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  • The Top 10 Chest Workout Exercises

    To get the best chest workout you need to make sure you are using a variety of exercises that will work the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor from different angles.

    Because your muscles respond best to a changing stimulus it is crucial you change your workouts frequently and include a combination of machine and free weight exercises for best results.

    Here are 10 of the best chest exercises you can use in your workouts to build and develop a strong chest:

    Barbell Bench Press

    This chest workout is the king of upper body exercises allowing you to build strength by lifting the most weight. The bench press is great for developing the middle chest area and targets the shoulders and triceps as well. Using a close grip on the bar will place more emphasis on the triceps.

    Barbell Incline Press

    This exercise is an ideal upper chest workout and also places more emphasis on your shoulders. Unlike the flat bench press you won’t be able to lift as much weight.

    Barbell Decline Press

    This lower chest workout should be used to obtain a fully developed chest. The movement specifically targets the lower pectorals but also recruits the shoulders.

    Dumbbell Press

    The dumbbell press is a progression of the barbell press as it gives you a much greater range of motion. This recruits more muscle fibres, leading to faster gains. It also helps to improve symmetry and balance of the arms and chest as both arms are forced to press the same amount of weight.

    Dumbbell Flyes

    Dumbbell flyes are a great isolation exercise for developing the inner chest.  They are a must for every chest workout routine as they help to create a fully developed and shaped chest.

    Machine Chest Press

    Machines don’t offer you the range of motion or muscle recruitment that free weights do. However they are great for beginners and ensure you are isolating the correct muscles and maintaining proper form. They are also ideal for really exhausting your pectorals and can be used after your main exercises or as part of a superset.

    Cable Crossovers

    These are a great isolation exercise for your pectorals. They can be used as a replacement for dumbbell flyes or the pec dec machine and are great for building up the inside of the chest.

    Dumbbell Pullover

    This exercise builds your back and chest in one movement. It targets the latissimus dorsi muscle of the back, the pectoralis major muscle of the chest, and even hits the the triceps on the back of the arm as well.

    Chest dips

    Dips are one exercise that aren’t utilized in enough chest workouts. It is seen more as a triceps workout but is also a powerful way of developing the lower chest. It is an extremely challenging exercise that can be made even more intense by adding weight.

    Press Ups

    This is the perfect body weight exercise for developing upper body strength and definition. The main muscles recruited for this movement are the pectorals and triceps. There are many arm positions you can use to change muscle emphasis as well as raise the intensity. Press ups are also a powerful way of exhausting the chest and are often used in supersets.

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    One Response

    1. Vince

      Great post-you cover a lot of the main chest workout exercises really well.

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