There are plenty of good reasons you should be completing your weekly quota of chest exercises. Your chest is composed of some of the largest and most used muscles in your body. This means that even when you aren't in the gym, you are using them all the time. Picking up boxes? Pushing open a heavy door? Waving at a friend? The answer is yes to all of these, so it's probably a good idea to develop them into something we’re proud of. Whether you’re lifting with dreams of pure aesthetics or the goal of incredible performance, you’re going to need to workout properly to get good results. 

We’re here to give you all the details of what we think are some of the best chest exercises you can do. Most men have aspired to have those powerful pectorals that really fill out a workout shirt. No guy wants to stand in front of the mirror and see man boobs, or “moobs” for short. With these chest workouts at your disposal, you too can have larger than life chest muscles that are tougher than a board. With a good routine and strict regimen, results will come in no time at all. As they say, slow and steady truly does win the race and you should take these words to heart. Overdoing these workouts will most likely hamper your progress rather than help it, so remember to do everything in moderation. 

The sheer volume of chest exercises out there can make it difficult to know what exactly to do or even if you’re doing those things properly. There are dozens upon dozens of different exercises and variations that you can do on chest day, but you probably don’t want to spend all Monday afternoon, or multiple Mondays, trying all of them out. Ideally you should be sticking to a couple of the best exercises and continually trying to improve on those week after week. With the amount of exercises there are out there, we’ve done the work and narrowed the list to some of the most effective chest exercises for you to try.

Now these aren’t necessarily a list of the hardest or most challenging workouts. It is focused on what we believe to be, pound for pound, the best and most efficient mass builders. We’ve also provided an explanation and a quick “how to” to help you get started. These are great to swap in for exercises in your current routine, build a whole new chest regimen with them, or just to change things up and keep things fresh when you get bored of your standard routine. But first, let us touch on some things you should know before jumping straight into it. If you’re already a workout vet and here just for the exercises, feel free to scroll down to get to the workout. 

 Also read: BEST ARM WORKOUT EXERCISES FOR BUILDING BIGGER ARMS

The Chest Muscles

If you’re going to be trying to bulk up for a massive chest, you need to be informed on what exactly you are working to build body. In addition to providing a strong and aesthetic physique, a well trained chest will often improve the overall health of its owner as well as the ability to perform daily tasks with much greater ease. The chest is made of the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, both of which you will be working on.

The pectoralis major, or more commonly referred to as just “pecs” make up the largest portion of your chest muscles. It is a thick and wide muscle located right under the breast, which extends out across your chest from the shoulder to your breast bone. A developed pectoralis major is quite evident in males which make them greatly sought after for vanity’s sake. The muscle contains at least 6 separate sets of muscle fibers, which allow portions of the muscle to be moved independently. Composed of a sternal head and a clavicle head, the pectoralis major aids in the extension and flexion of the arm.

A second pectoral muscle, the pectoralis minor, is situated underneath the pectoralis major. The thinner, smaller sibling of the pectoral duo extends from three origin points on the ribcage. The primary functions of the muscle are the stabilization, depression, abduction, protraction, and the upward and downward rotation of your scapula. Together your pectoralis major and pectoralis minor form your pecs and play a crucial role in both arm and deep inhalation. 

The Best Chest Workouts

Knowing the most efficient, muscle building moves is only one part of the whole game plan though. There’s more to sculpting a powerful chest than just going through the movements. A solid diet plan is essential to seeing the best gains from your efforts. Without the proper fuel to power your workouts or protein to help your body recover, you might get frustrated with the perceived plateaus you hit. Don’t let that happen to you and form a solid plan to go with your workout schedule. If you need some help, we have some tips on getting started.

The Chest Exercises

Flat Barbell Bench Press

Easily the most popular chest day exercise, the flat barbell bench press is regarded as one of the best chest exercises for gaining mass, and rightfully so. A tried and true gem in gyms across the globe, this workout is a sign of strong and healthy pectoral muscles. Just as long as you don’t overdo it. No matter how seasoned you consider yourself, we always recommended you have a spotter on hand at all times when performing this chest exercise.

The flat barbell bench press enlists the muscles from your entire chest as well as additional assistance from the delts (on your shoulder) and triceps. You are able to generate the most power with barbell lifts and the standard flat bench variation allows you to move the most weight. This is because utilizing the barbell for the bench press allows multiple muscle groups to work as one, making it a great compound exercise. The barbell also provides the option to add more weight to the bar as opposed to a dumbbell bench press, making it a fantastic exercise for increasing your overall strength and power. This exercise is relatively easy to spot and easy to learn that’s why it's the first one on our list.

How To: To begin, start by lying back on the bench with your feet flat on the ground and your eyes even with the bar. Grip the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) and keep your arms a little wider than shoulder width apart. Begin the movement by fully extending your arms to take the bar off of the rack so that it is directly over your chest. Inhale and slowly lower the bar toward yourself, making sure to keep your elbows in. Once the bar touches the very top of your chest, hold for a beat, then exhale and thrust the bar up with considerable power until your arms are once again back in their starting position. Count one rep and then repeat until you reach the desired amount of reps.

Equipment Needed: Bench, Barbell

Seated Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

Another staple chest exercise when you want to target the upper portion of your chest. With an adjustable bench you are able to do a number of things that you wouldn't be able to do with a fixed bench. An adjustable bench allows for the changing of angle of the bench which opens up its utility for a wider range of exercises. Utilising this feature we can target the clavicular head, which increases the focus on the upper portion of our pectoralis major, or upper chest. This is important because the upper section of the chest can sometimes lack growth in comparison to the pectoralis major, most commonly found in beginners in strength training. So, incorporating this exercise in your workouts will promote a well-developed chest because performing bench presses at an incline can maximize the activation of the muscles in the upper chest. 

In addition, dumbbell exercises offer different variants to aid your chest development. By using two independent weights, you have a greater range of motion that will trigger more stabilization muscles to activate. Having two separate weights will also ensure that your muscle strength is evenly distributed as both sides of your body will have to work on their own to manage the weight.

How To:  To set up the scene, set the incline bench at a 30 to 45 degree angle. A good general rule is to keep the angle under 60 degrees to make sure the focus of the workout is on your chest rather than your shoulders. Grab two dumbbells using an overhand grip and lie all the way back onto the bench. Keep your feet flat on the ground and lift the dumbbells above your face around shoulder level, extending your arms. Next, lower the weights toward the middle of your chest on either side, then drive them back up and squeeze your chest once again at the top. Count one rep and repeat. 

For a more challenging version, try to slowly rotate the dumbbells from palms facing forward toa palms inward position as you are pushing the weights upward, really squeezing at the top. This seemingly small change will cause you to rotate your upper arm, really recruiting your upper chest.

Equipment Needed: Incline Bench, Dumbbells

Dips

One of the more difficult exercises on this list, dips are a great workout that signal you are making progress on your chest workout regimen. This exercise contributes to the development in your chest, and also recruits some help from your arms, shoulders, and upper back. This exercise is a great spotter free alternative to decline presses when you want to really go hard at the gym alone.

There are some people out there that would even argue that bodyweight chest dips are even better than the bench press! Think about it, the bench itself offers plenty of support to your upper body during the bench press. Your legs offer some support as well. With the dip exercise, your upper body is supporting the entirety of your bodyweight on it’s own leading to a fuller workout. This is also the reason dips require a significant amount of strength. If you’re not quite strong enough to do your full body weight, you can benefit greatly from the use of assisted dip machines or resistance bands. For those finding the exercise too easy, weighted dips can be achieved by holding a dumbbell between your legs or wearing a weight belt.

How To: Firmly grab the dip bar and get yourself into the beginning of the dip position. Start at the top of the movement with your upper back tight and your shoulder blades squeezed together. Next angle your torso slightly forward and let your elbows bend as you tuck them inwards toward the sides of your torso. The movement should allow yourself to lower your body down until your elbows are bent at around a 90 degree angle. Finish the rep by pressing through the handles to bring your body back upright into the top of the dip position once again. Count one rep and repeat the process.

Equipment Needed: Dip Bar

Bodyweight Push-Up

Arguably the most popular exercise to exist, the humble push-up has been around for a long time, and for a good reason. Believe it or not, the tried and true workout is actually one of the best exercises you can do for your chest. The best part is that push-ups can be done just about anywhere you can imagine. Not only does it strengthen your arms, chest, and shoulders, but it also helps train your core and builds conditioning. To top it all off, there’s no equipment needed! The push up is why there really shouldn't be any excuses as to why you can’t workout. 

Another reason to love the legendary exercise is its versatility. There are plenty of variations of the push up you can do to either challenge yourself or target different muscles. You can do decline push ups to focus more on your lower pectorals, clap push ups to work on those fast twitch muscle fibers and prime them for growth. You can do one arm push ups, wide hand push ups, diamond push ups, pike push ups, knee push ups, Spiderman push ups, the list goes on and on. Find which one you enjoy the best for your goals, or just try something new to keep things fresh and interesting. 

How To: For the uninitiated, a basic push up can be achieved by getting onto your hands and feet, lying face down horizontally across the floor in plank position. Keep your hands shoulder width apart and your legs about hip width apart. Put your hands flat on the ground below your shoulders with your arms straight. This is your starting position. Breathe in as you bend your elbows to lower your chest to slightly above the ground, and then breathe out as you push yourself back up to the starting position. Count one repetition and keep pushing.

Equipment: None

Cable Crossovers

This is a popular chest workout that you can do at the gym. It's versatile where you can perform this exercise low to high or high to low, and all you need is a cable pulley machine. This makes the list because it is an isolation move that will target your chest muscles directly as opposed to a bench press which is a compound movement that involves multiple muscle groups. Just like all other major muscles in your body, if you want to increase the size and strength of your chest, you need to work it from different angles using a variety of exercises. Cable crossovers provide exactly this. It's no wonder they are favored by bodybuilders as it really improves the definition of your chest muscles.  

How To:  Set both of the handles on the ends of the pulleys at the highest level. Attach a D handle on both sides and stand in the center of the machine with your feet shoulder width apart. Start with your torso slightly forward, keeping your spine neutral and back straight. Keeping your elbows slightly bent and core engaged, begin pulling both handles down and across your body with your wrists facing the floor. Be sure to focus on squeezing your chest muscles in this fully contracted position. Slowly reverse the movement, returning to the starting position and while keeping your elbows bent. Count one repetition and start the process over again.

Equipment: Cable Pulley Machine, D handles.

Svend Press

If you haven’t met already, please let us introduce you to the svend press. The svend press is a much lesser known chest exercise, but given praise by bodybuilders and fitness professionals alike. This movement can aid in pumping up your chest, improving your mind-muscle connection, and giving you the proper gains you want. If you’ve done all the previous exercises on this list and you still don’t have the chest you want, then it may be time to switch up your routine and try out this less popular, but effective exercise.

At first glance, the svend press looks simple enough. A light pressing movement used to stimulate the pectoral muscles. But once you start the movement, you’ll quickly learn that the exercise makes it nearly impossible to rely on your other muscle groups to move the weight. The svend press is really good at switching things up on your pecs by using a squeezing motion. By design, it is difficult to use heavy weights, so focus a lot more on perfecting your technique and developing that mind-muscle connection.

How To: First, grab a smaller weight that is easy for you to manage and hold in front of your body for an extended period of time. If you are new to this exercise, we recommended you start with two 5 or 10 pound plates. Plates are recommended but a dumbbell or kettlebell should work as well. Bring the weights up to your chest with palms making contact and your fingers pointed out and away from your body. Get into position by flaring out your chest, raising your elbows, and bringing your arms parallel with the ground. While actively squeezing the weights together (constant tension), begin to push the weight out from your chest to full extension. Hold this position for a couple of seconds, making sure to squeeze the weights throughout. Bring the weights back in and count one repetition. Repeat this process for your desired set and reps.

Equipment: Weight Plates or Dumbbells, or Kettlebells

Seated Machine Chest Press

While free weight moves on a flat bench are great, there are some unique benefits to using a machine press at the gym. Specifically, it is much easier to slow down your reps improving your muscle’s time under tension. This exercise is great for beginners as the machine limits range of motion available to you, reducing the probability of improper form and injuries. Machines allow for the use of heavier weights and more control, making them a great tool to learn how to focus on the mind muscle connection as well form control.

Try and do machine exercises toward the end of your workout. Machines give you a greater chance to pump your pecs with less shoulder assistance, making them a great asset for anyone trying to build for mass.

How To: Here is a generalized guide to using a chest press machine as most machines will have instructions placed on them for your convenience. As there are many different variations of the seated chest press machine, be sure to familiarize yourself with those before you start your workout.

Begin by sitting comfortably on the machine with your feet placed about shoulder-width apart. Be sure to adjust the seat height and arm length to suitibile settings for your body. The setting should ensure that your arms are able to push at a horizontal opposition to the ground when your arms are extended. Grab the handles with your thumbs circled around the handle, maintaining a neutral wrist position in line with your forearms. Start the movement by pushing the bars outward to full extension, exhaling as you press out. Your head and neck should press steady against the back pad. Pause for a moment at full extension, then allow the bars to slowly return towards your chest while breathing in. Count one repetition and repeat for your program.

Equipment: Seated Machine Chest Press

Incline Dumbbell Pullover

This incline variation of the dumbbell pullover provides excellent targeted muscle strengthening. This resistance moves focuses on strengthening a number of muscles in the chest (pectoralis major) and lats (latissimus dorsi). The incline dumbbell pullover really gives you a wide range of motion which in turn provides a deep stretch in the pecs and lats.

Toss this exercise at the very end of your workout shooting for higher reps. Make sure to hold the peak contraction for a couple of seconds to get the most out of it.

How To:  Get into starting position by setting an incline bench at an angle of about 30 degrees. Lie back onto the bench, facing upward. Grab a dumbbell at a weight you are comfortable with and hold it with both hands overhead in a triangle grip. Slowly bring the weight down by bending at your shoulders until you feel a stretch in your upper chest. Move the weight back to your starting position overhead and count one rep.

Equipment: Seated Incline bench, Dumbbells

Now that you’ve got some of the best chest exercises in your arsenal, time to work on building better arms. Check out this article for 10 of the absolute best arm exercises for massive arms