From seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator to Chris Evans in Captain America, we can all agree that a good, muscular chest gives a very aesthetically pleasing look that every gymgoer wants to achieve. Having a developed chest compliments the body. The feeling is immeasurable when the pecks get popped over the t-shirt.
How much do you bench, bro? It’s one of the most popular and commonly asked gym questions that is directly linked to your chest strength. Do not worry about growing a good, muscular, and strong chest. If you train correctly with proper technique and the right exercise selection, you can easily build a solid chest without lifting way too much weight.
When doing chest training, you need to keep in mind that the exercise you select should cover the two movements that the chest requires. They are:
- Pressing Movements and
- Fly Movements
Pressing movements involve pressing your chest against some resistance. Examples include pushups, bench presses, and more.
In fly movements, you train your chest by moving your hands close to each other, like you are hugging. The fly movements train the chest fibers in the stretched position.
When you train your chest, you should perform exercises that cover the training of all three heads of the chest. Which are:
- Clavicular Head (Upper Chest): Clavicular head fibers run slightly upward from the insertion point. The upper chest fibers get the most emphasis in pushing exercises in which your hands go slightly over shoulder height.
- Sternal Head (Middle Chest): The middle chest fibers run horizontally. Pushing exercises where the hand position remains at shoulder height emphasize these fibers more.
- Abdominal Head (Lower Chest): The lower portion of the chest, where fibers run downwards. When you perform pushing exercises in which the hand position is lower than shoulder height, it puts more emphasis on the middle chest fibers.
Contents
Top chest-building exercises
There are many chest exercises and various variations of the same exercises, which may complicate the process of selecting the right exercises to build a solid chest.
We have sorted out the best chest exercises based on their effectiveness (based on studies), complexity of performance, and machine availability, as many gyms will not have every machine.
Considering the facts and our personal training experience, we will discuss the best chest-building exercises and their alternatives for optimal chest training.
Flat Dumbbell Press
If we had to choose one exercise that we liked the most, it would be the flat dumbbell press. It checks all the tick boxes required in an optimum chest exercise. It gives you a full range of motion, which the barbell bench press lacks, as the bar cannot go below chest level.
It also helps prevent muscle imbalances, as you need to press the same weight with both hands, whereas, in a barbell bench press, your dominant side pushes a bit more than the other side.
We are not saying that barbell bench presses are ineffective; they are an excellent exercise for the chest. However, the dumbbell bench press solves the barbell bench press’s problems.
Alternatives of Dumbbell Press:
- Barbell Bench Press
- Smith Machine Press (Flat Bench)
- Machine Chest Press
How to Perform a Flat Dumbbell Press:
- Sit on the bench and put the dumbbell over your knees.
- Arch your back by retracting the shoulder blades backward.
- Lie down on the bench. The arch formed in the back should be at least that much from which you can slide your hands easily.
- Position the dumbbells on each side of the chest. Tuck the elbow a bit so that it forms a 45- to 60-degree angle.
- From there, press the weight up until the dumbbells almost touch each other in the top position.
- Slowly lower the weight and stretch your chest as much as possible by lowering the dumbbell to the sides.
Pec Deck Fly
Pec deck fly is a very beginner-friendly exercise. The movement curve is fixed, and there is no stability issue, so the learning curve is low.
Pec deck fly can train the chest nicely in the stretched position, which increases both its strength and flexibility. The best part of this exercise is that the stretched portion can be controlled by adjusting the machine pin. If you want deep stretching, you can adjust the pin accordingly.
Alternatives of Pec Deck Fly:
- Dumbbell Flies
- Cable Flies
How to Perform Pec Deck Fly:
- Adjust the machine seat height so that the machine’s handles align with your chest.
- Adjust the machine pin according to your chest flexibility. Ideally, set the pin so that your elbow remains behind your shoulder in the stretched position.
- Keep a slight arch in the back and fix your shoulder with the machine’s backrest.
- Keep a slight bend in your hand (A full straight hand will engage the biceps) and press the handles till your hands almost touch each other. It should look like you are hugging a big tree.
- Slowly release the weight by controlling it until you reach the fully stretched position.
Inclined Dumbbell Press
Performing an incline dumbbell press is similar to a flat dumbbell press. However, it emphasizes the upper chest more, as the hand position stays over shoulder height.
Most people lack in the upper chest area, which can diminish the proportion of a well-rounded muscular chest. The incline dumbbell press helps develop the upper chest optimally as it trains the chest in a full range of motion.
Alternatives to Dumbbell press:
- Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Smith Machine Press (Incline Bench)
- Incline Machine Chest Press
How to Perform Incline Dumbbell Press:
- Set the adjustable bench on a 15- or 30-degree height, which will usually be the first or second pin of the bench. Sit on the bench and put the dumbbell over your knees.
- Arch your back by retracting the shoulder blades backward.
- Lie down on the bench. The arch formed in the back should be at least that much from which you can slide your hands easily.
- Position the dumbbells on each side of the chest. Tuck the elbow a bit so that it forms a 45-degree angle.
- From there, press the weight up till the dumbbells almost touch each other at the top position.
- Slowly lower the weight and stretch your chest as much as possible by reducing the dumbbell to the sides. Try to touch your front delt with the dumbbells while lowering them down.
Low-to-high cable fly/Cable Underhand Fly
The cable underhand fly is an excellent exercise for the upper chest. It is performed at an angle that matches the direction of the upper chest fibers.
As your hand moves from outward to inward, it puts a lot of tension on the upper chest. This exercise can be performed standing or seated. Usually, people like to perform it standing, as it enables a slightly more stretch in the pecks.
To perform this exercise, you will require a dual pulley cable machine, which almost all gyms have.
Alternatives of Cable Underhand Fly:
- Incline Dumbbell Fly
- Incline Machine Pec Fly
How to Perform Cable Underhand Fly:
- Set the cable pin at the lowest setting (you can try different settings and check which provides more tension in the upper chest).
- Use moderately low weight.
- Grab the D-handles in the underhand grip (Palm facing upwards).
- Take one or two steps forward and arch your back. You can put one leg forward for more stability.
- Push the weight up until your hand reaches chin height. Keep slightly bent in your arms.
- Slowly descend the weight with complete control until you reach the starting position.
High-to-Low Cable Fly/Cable Overhand Fly
The cable overhand fly puts great emphasis on the lower chest. Like the underhand fly, the overhand fly also matches the direction of the lower chest fibers.
It is a great lower chest builder as it trains them in a very stretched position. The technique is similar to the cable underhand fly; the cable and hand positioning differ in this exercise.
Alternatives of Cable Overhand Fly:
- Declined Dumbbell Fly
- Decline Machine Pec Fly
How to Perform Cable Overhand Fly:
- Set the cable pin to the highest setting (make sure the cable angle matches your elbow to achieve the optimum result).
- Use moderate weight.
- Grab the D-handles in the overhand grip (Palm facing downwards).
- Take one or two steps forward and arch your back. You can put one leg forward for more stability.
- Push the weight down until your hands almost touch each other. Keep slightly bent in your arms.
- Slowly ascend the weight with complete control till you reach the starting position.
Bodyweight Dip/Weighted Dip
Dips are also excellent exercises for developing the lower chest area. They provide a great stretch in the pecs.
The problem with dip is the technique. Many beginners perform it incorrectly, emphasizing the triceps more than the chest.
When performing dips, remember that upright posture emphasizes the triceps more. A slight bent-over position emphasizes the lower chest.
Alternatives of Dip:
- Assisted Dip Machine
- Seated Dip Machine
- Bench Dip
How to Perform Dip:
- Grab the dip handle and push your body up.
- To get more chest emphasis, slightly lean forward.
- Keep your back straight. Bend your legs for stabilization.
- Slowly lower your body by keeping complete control.
- Push your body up to reach the starting position.
- If you are very comfortable with your body weight, you can use weight belts to make the exercise more challenging.
Deficit Pushups
Pushups are the OG when it comes to chest training. It is the most popular chest-building exercise.
Deficit pushups are a variation of regular pushups in which you use an elevated platform, such as pushup handles or a weight plate, to elevate your upper body so that you can get a deep stretch when you go down on a pushup.
We recommend super setting deficit pushups with any other chest exercise or performing them at the very end to milk out all the ATP of the chest muscles.
How to Perform Deficit Pushups:
- Get into the crawling position.
- Put your hands on the elevated platform. Put the hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Straighten your legs so your knees are levitated and no longer touching the ground.
- Embrace the core and keep your back straight. Do not bend over throughout the movement.
- Slowly go down until you reach close to the floor. Hold that position for a couple of seconds
- Push your body up with the power of your chest until you reach the starting position.