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When fitness-minded people consider ways to get bigger and stronger, the chest is an obvious answer—but how do you build your chest? There must be more to it than just the bench press and pushups, right? Yes, there is absolutely more than just the basics and it isn’t as complicated as you might think.
In this guide, we’ll break down which muscles make up your chest and what they do, offer tips on how to train the chest properly, go through a variety of exercises to try out those tips, and include workouts to increase the size and strength of your chest.
Chest Anatomy
There are four major muscles of the chest. The biggest is the pectoralis major, which raises and rotates the arm inward toward the body. It also internally rotates the upper arm. The pectoralis minor is responsible for pulling the shoulder blades down and spreading them apart. The other two muscles are indirectly related to the pecs—the serratus anterior helps move the scapula up and forward while the subclavius helps depress the clavicle and elevates the first rib. The following workouts will focus on the pec major and pec minor muscle groups because those are the most connected to chest growth.
Tips for a Bigger and Stronger Chest
Because of the popularity of the bench press, lifters tend to focus on lifting the heaviest weight possible. Increasing the size of the chest requires a more varied approach. Commit to using a full range of motion and performing the reps more slowly.
Let’s break down the incline bench press as an example: Take three or four seconds to lower the bar to your chest, then briefly pause before pressing the weight back up to start with straightened arms. If you focus on the chest contracting and stretching more than simply lifting and lowering the weight, you’ll find that each rep is more productive and you should see greater results in the long term.
Training with a new angle will also alter the focus of your workout. If you perform chest exercises on a 30-45% incline, then the upper portion of the pectoralis major is more involved. The shoulders will assist as well, but the chest is still doing the majority of the work. Conversely, a declined bench position or performing an exercise while leaning forward will target the pec minor and the lower portion of the chest.
Chest Exercises
These exercises can be performed in a health club or at home if you have a barbell, dumbbells, an adjustable bench, and a rack. If you’re limited on equipment options, we will have alternatives listed at the end.
Incline Press
Lie on an incline bench that has a barbell in the rack above or lie on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. If you use the barbell, you should hold it with a grip wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your feet flat on the floor, unrack your barbell and hold it at arm’s length over your chest. Slowly lower the bar until it reaches your chest. Pause briefly, then press it back up to the starting position. Do not allow your elbows to lock out.
If you are using dumbbells, sit on the bench and hold the dumbbells on your knees. Pick up your legs to help get the dumbbells up to your shoulders as you lie back on the bench. Make sure your palms face away from you and plant your feet flat on the floor. From this starting position, press the weights up until your arms are straight. Slowly lower the weights back down until they reach a point close to your chest and repeat.
Flat Dumbbell Press
Lie on a flat bench with a barbell in the rack or lie on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. If you choose to use a barbell, use the same grip that you would for the incline press. Keep your feet flat on the floor. Unrack the barbell so it is at arm’s length over your chest. Slowly lower the bar until it reaches your chest. Pause briefly before pressing it back up to the starting position.
If you choose dumbbells, hold one in each hand and bring them to your knees. Roll back onto the bench and position the weights so they are at your chest with your palms facing away from you. Press the weights up until your arms are straight. Slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat for the desired reps.
Flat Dumbbell Fly
Use lighter dumbbells than you would use for flat presses but start in the same position. Press the weight up until your arms are straight. Turn your palms so they are facing each other. Keeping only a slight bend in the elbow, lower your arms out to each side until your upper arms are parallel with the floor and you feel a stretch in the chest. Don’t try to stretch more than is comfortable because this could lead to injury. Once you’ve reached the bottom, contract the chest and bring the arms back to the starting position without bending the elbows more than they already are.
Chest Dip
Stand at a dip station, in between a pair of parallel bars, or between two sturdy chairs facing outward. Grip the middle of your equipment with a hand on each side. Your palms should be facing in toward you. Push yourself up so your arms are holding your weight. Lean forward slightly by tilting the shoulders forward and the hips backward. Bend your knees so your feet don’t touch the floor. This activates the chest more than the triceps. Lower yourself as slowly and as safely as you can until you feel a stretch in your chest. Using your chest, push yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat for the desired reps.
Band Alternative
There are many fitness-minded people who use bands instead of weights for a variety of reasons. You can still improve the size and strength of your chest with this popular tool—you don’t even need a bench. You only need a door anchor or a place for your band to be wrapped around. These substitutions for the first three exercises on the list will serve you well.
Incline Band Press
Anchor the center of the band so it’s at hip height and turn so your back is facing the anchor point. Hold one end of the band in each hand. Step forward from the anchor point so you just start to have tension in the band. Plant your feet on the floor so you have a solid foundation while working. From a starting point near your chest with your elbows bent and your arms parallel to the floor, press up at a 45-degree angle so you can focus on the upper chest. The band should increase in tension as you press. Release the tension by returning to the starting position and repeating the movement.
Flat Band Press
You will perform this movement from the same starting position as you would the incline press. The anchor point and the direction of motion will be different—the band is anchored at chest height and you should press straight ahead from the chest until your arms are straight in front of you. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Flat Band Fly
You can use a lighter resistance band for this fly exercise. Keep the same position as you would for the flat press, this time with your hands facing each other. Press the ends of the band straight forward to arm’s length. Instead of performing a press, bring your arms out to the sides as if you’re trying to touch the walls beside you. When you feel the stretch in your chest, stop. Contract the chest by bringing the arms back to the front. Repeat.
Chest Workouts
The final piece that people should know is how many sets and reps are optimal for building the chest. These muscles are bigger than the biceps and triceps, but they aren’t as large as your back or legs. A good starting point is 12-16 total sets, or 3-4 sets per exercise. As for reps, 8-12 is the best for building muscle. Use weights heavy enough for you to reach failure within that range. This sample workout would be a great way to start developing your chest muscles:
- Incline Press: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Flat Press: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Flat Fly: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Chest Dip: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Rest 60-90 seconds between sets. You can use the same weight for an exercise through each set or you can slightly increase the weight for each set to make it more challenging.
If you need to get in a quick workout before a busy day, you can use this alternative. Perform all four exercises in a circuit, or giant set, before taking a break. Rest two minutes between each giant set, and you’ll be finished within 20 minutes.
- 1a. Incline Press
- 1b. Flat Press
- 1c. Flat Fly
- 1d. Chest Dip
You don’t have to be locked into using one type of training tool either. A combination of barbells, dumbbells, bodyweight, and bands can add variety and new challenges to the training. Regardless of which of these options you use, this foundational guide will help you see improvements in both the size and strength of your chest.
How to Build Muscle | Muscle-Building Nutrition | Muscle-Building Supplements | Hypertrophy Training | Strength Training | Chest Workouts | Back Workouts | Arm Workouts | Shoulder Workouts | Leg Workouts