What are the best chest exercises? The chest is the body located between the neck and the waist. In turn, it is divided into two parts, which are the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis major is above the pectoralis minor, in the upper area of the rib cage.
The pectoralis minor is between the third and fifth ribs. Do you want to know about the best chest exercises? If yes, here is a complete guide to the best chest exercises, which will allow you to develop, mark and tone the pecs.
Best Chest Exercises
Here is the unique list of the best chest exercises. Read on!
Chest Anatomy
As long as we take into account the anatomy of the pectorals, we can train them, in such a way that, develop the weak points with exercises to increase the chest. The pectoral is one of the largest muscles in the thorax. It is the pectoralis major has two bundles, one clavicular and one stern costal. They join their fibers to the edge of the intertubercular groove of the humerus.
The pectorals minor is shaped like a triangle, the fibers that it possesses converge to associate with the coracoid plexus of the scapula, where the vessels that run through the upper limbs circulate.
Chest Muscles
The chest has the following muscles:
There are different types of exercises when it comes to increasing your chest, both for beginners and advanced. I will give you a brief explanation of the required training so you can use the ones that suit your priority and objective.
Flat bench press
These exercises develop the pectoralis major and minor muscle, which would be the upper and lower part of the pectoralis. To do this, you need to do the training on a flat bench, you place the bar on the top of the bench. Next, you lie down with your back fully supported on the bench, only your legs should protrude from it.
So, you grab the bar with your palms facing upwards, the separation between the two should be a little more open to the width of your shoulders. Also, you raise the bar in a straight way. Stretch your arms completely and then lower it, until you reach the chest. From there, you raise the bar back to the starting position. It is one of the best chest exercises for men.
Incline bench press
These exercises are performed on a bench. You lie down with your back and head fully supported on the bench, only your legs should protrude from it. You grasp the bar with your palms facing up, the separation between the two should be a little more open to the width of your shoulders.
Besides, you raise the bar straight up and bring it until it is above your shoulders, stretch your arms fully. Then you lower the bar until you reach your upper chest. From there, you raise the bar back to the starting position and so on until the series completes. I think this is the best chest exercise for both men and women.
Decline bench press
You lie on a declined bench, this should have a roller-shaped grip at the end of the bench. So, you can put your legs in and thus remain well positioned in a declined way. This will prevent your body from going down.
The inclination of the bench must be between 20 degrees and 40 degrees. Take the bar with a separation a little wider than that of the shoulders. Then, lower the bar to the pectoral, you must let it touch the chest, then bring it back up. It is the starting position.
Bench press on multipower or Smith Machine
You place a flat bench under the multipower or smith exercise machine. Then, you are going to place the bar at a height which allows you to reach it when lying on the bench. The bar has a lock on each side, which you must anchor in the supports of the machine. You grip the bar a little more shoulder-width apart. Then, you raise it, the hooks of the bar move, you are left with your arms fully extended.
Next, slowly lower yourself and touch your chest with the bar, then bring the bar up again, fully stretching your arms. At this point, you shouldn’t anchor the bar yet, you should do that at the end of the reps. The Smith machines is awesome for best chest exercises.
Supine bench press
On a flat bench you lie down, the grip of the bar is supine, you place the palms of your hands down. With a wider separation than that of your shoulders when gripping the bar. Then, you raise the bar, extending your arms until it is above your chest.
Keep your back and your head supported by the bench, then you must lower the bar to the lower part of the chest. Make sure you do it without letting it rest there, since you lose the effort and strength. You begin the execution. When you get there, you raise the bar back to the starting position.
Bench press without bench
In the initial position we must be totally lying on the floor. You can place the bar where you can best grasp it and raise it comfortably. Once you are lying on the ground, your back must always remain flat on the ground.
Then, take the bar and raise your arms until they are fully extended, your feet flat on the floor. Next, you lower the bar until the triceps reach the floor, make a slight pause and again bring the bar upwards, fully stretching your arms.
Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly
The starting position is as follows. You lie on your back on a flat bench. You take the dumbbells with the palms of your hands facing each other. The arms extends elbows with a slight bend.
This is so you don’t put as much stress on your joints. With the help of your elbows, lower both arms to achieve an arch and feel your chest stretch, take a break. It is one of the best chest exercises for both men and women.
And then, you start the final position, which is with the movement up again, when you go up these causing a slight isometric contraction. These exercises allow you to accentuate the work on the outside of your chest, the joints involved are those of the elbows and shoulders.
Push-up exercises on the floor / planks
You must start the training by placing yourself on the floor. Now, looking down, your hands resting on the floor. Also, your feet in a straight line supporting the rest of the body. You stretch both arms, leaving your back straight.
Then lower and bend your elbows until your body is a few centimeters from the ground, without supporting your body on it. The need to keep elbows close to the body. Then extend the arms again to bring your body up.
You sit on the contracting machine. Place a weight with which you can perform the exercise well, the seat in this type of machine is movable. You will place it in such a way that, when sitting your elbows are at the level of your shoulders.
Inhale air and you must flex your elbows so that your arms and forearms form an L or right angle. Next, you push both arms forward until they close in front of you. Then exhale and slowly return to the starting position.
Parallel dips
These exercises are perfect for working your chest and triceps. You must do it the right way to avoid shoulder or elbow injuries. To do it, you must position yourself on the parallel bar placing one arm on each side.
Make sure it is supporting and managing your body weight. Then lower until your elbows are parallel to your shoulders. Now, you go up again until your chest rises. If you want to put more tension on your chest, lean forward a bit when coming down. But if you want to put more tension on your triceps, keep your upper body straight when coming down.
Flat bench dumbbell press
Other exercises similar to the flat barbell bench press in the same way and involve the same muscles. Because you do it with the dumbbell you can make the workout more concentrated.
Incline Bench Dumbbell Fly
You lie on your back on an inclined bench, this should be between 30 degrees and 40 degrees of inclination. You can direct the work to the upper pectoral. Extend your arms, elbows with a slight bend. The palms of the hands will face each other.
Then, with the help of your elbows, lower both arms until you achieve an arch and feel your chest expand. There, you stop and then go to the starting position which is with the movement back up.
Pulley standing cross exercises
For this workout you need a machine called a crossover. You place the handles on the high pulleys one on each side. Then you must place yourself in the middle of the machine taking a handle in each hand. Lean your torso a little towards the front.
You can put one foot forward for comfort. Also, you can also keep your feet together by bending your knees. Close both hands, flex your elbows and begin the movement from the top to the front of your body crossing your hands one above the other. Now, lift your chest, then return to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Dumbbell pullover
Take a flat bench and lie down on it, both feet should be flat on the floor. Now with both hands take a dumbbell at either end and extend your arms bringing them above your chest. Once there, inhale air and bring the dumbbell behind your head. Flex your elbows a little, then raise the dumbbell again, exhaling the air at that moment.
Flat bench barbell pullover
These exercises are similar to the dumbbell pullover. Lie on a flat bench you take a bar and place both hands at a shoulder width apart. Place it above your chest, bend your elbows and lower behind your head. Then you go up, inhale and exhale, just like the dumbbell pullover.
Pullover with high pulley
It is one of the best chest exercises. Stand in front of the high pulley, take the bar with your hands prone (palms down) with a width equal to that of your shoulders. Place your feet slightly apart, the bar should be up, the arms stretched.
Without bending your elbows, start the downward movement. Keep your back straight until the bar reaches your quadriceps or thighs. Then, you slowly raise the bar to the starting position.
Incline Hammer Single Arm Chest Press
By doing this training you work each side of the chest individually. You should sit sideways on the machine keeping your back straight.
Then you place your hand in the front grip of the machine. Next, you push your arm straight out, return to the starting position and repeat. Once the series is with one arm, you proceed to do the same with the other.
Low pulley pectoral opening exercises
You place the handles one on each side on the lower pulleys of the crossover machine. The body position is similar to the high pulley crossover. Bend the back forward and the arms down.
Take a handle with each hand, palms should be up in supination. Now, you raise your arms bringing your hands to shoulder height, no more than there. This exercise works the upper fibers of the pectoralis major. So, it is one of the best chest exercises.
Conclusion
It is advisable to do 4 to 5 exercises, this will depend on whether you work one or two muscles per day. The exercises you do should work the upper, middle and back of the chest. You must work all these parts equally, to have a higher quality in the muscle.
It should not be bigger above and smaller below and vice versa. Likewise, you can put a little more emphasis on the part of your chest that has the most flaws but always working your entire chest. So, make sure you choose the best back exercises from the list above.
