gentle: Compound
- Explanation: Set the bench incline anywhere from a 30 to 55 degree angle. Begin by sitting on a bench and placing the dumbbells on both knees. One at a time, raise your leg to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulder. Slowly lie down on the bench with your back flat and your feet planted firmly on the floor. Slowly push the weight up concentrating on keeping your form and the weights in check. Bring the dumbbells to the center point of your upper chest. Lower them slowly, palms facing out, until your arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Dumbbell fly
The dumbbell fly is an isolation movement that will really help you in your chest workout. The movement you do to do the dumbbell fly targets only your chest muscles and you can really tighten them when you get to the top. If you haven’t done it before, prepare to be sore in the morning!
- Main muscle group: Chest
- Secondary muscle groups: None
- Equipment: Weight
- Gentle: Isolation
- Explanation: Sit with your back against the bench and your feet planted firmly on the ground. Hold the dumbbells across your chest as if you were going to do a dumbbell bench press but with your palms facing each other. Slowly lower the dumbbells to each side trying to make a half circle (arc-like movement). Now slowly bring the weights back up in the same arc with your elbows bent the same way for the entire rep.
4. Push-ups
The classic push up is great because you don’t need equipment to do it. You can do thrusts with a normal or wide grip to target your chest more. You can also put it on with your feet elevated to give more resistance.
- Main muscle group: Chest
- Secondary muscle groups: Triceps, Shoulders
- Equipment: Body
- Gentle: Compound
- Explanation: The perfect chest exercise if you don’t have any training equipment. Begin by kneeling on the floor with your hands on the floor a little wider than your shoulders. Rise up until your back is straight, toes are on the floor, and palms are flat. In a very controlled manner lower your body to the floor until your body almost touches the ground. Push your body up until your arms are straight and locked. Throughout the pushup, make sure your entire body is straight. If you can’t do enough reps with this form, you can drop your knees to the ground. This can be done with a normal or wide grip.
