Working toward building a strong chest is not for the faint-hearted with no motivation. It takes a lot of time, a lot of work and you need to be 100 percent determined to push through your workouts.
Out of the three muscles that make up the chest, the pectoralis major or the “pecs” are the major muscles that contribute to the pushing motions of the arms and shoulders.
While the pecs have a rep of being the “vanity muscles,” they’re the ones working hard to build a bigger chest.
Heading to the gym is the first step toward making any progress followed by the exercises you need to do to build a strong and powerful chest.
Chest Exercises to Build a Powerful Chest
Get your muscles working and get those reps in to boost strength and promote a bigger chest.
1. Incline Barbell Bench Press
Directions:
- Lie on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor and grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Inhale as you unrack the bar and lower the weight toward your chest.
- Contract your pectorals and focus on your form. Push through with your thumbs and index fingers as you press the bar back up.
2. T Push-Up
Directions:
- Get into a high plank position with your shoulders stacked above your wrists and your hips in line with your shoulders.
- Bend your elbows to lower down to push up and as you push back up, bring your left hand to your chest and place it back down.
- Repeat using the right hand and continue to alternate sides as you perform push-ups.
3. Incline Swiss Ball Dumbbell Press
Directions:
- Start by sitting on a stability ball with your feet planted firmly on the floor and with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Slowly walk your feet forward and lower your hips to position your torso at a 45-degree angle and the ball is on your mid-back.
- Keep your torso tight and press the dumbbells up.
- Pause for a few seconds and lower the dumbbells until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle.
4. Seated Machine Chest Press
Directions:
- Get into a comfortable seated position on the machine and place your feet about shoulder-width distance apart.
- Grab the handles and push the bar outward to reach full extension without locking your elbows.
- As you perform the exercise, make sure to keep your head and neck steady. You should start to feel resistance and the last rep should be the most difficult.
5. Dips for Chest
Directions:
- As you position yourself on a set of parallel backs, keep your arms locked out and your weight supported above the bars.
- Slowly lower yourself with your upper body leaning forward and elbows out.
- Lower down until you feel a stretch in your chest, however, don’t bend your elbows lower than 90 degrees.
- Come back to the starting position and repeat.
6. Close Grip Bench Press
Directions:
- Start by lying on your back on a bench and place your arms on the bar with a close grip.
- Unrack the bar and lift it overhead, keeping your arms locked.
- Exhale to lower the bar on your middle chest. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your torso at all times. Pause for a few seconds.
- Using your triceps, bring the bar back up to the start and pause before repeating the exercise.
The content of this Website is for informational purposes only, is general in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and does not constitute professional advice. The information on this Website should not be considered as complete and does not cover all diseases, ailments, physical conditions, or their treatment. You should consult with your physician before beginning any exercise, weight loss, or health care program and/or any of the beauty treatments.
References:
The Best Chest Workouts Chest Exercises for Size & Strength. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://draxe.com/chest-workouts-chest-exercises/
B. (2018, June 26). 10 Best Chest Exercises For Building Muscle. Retrieved from https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/10-best-chest-exercises-for-building-muscle.html
