Workouts for Chest are an essential part of any fitness routine. They help to improve your posture, enhance your appearance, and increase your strength and power. Having a strong chest also enables you to perform better in other exercises, such as push-ups, bench presses, and dips. In this article, we will discuss some of the best chest exercises you can do at home or at the gym, and how to do workouts for Chest correctly and safely.
10 Effective Workouts for Chest
Push-ups
Push-ups are a versatile and effective exercise that can work your chest muscles, as well as your arms, shoulders, core, and legs. They can be done anywhere and don't require any equipment. Here are some benefits of push-ups for the chest and how to do them properly.
Benefits of push-ups for the chest:
- Push-ups target the pectoralis major muscle, which is the largest muscle in your chest. This muscle helps you move your arms across your body and push objects away from you.
- Push-ups also work the anterior deltoids, which are the front part of your shoulders. These muscles help you raise your arms in front of you and to the sides.
- Push-ups can help improve your posture by strengthening your chest and shoulder muscles, which can prevent them from rounding forward.
- Push-ups can help reduce the risk of injury by improving your upper body's stability and balance. They also protect your shoulders and lower back from strain by engaging your core muscles.
- Push-ups can help increase your performance in sports and athletic activities that involve pushing, throwing, or punching.
How to do push-ups properly:
- Start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together or slightly apart. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Keep your core tight and your head neutral. Don't let your hips sag or your back arch.
- Slowly lower yourself until your chest is close to the floor. Your elbows should be about 45 degrees from your body.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position. Keep your body straight throughout the movement.
- Repeat as many times as you can with good form.
Variations of push-ups:
- If regular push-ups are too hard, you can modify them by placing your knees on the floor or by elevating your hands on a bench or a wall.
- If regular push-ups are too easy, you can make them harder by elevating your feet on a chair or a ball, placing one hand on a medicine ball or a dumbbell, or by wearing a weighted vest or a backpack.
- You can also target different parts of your chest by changing the position of your hands. For example, placing your hands closer together will work more for your inner chest, while placing them wider apart will work more for your outer chest.
- You can also try different types of push-ups, such as diamond push-ups, decline push-ups, incline push-ups, or plyometric push-ups.
Bench press
The bench press is a popular exercise that targets the chest muscles and strengthens the upper body. To do bench press properly, you need a flat bench and a barbell with weights. Lie down on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and your eyes under the bar. Grab the bar with a medium grip and lift it off the rack. Lower the bar to your chest and pause for a second. Then press the bar back up to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of reps.
There are many variations of bench presses that you can try to challenge yourself and work different muscles. For example, you can use dumbbells instead of a barbell, or change the angle of the bench to incline or decline. You can also adjust your grip width or use different grips such as reverse or close grip. These variations can help you improve your bench press performance and avoid plateaus.
Dumbbell flyes
Dumbbell flyes are an effective exercise for strengthening and toning the chest muscles. They also work the shoulders and triceps and can improve your posture and scapular retraction. To perform dumbbell flyes properly, lie on a flat or incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms above your chest with a slight bend in your elbows and your palms facing each other. Slowly lower your arms to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, feeling a stretch in your chest. Then, bring your arms back to the starting position in an arc motion, squeezing your chest muscles at the top. You can vary dumbbell flyes by changing the angle of the bench, using different weights, or doing them standing up.
Cable crossovers
Cable crossovers are a great exercise for the chest muscles. They work the pectoralis major and minor, as well as the anterior deltoids and biceps. Cable crossovers can help you develop a fuller and more defined chest.
To do cable crossovers properly, you need to set up two pulleys at a high position on either side of you. Grab one handle with each hand and stand in the middle of the cable machine. Lean slightly forward and keep your elbows slightly bent. Bring your hands together in front of your chest, crossing one over the other. Squeeze your chest muscles at the end of the movement and then slowly return to the starting position.
You can vary cable crossovers by changing the angle of the pulleys, the position of your body, or the way you cross your hands. For example, you can set the pulleys at a low position and do cable crossovers from bottom to top. This will target the upper chest more. You can also stand sideways to the cable machine and do one-arm cable crossovers. This will increase the range of motion and isolation of each side of your chest.
Incline bench press
The incline bench press is a variation of the traditional flat bench press that targets the upper chest and shoulders more than the lower chest. It is a compound exercise that involves multiple joints and muscles. Here are some benefits and tips on how to do the incline bench press properly.
Benefits of the incline bench press:
- It improves the development and symmetry of the upper pecs, which can enhance your chest appearance and strength.
- It activates the anterior deltoids more than the flat bench press, which can help prevent shoulder injuries and improve your overhead pressing power.
- It requires more stability and coordination than the barbell bench press since you have to control two dumbbells independently.
How to do the incline bench press properly:
- Set the bench to an angle of about 45 degrees, which is optimal for targeting the upper chest and shoulders.
- Sit on the bench with your feet flat on the floor and your back arched slightly. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, with your palms facing away from you.
- Press the dumbbells up over your chest until your arms are fully extended. Keep your elbows slightly flared out, but not too wide.
- Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position, keeping them in line with your chest. Do not let them touch your shoulders or bounce off your chest.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.
Variations of the incline bench press:
- You can use a barbell instead of dumbbells, which allows you to lift more weight but reduces the stability challenge.
- You can adjust the angle of the bench to make it higher or lower, which shifts the emphasis to different parts of your chest and shoulders.
- You can change your grip width or orientation, such as using a close grip or a reverse grip, which alters the involvement of your triceps and biceps.
Chest dips
Chest dips are a powerful exercise to strengthen and grow your chest muscles, as well as your triceps, shoulders, and core. They are a closed-chain exercise that requires you to support your own body weight with your arms. Here are some benefits of chest dips for the chest and how to do them properly.
- Chest dips increase your upper body strength by challenging your chest, triceps, and shoulders to lift and lower your body.
- Chest dips improve chest muscle growth by stimulating the pectoralis major and minor, the serratus anterior, and the intercostals. They also target the outer chest for a wider appearance.
- Chest dips develop a stable core by engaging your abdominal and lower back muscles to keep you balanced and aligned.
- Chest dips isolate and strengthen your chest by allowing you to adjust the angle of your torso and elbows. The more you lean forward and flare out your elbows, the more you work your chest. The more you keep your torso upright and tuck in your elbows, the more you work your triceps.
To do chest dips properly, you need a dip station or two parallel bars that are sturdy and high enough for you to hang from. Follow these steps:
- Grab the bars with an overhand grip and lift yourself up until your arms are fully extended and your legs are crossed behind you.
- Inhale and lower yourself down by bending your elbows until your chest is level with the bars or slightly below. Keep your elbows close to your body if you want to focus on your triceps, or flare them out if you want to focus on your chest.
- Exhale and push yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms. Squeeze your chest at the top of the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Variations of chest dips include weighted dips, where you add extra resistance by wearing a belt with plates or a vest with weights; assisted dips, where you use a machine or a band to help you lift yourself up; and bench dips, where you place your hands on a bench behind you and your feet on another bench or on the floor in front of you.
Push-up variations with equipment
Push-up variations with equipment can add more challenge and variety to your workout. Some examples of equipment you can use are resistance bands, stability balls, medicine balls, and dumbbells. Here are some tips on how to do push-up variations with equipment properly:
- Resistance band push-up: Loop a resistance band around your upper back and hold the ends under your palms. Perform a standard push-up while keeping the band taut. This will increase the resistance on your chest and arms.
- Stability ball push-up: Place your feet or shins on a stability ball and your hands on the floor. Perform a standard push-up while keeping your core engaged and your body balanced on the ball. This will challenge your stability and core strength.
- Medicine ball push-up: Place one hand on a medicine ball and one on the floor. Perform a standard push-up while keeping your body aligned and your elbows close to your sides. Switch hands and repeat. This will target your triceps and chest muscles.
- Dumbbell push-up: Hold a pair of dumbbells on the floor and perform a standard push-up. At the top of each rep, row one dumbbell up to your chest, keeping your elbow close to your body. Lower the dumbbell and repeat with the other arm. This will work your back and biceps muscles.
Plyometric push-ups
Plyometric push-ups are a type of explosive exercise that can improve your chest strength and power. They involve pushing yourself off the ground with enough force to lift your hands and clap them together before landing. To do plyometric push-ups properly, you should start in a plank position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your body in a straight line. Then, lower yourself until your chest is close to the floor and push yourself up explosively. As you leave the ground, clap your hands together and quickly place them back on the floor. Repeat as many times as you can with good form.
Medicine ball chest passes
Medicine ball chest passes are a simple and effective exercise for strengthening your chest, shoulders, and arms. They also improve your coordination and power by throwing a weighted ball to a partner or a wall. To do medicine ball chest passes properly, follow these steps:
- Hold the medicine ball with both hands at your chest level.
- Stand facing your partner or a wall, with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Brace your core and explosively push the ball forward with both hands, extending your arms fully.
- Catch the ball as it comes back to you, and bring it back to your chest.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps or times.
Conclusion
Workouts for Chest are not only good for building muscle and strength, but also for improving posture, preventing injuries, and enhancing performance in sports and daily activities. These 10 effective workouts for chest can help you achieve your fitness goals and challenge your body in different ways. Whether you use dumbbells, barbells, cables, or your own body weight, you can target your chest muscles from various angles and intensities. Try them out and see the results for yourself.