6 Chest Exercises for Building Your Chest Muscles

Chest exercises target and strengthen the chest muscles via a combination of weighted and unweighted movements. Your chest contains multiple muscle groups, including the pectorals (pecs), deltoids (delts), and serratus anterior. The pecs, a muscle group in the upper chest, are made up of the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The delts are the muscles on the top of the shoulders that connect to the chest. The serratus anterior is located on the inside of the chest wall. The best chest exercises increase activation of each of these muscle groups to build upper-body strength.

If you have access to gym equipment such as a cable pulley machine, consider practicing exercises such as cable crossovers or pec decks. Otherwise, you can practice most chest exercises at home with minimal to no equipment.

Consider some of the best chest workouts for building strength and stamina in your chest muscles.

1. 1. Push-ups: Push-ups are a compound exercise designed to work multiple muscle groups across your body, including the pectoral muscles, anterior deltoids, triceps, glutes, core muscles, and lower back muscles. Perform push-ups by holding yourself in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on the floor. While keeping your back and legs in a straight line, lower your body toward the floor while engaging your core and squeezing your shoulder blades together, then push back up to the starting position.
2. 2. Barbell bench press: Bodybuilders rely on barbell bench presses to maximize muscle growth. Perform bench presses by lying on your back on a flat bench with your eyes aligned directly underneath a weighted barbell. Grab the barbell with a shoulder-width grip and unrack it carefully. Lower the barbell towards the middle of your chest just above your sternum and then lift it again.
3. 3. Incline bench press: Practice the incline bench press exercise by lying back on an adjustable bench set at a 45-degree angle. Grip a weighted barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Unrack the barbell and lower it toward your sternum. Repeat this bench pressing movement pattern for your desired number of repetitions.
4. 4. Incline dumbbell press: The incline dumbbell press, also known as the incline chest press and the incline dumbbell bench press, is an upper body workout that engages the pectoral muscles in your chest, the triceps on the backside of your arms, and the anterior deltoid muscles on the front of your shoulders. The angle of the adjustable bench in this variation puts more tension on your upper chest muscles than a flat bench press.
5. 5. Decline bench press: Perform the decline bench press exercise by lying faceup on an adjustable bench set to a decline position. Unrack a weighted barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower the barbell until your elbows bend to a 45-degree angle. Squeeze your pecs and straighten your elbows, lifting the barbell. Repeat this movement for the number of repetitions appropriate for your weight training chest routine.
6. 6. Dumbbell fly: A dumbbell fly is performed by lying on a flat bench and lowering a pair of dumbbells to your sides while keeping relatively straight arms with a slight bend in your elbows.

Get ready for chest day by taking note of these chest workout tips.

1. 1. Practice chest exercises with a spotter. Whether you're at the gym or at home, it's good to keep a spotter nearby when lifting heavy weights. Should the workout become too overwhelming, the spotter can step in to assist you and prevent an injury.
2. 2. Adapt chest exercises for your home workout routine. If you don’t have access to a gym or home gym equipment, you can practice most chest exercises with common household exercise gear such as dumbbells or resistance bands.
3. 3. Focus on your breath. Focusing on your breath helps you perform the full range of motion with more control. Even, steady breaths can even boost your lifting power. For example, during a push-up, inhale through your nose as you bend your elbows and exhale through your mouth as you lengthen your arms to return to the starting position.
4. 4. Practice proper form. Proper form is crucial to preventing injury and getting full-body benefits out of your workout. When practiced with proper form, the best chest workouts will work your upper and lower chest, upper back, and upper arms.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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