Men’s Health

50 Best Chest Exercises of 2023

In order to pump up your pecs and construct one of the best chest within the fitness center, you want focused chest workouts that stimulate muscle development in one of the best ways potential. Because the principle chest muscle groups (particularly the pectoralis main, aka pecs) are so enormous, and contribute to so many actions, you may want greater than only a handful of strikes to construct your chest (and full higher body) from each angle.

These 50 muscle-building chest exercises will develop your pecs (and the encompassing musculature), spark higher ranges of strength, and offer you a extra imposing physique. While some require tools (assume bench and dumbbells for a chest press), others solely require a resistance band (like band-resisted pushups and flyes).

Related: Low Weight + High Reps = More Strength

Best Chest Exercises 

1. Barbell Bench Press

How to do it:

  1. Grasp the bar simply outdoors shoulder-width and arch your again so there’s house between your decrease again and the bench.
  2. Pull the bar out of the rack and decrease it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45° to your sides.
  3. When the bar touches your body, drive your toes laborious into the ground and press the bar again up.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

How to do it:

  1. Lie again on a flat bench with a dumbbell in every hand.
  2. Hold the weights at shoulder-level
  3. Then press the weights straight up.

3. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press

(*6*)

How to do it:

  1. Lying faceup on a bench, holding dumbbells on the outdoors of your shoulders and with palms going through your thighs, carry each dumbbells over your chest.
  2. Keeping one arm straight, decrease the opposite dumbbell, contact the surface of your shoulder, and push it again up. At the highest of the motion, push farther with each palms, as if attempting to punch the ceiling.

4. Hips-Off, Single-Arm Bench Press

How to do it:

  1. Lie again on a flat bench so the suitable half of your torso is off bench, a heavy (40- to 50-pound) dumbbell in proper hand.
  2. Brace core and press dumbbell over proper shoulder. Do all reps on proper facet, then change sides.

5. Cable Crossover

How to do it:

  1. Stand between two going through cable stations with each pulleys set halfway between the highest and backside of the station.
  2. Attach a D-handle to every pulley and maintain one in every hand.
  3. Keep your elbows barely bent, and step ahead so there’s pressure on the cables.
  4. Flex your pecs as you carry your palms collectively out in entrance of your chest. Alternate stretching and flexing after every set.

6. Incline Dumbbell Press

How to do it:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30°-45° angle and lie again on it with a dumbbell in every hand at shoulder-level.
  2. Press the weights over your chest.

7. Dumbbell Half Flye

How to do it:

  1. Lie again on a flat bench with a dumbbell in every hand, held above your chest. Lower the weights out to the facet, opening your arms extensive.
  2. Feel a stretch in your pecs. Bring the weights midway up, then return them again to the underside place. That’s one rep.
  3. Take three seconds to decrease your arms and three to carry them midway up on every rep.

8. Dumbbell Flye

How to do it:

  1. Lie again on a flat bench with a dumbbell in every hand.
  2. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and unfold your arms extensive, decreasing the weights till they’re even together with your chest.
  3. Flex your pecs and carry the weights again to the beginning place.

9. Incline Dumbbell Flye

How to do it:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30°-45° angle, and lie again on it with a dumbbell in every hand.
  2. Turn your wrists so your palms face one another.
  3. Press the weights straight over your chest, then, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, unfold your arms open as if you happen to had been going for an enormous bear hug.
  4. Lower your arms till you are feeling a stretch in your pecs, then carry the weights again collectively over your chest.

10. Low-Incline Press

How to do it:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to an incline of not more than 30°, or relaxation a flat bench on a weight plate or mat to tilt it barely.
  2. Grasp the bar simply outdoors shoulder-width, and arch your again so there’s house between your decrease again and the bench.
  3. Pull the bar out of the rack and decrease it to your sternum, tucking your elbows about 45° to your sides.
  4. When the bar touches your body, drive your toes laborious into the ground and press the bar again up.

11. Speed Bench Press

How to do it:

  1. Bench press as described above, however accomplish that on a very flat bench.
  2. Use 60% of your max.
  3. So if you happen to assume you possibly can bench press 250lbs one time, carry out your sets with 150, exploding every rep off your chest as quick as you possibly can.

12. Landmine Press

How to do it:

  1. Wedge the tip of the barbell right into a nook of the room (to keep away from harm to the partitions, you will have to wrap a towel round it).
  2. Load the other finish with weight and grasp it towards the tip of the barbell sleeve together with your proper hand.
  3. Stagger your stance so your left leg is in entrance. Press the bar straight overhead.

13. Floor Press

How to do it:

  1. Lie on the ground with a dumbbell in every hand.
  2. Your palms ought to face one another and your triceps (however not your elbows) ought to relaxation on the ground.
  3. Explosively press the dumbbells up.
  4. Lower them till solely your triceps contact the ground.
  5. Pause for a second, then start the subsequent rep. Increase the weight progressively every set.

14. Prone Flye

How to do it:

  1. Hold a dumbbell in every hand and get right into a pushup place on the ground with palms going through one another.
  2. Spread your arms aside as in a standard dumbbell flye and decrease your body till you are feeling a stretch in your chest, then squeeze the dumbbells and produce your palms again to pushup place.
  3. Keep your abs and glutes braced and your again flat all through. If you’re utilizing plate-loaded dumbbells, you might be able to roll the weight plates on the ground through the flye.
  4. Otherwise, you possibly can place a towel beneath every dumbbell to facilitate sliding. If that is too tough, carry out the exercise in your knees.

15. Pullover

How to do it:

  1. Lie in your again on the ground and maintain one dumbbell overhead with each palms.
  2. Press the weight over your chest, then attain again over your head, bending your elbows solely barely.
  3. Continue till you are feeling a stretch in your lats, then pull the dumbbell again over your chest.
  4. Take a deep breath each time you decrease the dumbbell behind you.

16. Plate Pressout

How to do it:

  1. Hold a pair of sunshine weight plates collectively, easy facet out, between your palms proper in entrance of your chest.
  2. Squeeze the plates collectively, focusing in your chest, and press them out in entrance of you till your arms are prolonged.
  3. Flare your lats and pull the weights again to your chest.
  4. Complete your reps after which, on the second set, press the weights downward out of your chest at a 45-degree angle.
  5. On the third set, press them upward at a 45-degree angle.

17. 3-Way Suspension Trainer Flye

How to do it:

  1. Attach a suspension coach to a sturdy overhead object and lengthen the straps to a degree the place you’ll do pushups.
  2. Grasp the handles and get into pushup place with palms beneath your shoulders.
  3. Your complete body needs to be straight and your core braced.
  4. Bring your arms out to your sides as if you happen to had been giving somebody a bear hug.
  5. Lower your body till you are feeling a stretch in your chest after which carry your arms collectively once more.
  6. That’s one rep of the flye. Perform three reps.
  7. Then, from the beginning place, open your arms however maintain your elbows bent in order that the transfer seems to be like a mixture of a pushup and a flye.
  8. Press your self again up.
  9. That’s one rep of the bent-arm flye.
  10. Perform three reps.
  11. From there, return to the beginning place and carry out pushups on the handles.
  12. All of the above equals one set.

18. Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Get right into a pushup place with palms beneath your shoulders.
  2. Your complete body needs to be straight and your core braced.
  3. Lower your body, maintaining your elbows tucked close to your torso and your head impartial, till your chest is sort of touching the ground.
  4. Fire your chest and triceps and lift your body again to the pushup place.

19. Suspension Trainer Reverse Flye to External Rotation to Face Pull

(*1*)

How to do it:

Reverse Flye:

  1. Grasp the handles and lean again away from the coach’s attachment level so your weight is in your heels and your body is about 45 levels to the ground.
  2. Allow your arms to increase in entrance of you.
  3. Squeeze your shoulder blades collectively and draw your arms again till they’re 90 levels out to your sides.
  4. (Keep a slight bend in your elbows.) That’s one rep of the reverse flye. Perform 5 reps.

External Rotation:

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  1. From the start place of the reverse flye, draw your higher arms again together with your elbows bent 90 levels and knuckles going through the ceiling.
  2. Your higher body ought to make a W form.
  3. That’s one rep of the exterior rotation. Perform 5 reps.

Face Pull:

  1. From there, return to the beginning place with arms prolonged and pull your palms to your brow, twisting your palms to face in entrance of you as you pull.
  2. That’s one face pull. Perform 5 reps. All of the above equals one set.

20. One-Armed Medicine Ball Pushup

(*8*)

How to do it:

  1. Get right into a pushup place resting your proper hand on the medication ball and left hand on the ground.
  2. Lower your body till your chest is simply above the ground, then push again up.

21. Medicine Ball Pushup “Drop ‘n’ Pop”

(*4*)

How to do it:

  1. Place each palms on the ball and get into pushup place.
  2. Quickly let go of the ball and unfold your palms out to shoulder width on the ground.
  3. When you are feeling your chest contact the ball, push your self up quick so your palms come off the ground and land on the ball once more.

22. Close-Grip Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Perform these as you’ll regular pushups, however place your palms shut collectively.
  2. The nearer collectively your palms are, the extra this exercise emphasizes the triceps.

23. Medicine Ball Crossover Pushup

(*7*)

How to do it:

  1. Perform a pushup with one hand on the ball.
  2. At the highest of the pushup, take your hand off the ball and roll it to the opposite hand.
  3. Put your different hand and the ball, and do one other rep.

24. Plyo Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Perform pushups however explode upward on every rep so your palms go away the ground and you may clap earlier than touchdown.
  2. When you land, go instantly into the subsequent rep. Stop the set as quickly as your motion slows down, even when it’s earlier than six reps are accomplished.

25. Wide-Grip Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Place your palms wider than shoulder width.
  2. Perform pushups.

26. Band-Resisted Pushup w/ Feet Elevated

(*2*)

How to do it:

  1. Grasp the tip of the band in a single hand and wrap it round your again. Pin each palms to the ground with the ends of the band in your palms.
  2. Rest your toes on a field, bench, or mats in order that your body kinds a straight line parallel to the ground.
  3. Perform pushups.

27. Band-Resisted Flye

How to do it:

  1. Attach a band to a sturdy object at shoulder height and repeat with one other adjoining to it.
  2. Alternatively, tie two bands collectively and anchor them on the identical level behind you.
  3. Hold the other ends of the bands in every hand and step ahead in order that your arms are drawn again 90 levels to your sides and you’re feeling a stretch in your pecs.
  4. Keeping your elbows barely bent, carry your palms collectively in entrance of your chest as if you happen to had been giving somebody a bear hug.

28. Triceps Extension

How to do it:

  1. Start in a pushup place, then relaxation your forearms on the ground with palms down.
  2. Keeping your core tight and your body in a straight line, prolong your elbows so your arms are straight.

29. Pec Deck

How to do it:

  1. Set up the Pec Deck so the vertical bars are positioned near the machine.
  2. Adjust the seat so the handles are roughly chest height.
  3. While going through away from the machine, attain again with one hand to seize one deal with, then the opposite.
  4. Pull the handles collectively and resist pressure on the way in which again.

30. Wide-Grip Dips

How to do it:

  1. Keeping your arms straight, maintain your body up on two parallel bars which can be a pair inches wider than shoulder-width aside.
  2. Descend till your chest is roughly consistent with your palms, then push again as much as the beginning place, locking out your elbows.
  3. Descend whereas maintaining your torso barely horizontal to the bottom, which emphasizes the chest muscle groups over your triceps.

31. Smith Machine Incline Press

How to do it:

  1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30°-45° incline, and roll it into the middle of a Smith machine rack.
  2. Grasp the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip.
  3. Unrack the bar, decrease it to the higher a part of your chest, and press straight up.

32. Low-Cable Crossover

How to do it:

  1. Stand between two going through cable stations and connect a D-handle to the low pulleys on every.
  2. With a deal with in every hand and elbows barely bent, elevate your arms from waist height to out in entrance of your chest, flexing your pecs as you carry them collectively.

33. Decline Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Start with palms on the ground and barely extensive, prime of toes or shins resting on a physio ball.
  2. Engage core and decrease body to stabilize, and carry out pushups extra slowly.

34. Back Lunge to One-Arm Chest Pass

(*5*)

How to do it:

  1. Stand going through a sturdy wall, 5 toes away, with toes barely wider than shoulder-width aside, elbows bent at rib cage, drugs ball slightly below sternum, and elbows pointing outward.
  2. Step proper foot again right into a lunge, rotate torso clockwise barely, bringing ball towards your proper shoulder, supporting it together with your proper hand.
  3. Keeping core tight and neck impartial, drive via left heel as you step ahead together with your proper foot to forcefully throw drugs ball towards wall with proper hand. Collect drugs ball, reset, and repeat.

35. Med Ball Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Assume pushup place on a drugs or Swiss ball with fingers pointed down the edges.
  2. The shoulder blades needs to be pushed away from one another. Lower your self to the place the chest barely touches the ball.
  3. Maintain management of the ball as you push as distant from the ball as potential. Keep your body straight from head to ankle.

36. Medicine Ball Rotational Throw

(*9*)

How to do it:

  1. Stand 5 toes away from and perpendicular to a sturdy wall, so the wall is in your proper
  2. Keeping chin barely down and taking a look at wall constantly, rotate shoulders and arms clockwise and right down to carry ball by left hip.
  3. Powerfully twist clockwise and launch ball, first rotating your hips, adopted by torso, then arms, and eventually the ball.
  4. Catch the ball and start your subsequent throw. Switch sides in any case reps.

37. One-arm Flye Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Get into pushup place with one hand on a slider.
  2. Lower your body whereas sliding the hand on the slider out to the facet, as if performing a flye. Keep most of your weight on the non-slider arm.
  3. Go as little as you safely can, then push up and draw your arm again in.

38. Chest Press Machine

What Exactly is a Chest Press Machine?

The chest press machine engages the muscle groups within the higher torso. The chest muscle groups are essentially the most energetic space of the body throughout this motion.

What is the Purpose of a Chest Press Machine?

The chest press machine motion is a strengthening exercise for the chest muscle groups. Furthermore, it aids within the growth of the muscle groups within the shoulder and higher arm area. The shoulders and arms are essentially the most energetic elements of the body through the chest press machine motion. As a outcome, it has a direct impression on the event of the muscle groups on this area.

How to do it:

  1. Load plates on either side of a flat-press machine, and modify the seat in order that each of your toes are flat on the ground.
  2. Grasp the handles and press to a full lockout.

39. Banded Chest Flye

How to do it:

  1. Wrap a band round a sturdy object or round your again and maintain an finish in every hand.
  2. Open your arms so you are feeling a stretch in your pecs.
  3. Keeping your elbows barely bent, carry your palms collectively in entrance of your chest as if you happen to had been giving somebody a bear hug.

40. High Peak Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Situate 4 yoga blocks or small plyo packing containers beneath palms and toes, with palms wider than conventional pushup place.
  2. Drop chest under hand stage whereas sustaining a straight again, then press again up into plank place. As you get stronger, carry blocks beneath toes barely nearer collectively.

41. Spiderman Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Start in plank place, arms prolonged and your body in straight line.
  2. Bend elbows, maintaining them near your sides to provoke the motion.
  3. As you decrease your body to the ground, bend your left knee and contact it to left elbow. Return to plank place. Repeat by touching your proper knee to your proper elbow.

42. Plank to Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Begin in a forearm plank.
  2. Push out of your triceps, putting your proper hand on the bottom, then your left hand, progressively rising to pushup place.
  3. Return to the forearm plank by putting your proper forearm down, then your left. Alternate which arm leads the motion.

43. One-arm Hang Snatch

How to do it:

  1. It’s a full-body exercise with energy coming from the hips, however your chest is the unsung contributor of this transfer offering stability within the “catch” part.
  2. Stand with toes shoulder-width aside whereas holding a dumbbell straight down in entrance of you. Keeping your again flat and chest up, push your hips again and right down to decrease the weight between your knees.
  3. Explode in a single movement, extending the hips rapidly and pulling the dumbbell straight up. When the weight reaches most height, drop your body beneath and catch it overhead. Lower again to beginning place, and repeat; change sides in any case reps.

44. Split-Stance Head-to-Hip

How to do it:

  1. Stand in a cut up stance three toes in entrance of a wall holding a drugs ball at chest stage together with your arms straight.
  2. Bring the ball to your chest and throw it as laborious as potential towards the wall.
  3. Catch the ball and go instantly into your subsequent throw. Midway via the set, change legs.
  4. *From this split-stance place, you cann additionally throw a drugs ball from chest stage with arms straight. Catch the ball and go instantly into your subsequent throw. Midway via the set, change legs.

45. Medium Cable Flye

How to do it:

  1. Attach a D-handle to each cable pulley attachments. Grab one in every hand and stroll out a couple of toes so there’s pressure within the cables.
  2. Keeping elbows up and barely bent, fists parallel to shoulders, press palms round and ahead to fulfill one another, such as you’re hugging a tree. Reverse for 1 rep.

46. 3-Way Pushups

How to do it:

  1. Do 10 conventional pushups (palms instantly beneath shoulders).
  2. Next, do 10 diamond pushups (index fingers and thumbs touching).
  3. Lastly, do 10 wide-grip pushups (palms wider than shoulders).

47. Burpee

How to do it:

  1. From a standing place, squat, place your palms on the bottom, and “jump” your toes out right into a pushup.
  2. Perform a pushup, then leap your toes to your palms. 
  3. Jump as high as you possibly can, throwing your palms over your head, then instantly repeat motion.

48. Dowel Rod Pushup

How to do it:

  1. Place a brush deal with or dowel rod alongside your backbone and maintain it centered in your again as you carry out conventional pushups. Not solely does this drive you to make use of correct kind, nevertheless it additionally requires you to remain targeted and engaged.

49. Landmine Standing Reach

How to do it:

  1. Stand going through landmine, toes staggered barely, proper foot in entrance, landmine in left hand near shoulder.
  2. Press left arm ahead and overhead, and pull proper elbow again, to start.
  3. In a swift movement, drop barbell to shoulder and thrust left hand up at a 45-degree angle, then rapidly return to start for 1 rep. Do all reps on left facet, then change sides.

50. Incline Cable Flye to Chest Press

(*3*)

How to do it:

  1. Adjust a bench 45 levels to the incline place in the course of a cable machine with deal with attachments to the bottom setting on both facet.
  2. Grasp handles, then sit with arms prolonged, slight bend in elbows, palms going through one another. Contract pecs to carry palms collectively. Squeeze on the prime, then slowly decrease.
  3. Perform prescribed reps then change hand place to a large incline cable chest press.

The Best Practices for Doing Chest Exercises

  • Prioritize compound actions.
  • Use progressive resistance (enhance the weight or variety of reps you carry out every exercise).
  • Improve your shoulder stability to safeguard towards damage (use “pulling” exercises that retract your shoulder blades).

Common Training Mistakes to Avoid

  • Doing too many exercises in a single exercise.
  • Going too heavy too rapidly.
  • Using improper kind and method.

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