Chest Workout: Top 10 Exercises

Push-ups and bench presses can help increase the strength and definition of your pectoral muscles.

The chest muscles are involved in actions such as squeezing a pruner to cut a tree branch and open a door. They are also the main muscles referred to when discussing upper body strength (“How much can you bench press?”)

These muscles not only make you look more defined but are also extremely functionally important because they support arm movement.

10 best chest exercises

1. Inclined push-ups

Necessary equipment: Nobody

This is a good warm-up to prepare your chest for work. Research has shown that a dynamic warm-up is helpful in preventing injuries before training. Movements with lower resistance than the ones you are about to perform prepare the muscles for work.

:: Start with your hands on the wall. Step your feet back so your body forms about a 45-degree angle with the floor.

:: Keep your body straight and spine neutral and bring the person close to the wall.

:: Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.

:: Make sure the resistance is light enough to complete up to 20 repetitions. If you need to make it easier, bring your hands closer; to make it difficult, walk away.

2. Bench

Necessary equipment: barbell or dumbbells, flat bench

:: Lie on your back on the bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the bar, with your thumb wrapped around the bar and your palms facing your feet. Press your arms toward the ceiling to lift the weight off the rack.

:: Move your weight above chest level.

:: Bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle, slowly lower the weight to your chest. Keep the bar approximately in line with your nipples.

:: Pause for a moment and return the weight to the starting position.

Remember to keep your back straight and control your weight well. Also, keep your neck in a neutral position to avoid overexertion. It is advisable to enlist the help of an observer to ensure safety during this exercise.

3. Incline bench press

Necessary equipment: barbell or dumbbells, incline bench

:: Lie on your back on the incline bench with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold the bar, with your thumb wrapped around the bar and your palms facing your feet.

:: Press your arms toward the ceiling to lift the weight off the rack.

:: Place the weight above your collarbone.

:: Slowly lower the weight to your chest, approximately in line with the middle of your chest, just above your nipples.

:: Pause and return the weight to the starting position.

As with the bench press, remember to keep your back straight and your feet flat throughout the movement. And once again, we highly recommend doing this exercise with someone watching you.

4. Refuse the bench

Necessary equipment: barbell or dumbbells, decline bench

:: Lie on your back on the decline bench, with your knees bent and your ankles secured behind the ankle supports. Hold the bar, with your thumb wrapped around the bar and your palms facing your feet. Press your arms straight to lift the weight off the rack.

:: Place the weight above your lower chest to your upper abdomen.

:: Slowly bend your elbows to lower your weight to your chest, approximately in line with your nipples.

:: Pause and return the weight to the starting position.

5. Push-ups

Necessary equipment: Nobody

:: Start on your hands and knees and return to a high plank position. Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders and your legs should be straight with your quadriceps. Your hamstrings should be engaged and your spine should be neutral.

:: Keeping your core tight, bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle to lower your chest toward the floor, maintaining a straight line from head to heels.

:: Try to lower yourself as low as possible without losing core support or alignment of your spine and pelvis.

:: Push your chest away from the floor until your elbows are straight.

Remember to keep your hips in line with your shoulders and ankles. If it’s too difficult to do while standing, you can do this exercise on your knees. If you want to increase the challenge, you can perform a downward push-up by placing your toes on a raised surface, such as a bench or table.

6. Crossover cable

Necessary equipment: cable machine or resistance band

:: Start by moving away from a set of high-pulley cables or a resistance band anchored overhead. Select a light to moderate weight to add challenge but ensure success.

:: Hold your hands (or the ends of the band) as you step forward with 1 foot. Maintain enough tension and control on the straps to keep them in front of your chest.

:: Contract your chest muscles and lower the handles forward and down your body, approximately to the height of your belly button. The hands can be crossed to emphasize the front muscles.

:: Hold the position for a moment and then slowly return to the start. Then repeat.

7. Diving

Necessary equipment: soaking station

:: Stand in front of the two parallel bars and hold them with your palms facing inward.

:: Straighten your elbows and press into your hands, lifting your body so it’s in line with your hands.

:: Then bend your elbows and lower your chest towards your hands.

:: Pause and press back to the starting position. Repeat.

8. Resistance band pull-ups

Necessary equipment: resistance band

:: Still the band to something solid. Then lie on your back with your head facing the anchor point. The headband should be about 1 to 2 feet higher than your head.

:: Hold the band over your head so there is slight tension on the band. Keep your thumbs facing the sky and your palms facing each other.

:: Keeping your core tight and elbows straight, pull the band toward your hips. He slowly returns to the starting position while maintaining control.

9. Crucifix on the bench

Necessary equipment: straight bench, dumbbells

:: Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor or bench.

:: Always keep your head and torso in contact with the seat surface and your shoulder blades retracted (down).

:: Raise the weights above your chest, with one palm facing the other.

:: Leave your arms slightly bent (10° angle) and keep your abdomen contracted the entire time.

:: Open your arms in one continuous motion, without changing the angle of your elbows, until your forearms reach shoulder height.

:: Return slowly, contracting the pectoral muscles.

10.

Crucifix on the car

Necessary equipment: crucifix machine

If your gym has a machine like this, it’s a great alternative to the exercise above.

The data shows that chest activation is similar between the crucifix on the machine and the crucifix on the bench. The big difference? You don’t need a spotter for the machine and you can increase the intensity more safely and achieve true muscle failure.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.