6 Best Exercises to Blow Up your Chest Muscles

If you want to look like a bodybuilder, you need to train your chest. The chest muscles are arguably the most prominent of any muscle group in the body, and they're always on display when shirtless.

That's why it's important to build up your pecs with some simple exercises that focus on building mass and strength.

Best Chest Exercises

Here's a look at six such exercises:

#1 Barbell Bench Press

The barbell bench press is a quintessential chest workout for a massive set of pecs.

To perform the barbell bench press, you will want to use a barbell with a weight that is comfortable for you. The weight should not be too heavy, but it should also not be so light that you can do more than 12-15 repetitions. If this is your first time performing this exercise, start with about 45 lbs.

Proceed as follows:

After choosing an appropriate weight, lie down on your back with feet flat on the floor and knees bent at 90 degrees (or as close as possible) in line with the hips.
Grab the barbell rack under each side of the bench.
Lift the barbell off the rack, and roll your shoulders forward slightly so that they're slightly higher than the elbows.
Position your wrists straight under the barbells, and hold them shoulder-width apart parallel to the floor throughout the exercise; exhale while lowering the weight towards the upper chest.
Inhale while pushing up back towards the starting position till the arms are fully extended above the chest without locking out your elbows or arching back excessively (make sure not to let the elbows flare out).
Repeat 10-12 times per set.

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#2 Dumbell Bench Press

The dumbbell bench press is a great exercise to work the chest muscles.

To perform it:

Lie down, and place your head on the bench. Grab two dumbbells, and hold them above your chest with straight arms.
Slowly lower them to the level of your chest by bending at the elbows.
Raise them back up till they're fully extended above you.

The goal is to complete 8-10 repetitions per set — try doing three sets (two sets of eight reps and set of ten). Do not rush through the exercise; take time between each repetition so that you can lift more weight next time.

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#3 Incline Flye

Incline flyes are one of the best exercises to help build bigger, rounder, and fuller chest muscles.

They target both the pectoralis major and minor muscles, which means they’re good for building strength and thickness in the upper chest region. The fact that they work multiple muscle groups at once also makes them ideal for building overall body mass and chest size.

To perform incline flyes:

Lie down on a bench or incline bench, and hold dumbbells above your shoulders with elbows bent at 90 degrees.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
Bring the weights down to your sides, and extend till you feel a contraction in the sides of your chest.
Make sure not to use too much weight here, as it will rely heavily on momentum instead of muscle power if you do so.
Keep the rep range between 10-12 reps per set (you may need more sets depending on how many pounds/kilos you do.)

#4 Push-up

Push-ups are the ultimate chest exercise. They can be done with a variety of grips, foot positions, body positions, and hand widths. They also allow you the ability to target different areas of the chest muscles by changing your hand position.

There are many variations you can use for push-ups: Use a wide grip where your hands are about shoulder width apart (2 inches). That will place more emphasis on the outer and upper portions of the chest muscles than other variations.

Proceed as follows:

Lock your elbows to isolate the chest, and go down till you can almost touch the floor with it.
Press back up, and repeat for reps.

#5 Incline Dumbell Press

This exercise is known to get the chest muscles bulging. It requires two dumbbells and can be done at home with little equipment.

The exercise targets the upper part of the chest muscles and works on building strength and mass in the area. Doing this exercise regularly can help you build up a strong and big chest.

Here's how to do it:

Sit on an incline bench with your feet planted firmly on the floor, holding dumbbells in each hand at shoulder level (with elbows bent).
Slowly lower your arms till they're parallel to the ground, and the dumbbells are in line with the chest.
Press them back up again till they're fully extended above your head.
Repeat for 12 reps, and rest for 30 seconds before doing another set.

#6 Cable Crossover

Cable crossovers are one of the best exercises to develop chest muscles. Here's how to do them:

Stand in front of the cable machine with a handle in each hand, with arms extended straight down by the sides and palms facing forward.
Pull both handles up to your collarbone, with elbows bent and hands pointing towards each other as you pull them up till they meet just above one shoulder (you will have to bend at the waist slightly.)
Slowly lower back down again till your arms are straight out by your sides once more. Repeat this movement over and over till you've completed all the reps required for that set.

Takeaway

The chest is a large muscle group, and there are many ways to work it. With the aforementioned exercises, you're sure to get the results you want. Add these workouts to your routine, and play around with the number of sets and reps — you will have a monstrous chest before you know it.