So you want to build muscle? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
I once was a skinny guy desperate to build muscle, but I found my way. Through trial and error, and plenty of research, I found what worked for me.
Then, I became a strength coach and personal trainer to help others do the same thing! Now, building muscle is no easy task. It takes effort and a good training program in addition to proper nutrition and sleep habits.
Obviously, you can’t have a good training program without great exercises. When it comes to building muscle in your chest, there are plenty of great exercises.
Today, I'll run you through all the best chest exercises for muscle growth! On top of that, I'll even give you a full chest day workout you can use in the gym.
To have an effective chest day workout though, you'll need to know which muscles you're working. That way, you can make sure to pick out exercises to target each muscle throughout your workout.
Chest Muscle Anatomy
To start, it’s important to understand how your chest works. The more you understand each muscle's function, the better you can target each muscle.
That way you’re better prepared to make the most out of every rep!
The chest is made up of these main muscle groups:
Pectoralis Major
This is the largest of the chest muscles. It runs from your sternum and collar bone to your upper arm. These are the main actions of your pec major...
• Shoulder flexion (raising your arm in front of you)
• Shoulder adduction (pulling your arms from out to your sides to down by your sides)
• Transverse adduction (pulling your arms in toward your midline; think hugging)
• Internal rotation of your arm (think arm wrestling)
Pectoralis Minor
This is a smaller muscle located beneath the pectoralis major. It attaches on your ribs and shoulder blades. Its main functions are in stabilizing and supporting movement of your shoulder blades.
Serratus Anterior
This muscle gets its name from looking like the serrated edge of a knife. It attaches on the side of your upper ribs and on your shoulder blades. Its main action is in protraction. In other words, it's gliding your shoulder blades forward around your ribcage. It also helps with upward rotation of your shoulder blades as you move your arms.
Anterior Deltoid
While this isn’t technically a chest muscle, it’s involved in a lot of these exercises. Your deltoid is the muscle covering your shoulders, and the anterior part is the front portion of it. This muscle is heavily involved in raising your arms out in front of you, and over your head. This happens in most pressing movements, so I found it relevant to mention.
Now that you’ve got a better grasp on the muscles involved in a chest day workout, let’s look at some of the benefits.
Benefits of Chest Workouts
There’s benefits to training any muscle group. Exercise in general is good for us all.
Having a good chest day workout plan is no different. Some benefits will cross over with others, but some will be specific to chest day.
Let’s talk about them.
Aesthetics
This is one that has some crossover with other workouts, but it’s a great benefit nonetheless.
Your chest is a big muscle group in the front and center of your body. The size of your chest will have some level of influence on how others see you.
When you have a big muscular chest, it clearly shows you as a stronger and more athletic person. It’s a direct reflection of your hard work.
These exercises will also work your arms and shoulders, which plays into that same thing. Having an effective chest day workout each week can help you build up all these muscles. It might even help you achieve the look you've always wanted.
Strength
Beyond your appearance, chest day workouts can also help you build a ton of upper body strength!
Your lower body might have some strong muscles, but your chest is a powerhouse for your upper body. It can get pretty darn strong too!
For instance, let’s take the bench press. Pound for pound, some people can bench press over twice their body weight.
When I was still in my early lifting years, that was a goal of mine actually. My senior year in college I built up enough strength to bench press 365 pounds.
It took time to build that strength, but it was well worth it. I’ve found myself in several situations where I benefited from the upper body strength I’ve built in the gym.
For example, I’ve moved several times in the last 8 years. Carrying heavy boxes and furniture is a lot easier when you have a strong chest.
You'll never know when it’ll come in handy until you’re in a situation where you need it.
Performance
If you’re an athlete, one of the biggest things you may care about is your performance.
I certainly did back when I was still playing football. It was the main reason I began lifting weights in the first place.
Well, having a regular chest day workout can help boost your performance in a few specific areas:
• Pushing
• Throwing
• Carrying
• Swimming
Especially if you play a contact sport like football or lacrosse, these can be very helpful! Plus, having a strong chest doesn't only benefit your chest day workouts. A stronger chest can support lifting more weight in other exercises.
That can help improve your performance in other areas too. For instance, a stronger chest can help you hold up more weight in a front squat. That may help you build stronger quads, and increase explosiveness in your sport.
For example, if you're a defensive end needing to get low and push your way into the backfield, this could help a lot. Your lower body and chest will work together to push the lineman back so you can sack the quarterback.
That's just one example. There are many more where this applies.
Movement in any sport requires your muscles to work in a coordinated way. Different muscle groups must work together to help you perform at a high level.
So, strengthening your chest can not only help with performance in one area, but many.
Functional Fitness
Functional exercises support movements you do in everyday life. Having a chest day workout each week can be very functional.
If you were to trip and fall on the ground, you’d need your chest to push yourself up.
If you’re a server at a restaurant, you use your chest to hold every tray of food.
If you have to carry heavy boxes, your chest helps you wrap your arms around the box to hold it.
There are many times in your life where you use your chest muscles and don’t think about it. Building up a strong chest with a chest workout routine can make a big difference in your quality of life.
It just makes life easier in a lot of ways we don’t think about. As we age, this can be an especially important benefit!
That’s enough on the benefits of chest day workouts though. It’s time to dive into the exercises themselves!
Best Chest Day Exercises
Ready to dive into 7 fantastic exercises that can take your chest day to the next level?
Let’s start with the king of chest day workouts: the barbell bench press.
Barbell Bench Press
When it comes to chest exercises, the pushing movement is our strongest movement. The barbell bench press targets exactly that, and allows you to really load up some heavy weight.
It targets your pec major and minor muscles, your anterior deltoids, and your triceps.
There are many variations you can do to change the exercise up a bit as well. You can do it on an incline or decline bench to emphasize the upper and lower chest.
You can also do this exercise with dumbbells to challenge the stabilizing muscles a bit more as well.
1. To perform the barbell bench press, start by lying flat on a bench with your chest out and shoulders pulled back. Pull your feet back toward your hips with the balls of your feet planted on the ground.
2. Position your body so your eyes are directly under the barbell. Grip the bar with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Make sure your wrists are aligned with your forearms for optimal support.
3. Begin by unracking the bar and holding it over your chest to get into the starting position. It’s always good to have a spotter that can help you lift the bar off the rack for your first rep too.
4. Allow your elbows to bend at a 45 degree angle from the body as you lower the bar to your lower chest.
5. When the bar touches your chest, use your chest and triceps to press the bar back to the starting position.
6. Squeeze your chest muscles at the top for a second, then repeat for reps.
Reverse Grip Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
This is a variation of the bench press that heavily targets your upper chest. Using a reverse grip actually forces your upper chest to do more work.
Rather than your elbows flaring out 45 degrees from your body, they stay much closer to your sides. That simple change targets the muscle fibers in your upper chest more.
Plus, doing it on an incline bench even further emphasizes your upper chest muscles.
1. Set up a bench with a 45 degree incline, and adjust the seat to a comfortable and stable position.
2. Grab a pair of dumbbells and rest them on your knees as you sit on the bench. Lean back and use your knees to help get the dumbbells into position just outside your chest. Make sure your chest is out and your shoulders are pulled back.
3. Turn your hands until your palms are facing you with your elbows close to your sides. Use your chest and triceps to press the dumbbells straight up over your chest. Be sure to keep your hands facing the same direction the entire rep.
4. Squeeze your chest at the top, and then slowly lower back down.
5. Repeat for reps.
Arnold Press
This is another great exercise for your chest and shoulders. It gets its name from one of the most iconic bodybuilders of all time: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Similar to a shoulder press, but with a twist … literally.
Your hands will turn on your way up and down during the press. This not only activates your chest, but your entire deltoid and triceps as well.
1. Set up a bench to a 90 degree upright position. Sit holding some dumbbells and resting them on your knees.
2. Use your knees to help bring the dumbbells up next to your shoulders. Hold them with your palms facing behind you. This is the starting position.
3. Start pressing the weight up. As you do, allow your elbows to flare out to your sides, and simultaneously turn your palms away from you. It should be one fluid motion happening at the same time as the weights move up.
4. Pause for a second at the top, and squeeze your shoulder and tricep muscles.
5. Bring the dumbbells back down to return to the starting position. As the weight comes down, pull your elbows in front of you and turn your palms to face behind you. Again, this should all be one fluid motion as you bring the dumbbells back to your shoulders.
6. Squeeze your chest for a second, then repeat for reps.
Cable Chest Fly
This is a widely used exercise, and has plenty of advantages being on a cable machine. Cable machines provide constant tension no matter the angle.
While free weights only give resistance vertically (working against gravity), cables are different. Whether you pull the cable up, down, at an angle, or horizontally it provides the same tension.
That makes it perfect for this exercise! It will mostly target your pecs, but your serratus anterior will get some work as well.
1. Set 2 adjacent cable pulleys to their highest setting with handles attached.
2. Grab a handle with each hand while centered and facing away from the cables. Take a step forward with 1 foot to lift the weights off the stack slightly, and maintain a split stance. Your arms should be open wide.
3. Lean forward to a comfortable angle 45 degrees or less until you feel a good stretch in your chest. This is the starting position.
4. Engage your pecs to pull your hands together in front of your chest. Think about pulling your elbows together to engage your chest properly. Make sure you maintain a slight bend in your elbows the entire movement.
5. Squeeze your chest for a second at the bottom, then slowly return back to the starting position.
6. Repeat for reps while switching which foot is forward midway through your set.
Chest Dips
Chest dips are a great exercise to target your chest with nothing but your bodyweight! It also works your triceps too.
You do need a set of parallel or angled bars to hold yourself up on, but otherwise it’s all bodyweight. I recommend doing this exercise slowly and controlled.
It does put your shoulders in a tight spot at the end of your range of motion, so you don’t want to use momentum here. Be smart, and be careful.
Only add weight with a weight belt or vest once you’ve built up enough strength that your bodyweight feels easy.
1. Grip a pair of stable parallel bars with one hand on each bar. Your hands should be around shoulder width apart or slightly wider.
2. Lift yourself up so that your feet are off the ground, and your hands are the only thing supporting you. Bend your knees so there is no chance of your feet touching the ground during the exercise. This is the starting position.
3. Allow your elbows to bend while leaning forward slightly to drop your chest between your hands. Keep lowering your chest until you’ve reached a comfortable end range of motion. Your upper arms will be about parallel with the floor at this point.
4. Engage your chest and triceps to press yourself back up until your elbows are locked out back at the starting position.
5. Repeat for reps.
Svend Press
This is an exercise that truly doesn’t look like it would do much, but you’ll feel the burn. Trust me!
All you need for this one is 2 small weight plates of maybe 5-10 pounds. There’s no reason to bring your ego into this one by picking heavy weight.
10 pound plates are perfect for me. This exercise isn’t about how heavy you can go, but about how hard you’re squeezing your chest.
1. Grab one weight plate in each hand, and sandwich them together at your chest while keeping your hands and fingers flat. Your elbows will flare out to your sides as you press the plates together. This is the starting position.
2. Squeeze the plates together as you slowly extend your arms out in front of your chest as far as you can.
3. When your arms are fully extended, squeeze your chest muscles for a second, and then slowly return to the starting position.
4. Repeat for reps.
Weighted/Banded Push-ups
Using weights or bands in a push-up takes this exercise to a whole new level. It’s great for developing your chest and triceps, and is harder than it looks.
If the weight or bands make the push-up too difficult, then just do good old fashioned push-ups with your bodyweight. You can always work up to adding the resistance.
Because a banded push-up is more complex to explain, that’s what I’ll go through here.
1. For banded push-ups you’ll need a large looped resistance band. Hold it out with both hands and turn one side of it 180 degrees so that it looks like a figure 8, or infinity symbol. Put one arm in each loop behind you to wear it like a backpack.
2. With each hand, grab the resistance band like you’re grabbing your backpack straps.
3. From there, drop to the floor and get into a high plank/push-up position with your hips in line with your shoulders and feet. Part of the resistance band should be beneath each hand. This is the starting position
4. To begin, allow your elbows to bend as you lower your chest towards the floor. Keep going until your chest barely touches the floor.
5. Keep your core engaged as you use your chest and triceps to push yourself back up to the starting position. As you push up, the resistance band will stretch and add more resistance.
6. Squeeze your chest for a second at the top, and repeat for reps.
If you don’t have a resistance band, you can do weighted push-ups. You do the exact same push-up, but here’s the difference.
Instead of having a resistance band wrapped around your back, you’ll have to put a weight plate on your upper back. It helps to have someone else put it on there, but if you’re alone you can also fill a backpack with weight and put that on.
Regardless of which one you choose, you’ll get a great workout for sure!
Try Out This Chest Day Workout For Muscle Growth
Ready for a full workout? Give this one a go!
If you need to work your way up to this workout ... You can always take out a few sets.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Arnold Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| Chest Dips | 4 | 8-12 |
| Weighted/Banded Push-ups | 3 | 12-15 |
| Cable Chest Fly | 3 | 8-12 |
| Svend Press | 3 | 12-15 |
Best Practices for Improving Your Chest Workouts
Building muscle and strength isn't just about working hard. It's also about working smart. To get the most out of your chest day workouts, consider some of these best practices...
Emphasize Eccentric Activation and Squeeze
The eccentric portion of every exercise is something to focus on. This is where your muscles are lengthening. In a bench press, for example, this is as you are lowering the bar toward your chest. Lengthening your muscles while still contracting creates more tissue damage. It sounds bad, but it can help a ton with muscle growth (1).
Pushing the weight back up is the concentric portion of the exercise. Doing this portion quickly can help build explosiveness and power. Also, slower movement in the eccentric phase with faster movement in the concentric phase is best for muscle growth (2).
Squeezing your muscles hard at the top of the concentric phase creates a lot of mechanical tension. Mechanical tension is an important factor in signaling muscle growth adaptations (3).
Use a Full Range of Motion
Too many lifters don’t go through a full range of motion as they exercise. Think about only going half way down on a bench press, for example. Studies show that full range of motion training leads to better strength and muscle gains (4).
So, make sure you aren't cutting corners here! Take the weight through it's full range of motion to get the best results.
Utilize Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is increasing the stress on your muscles over time. This could be increasing reps, sets, decreasing rest, etc.
If your muscles are challenged more over time, they have to respond by adapting. When they adapt, they grow bigger and stronger. If you don’t follow this principle, your workouts become easy for your body.
Your muscles will only grow if you force them to. The only way to do that is challenge them more over time.
Level Up Your Chest Day Workout with 1st Phorm
Chest day workouts are a favorite of many. I have to include myself in that because I’ve always looked forward to it each week.
I used to be a very scrawny kid, and my chest was the first muscle group I was able to build up. It gave me a lot of confidence, so I completely understand why so many people strive for a bigger chest.
There is something I found out the hard way though, and it's this ... Your workouts aren't even half the battle when it comes to building muscle. In fact, a lot goes into muscle growth many people overlook.
For one, you need to eat in a calorie surplus and get a lot of protein. Your muscles are mostly made of protein, so if you don’t eat enough of it you’ll have a very hard time building muscle. It also takes energy to build muscle, so eating extra calories is a must.
You also need plenty of quality sleep, water, and nutrients. All of this put together is a recipe for success.
Just like baking a cake, if you don’t have enough of the right ingredients, it won’t turn out right. Everything needs to line up correctly to see optimal results, and this is why so many people struggle.
You don’t have to, though. If you don’t fully understand nutrition, workout programing, or proper supplementation ... don’t be discouraged. This is exactly where we can help!
It's the entire reason we developed the 1st Phorm App.
It’s an all-in-one fitness and lifestyle app that gives you every tool you need to be successful.
First, we set you up with a real human being as your advisor in the app. They are NASM certified personal trainers and nutrition coaches, and will teach you everything you need to know.
They’ll set you up with a custom nutrition plan based on your goals and starting point. Heck, you'll even get access to a full library of workout programs to choose from for your goals.
That’s just scratching the surface. We even host educational livestreams 5 times a week to help you on your journey.
Seriously, we give you everything we can to help you reach your goals. You’ll only get out of it what you put in though.
If you meet us halfway, we will do whatever we can to help you earn real and long-term results!
All you have to do to get started is by downloading the 1st Phorm App today.
If you have any questions in the meantime, don't hesitate to reach out. We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri. Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com any day from 6 AM to 10 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help any way we can!
References:
(1) Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn DI, Vigotsky AD, Franchi MV, Krieger JW. Hypertrophic Effects of Concentric vs. Eccentric Muscle Actions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Sep;31(9):2599-2608. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001983. PMID: 28486337.
(2) Wilk M, Zajac A, Tufano JJ. The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review. Sports Med. 2021 Aug;51(8):1629-1650. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01465-2. Epub 2021 May 27. PMID: 34043184; PMCID: PMC8310485.
(3) Warneke K, Lohmann LH, Lima CD, Hollander K, Konrad A, Zech A, Nakamura M, Wirth K, Keiner M, Behm DG. Physiology of Stretch-Mediated Hypertrophy and Strength Increases: A Narrative Review. Sports Med. 2023 Nov;53(11):2055-2075. doi: 10.1007/s40279-023-01898-x. Epub 2023 Aug 9. PMID: 37556026; PMCID: PMC10587333.
(4) Pallarés JG, Hernández-Belmonte A, Martínez-Cava A, Vetrovsky T, Steffl M, Courel-Ibáñez J. Effects of range of motion on resistance training adaptations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2021 Oct;31(10):1866-1881. doi: 10.1111/sms.14006. Epub 2021 Jul 5. PMID: 34170576.
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